Page 33 of The Jilted Lovers Club
For a moment, I stare at him, thrown by the casual generosity of his offer. Then my brain goes straight to the gutter.
The full Lahoma Springs experience.
What will I experience first? The weight of his body? The feel of his hands? The taste of his sweat?
Jesus. Pull it together, Jordy.
“What are you smiling at?” His lips curve, amused, and I smother my grin before shaking my head.
“Nothing,” I say, my voice an octave too high. “That sounds fun.”
He puts the towel down, then nods at the door. “All right. First things first, you head home and change into a bathing suit and clothes you don’t mind getting wet.”
“We’re going swimming?” I ask. He shakes his head.
“Not intentionally. Something better.”
An hour later, we’re on the dock of the Lahoma River, each of us getting paired with a stand-up paddle board. I’m wearing shorts and a large sweatshirt over my bathing suit—both of which will NOT get wet if I can help it. The weather is somewhat warm, though not warm enough to go without layers. It’s definitely not warm enough to go swimming—not that I want to. The water is brown from sediment, and has a slight mossy smell to it that would likely cling to my hair for weeks. It’s no worse than the manure smell of this town, though that odor has thankfully faded with time—that, or I’m just used to it.
Regardless, standing on the dock and looking at the murky water, I’m unsure how I let Ashton convince me this would be fun.
Speaking of Ashton, he’s incredibly hard to look away from in his swim trunks and boat shoes. If I think he looks good in a shirt, I’m definitely not prepared for the state of the ab situation he has going on. Holy fuck, the man is ripped. He’s seriously built like a linebacker. Everything about him is broad, from his shoulders to his core to the way his ass fills out those damn shorts. I swear I try not to look, but that man is packing. There is no mistaking that when I say broad, I meaneverything.
But of course, he catches me looking. The way the tip of his tongue slides over his full lips as he catches my gaze, I cannot look away fast enough.
“Uh, I can honestly say I’ve never done anything like this before.” My cheeks burn, and I take a deep breath in. “Paddle boarding, I mean.” What the fuck. What else would he think I meant?
“It’s as easy as walking,” the guy at the dock says and claps Ashton on the shoulder, instantly breaking whatever tension is happening … or not happening. “Dude, where have you been? I feel like I haven’t seen you in years.”
Ashton’s eyes leave mine, and his grin fades into politeness. “Hey Brett,” he says, then shrugs. “You know how it is. Lottie is growing like a weed, and the farm isn’t going to work itself. Between those two things, it’s not like I have a lot of free time to float down the river.”
“Man, there’s always time to float. You just have to make it a priority. Look at me, I have two girls and Janie is pregnant with our third, and I still find time to go with the river flow.”
“Not so hard when it’s literally your job.”
Brett laughs, clapping Ashton again. “Fair point, my friend. Still, don’t be a stranger. Let’s grab beers sometime.”
Ashton nods, though I notice he never really confirms. He turns to me, and I offer a small smile.I get you, I want to say. He nods, just slightly. The impact of it though, just that tiny connection, makes my heart swell.
“Let’s get you in the water,” he says, but I shake my head.
“You need to go first because I have no idea how to get on this thing without going for a swim.”
He laughs, then sets his board down. I do the same, using my paddle to keep it in place while he easily steps on his board and drifts out. Then he nods at me.
“It’s that easy,” he calls.
“Do it again,” I say. “I don’t think I caught that.”
Ashton laughs from his paddleboard, effortlessly balancing as he drifts ahead.
“Come on, New York. You got this.”
I take a deep breath.
“Atta girl,” Brett encourages beside me. “Just step forward in one motion. The board’s sturdy, it won’t flip.”
Wanna bet?
