Page 38 of Things Good Girls Don't Do (Rock Canyon, Idaho 1)

With steely resolve, Katie reached up to take her hat off and set it on top of the nearest bush. Turning her back to him, she slowly started undoing the straps to her halter top. She was a little self-conscious of her lack of a bra beneath, but the open back of her top hadn’t allowed for one. Tossing the shirt on the bush to join the hat, she kept her back to him, kicked off her cowboy boots as gracefully as possible. Her hands unsnapped the buttons of her jean skirt and she shimmied out of it, shaking it out when it touched the ground. Laying the skirt out on the bush, she bent over to take off her socks, knowing that his eyes were probably glued to her lace-covered butt in the air and trying hard to ignore it. Standing up again, she took a deep breath and wiggled out of her underwear, her last shield of modesty. Bared to him and anyone else who might happen along, she stood back up, folded her arms over her breasts, and took a deep, bracing breath before facing him.

Chase looked her over from head to toe, his gaze filled with hunger. A strangled groan escaped him and he moved toward her across the dirt. He’d barely taken a step before he yelped and picked up his foot. “Shit, there’re stickers. Hold on.”

She watched him yank out the sticker and slip his shoes back on. Walking to where she stood, he picked her up i

n his arms, holding her high against his chest like a knight carrying his lady. She’d never been carried before and she felt an overwhelming giddiness spread through her, taking away some of her nervousness. The heat of his bare skin and muscles sent tingles of awareness through her, and she wanted to run her hands over him.

Snuggling closer, she said, “You know this is really gentlemanly and romantic. Like Rhett carrying Scarlett up the . . . oof!”

Suddenly she was flying through the air toward the pond. Chase had tossed her in. She took a breath right before she hit the cool water and spluttered to the surface a moment later, yelling, “You cretin!”

Laughing as he kicked off his shoes again, he dove in near her, and stayed down long enough to swim up behind her, saying, “You were getting all mushy. It had to be stopped.”

Turning to face him, she knew he was right. They had agreed to keep things light and casual. She had almost demanded it. So why did it hurt her feelings that he hadn’t wanted to hear her compliment him? She had called him chivalrous, which, in her opinion, was high praise. Did it make him uncomfortable because he wasn’t used to someone seeing his sweet side? There was so much she didn’t know about him, yet here she was, naked as the day she was born, and frolicking in her favorite childhood spot. Why wasn’t she freaking out? And why did everything about being with this man feel so right?

Katie couldn’t really be mad at him, but she could seek revenge for his callousness. She reached up and tried to push down on his head, but he didn’t budge. He was too tall to dunk, and his laughter was getting on her nerves. Finally giving up on plan A, she swam away from him and proceeded to plan B: splashing him in the face. Chase stopped laughing, wiped the water from his eyes, and swam toward her with an evil grin. Shrieking, she tried to swim, but he caught her a few feet away and picked her up as if he was going to toss her again.

Wrapping her arms around his neck like a barnacle, she cried, “No, please, please, please, I’m sorry, don’t!”

She squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath, but she didn’t feel the familiar rush of air or the sting of the water. Instead his body started shaking, and she opened up one eye to see him laughing again. Relieved that the danger seemed to be over, she cried, “I hate being dunked and tossed. Steph’s brothers used to love to torment me because I was a screamer.”

Chase’s laugh faded and she was suddenly aware of her naked breasts pushing against his hard chest. The sensation of his skin against her erect nipples made her shiver, and she watched his eyes darken like the ominous clouds forming to the south. Their mouths were so close she could feel his breath on her lips when he asked, “Are you cold?”

Katie shook her head. “No. Not even a little.”

When he dropped his head to kiss her, she met him halfway. He tasted like sunshine, spring water, and Chase. She slid her hands from his neck over his wet shoulders, while his big hands rested on her butt before running over her thighs, squeezing her muscles as their mouths played.

It had been so long since she’d had a man touch her, and part of her was still surprised by what she was doing. Letting him touch her so intimately, and here, in her special place, where anyone could come upon them . . .

No one is going to come here with a storm rolling in. Don’t be paranoid.

Putting a few inches between them, he moved his other hand up to skim her stomach and circled her nipple with his finger. Opening his hand to cup her flesh, he squeezed and teased her breast as he made love to her mouth. Forgetting her reservations, she moaned as he rubbed between her legs, and she felt his erection pressing against her sensitive flesh.

She didn’t register the thunder, it was so faint at first, but she did start to feel a chill in the air right before the first raindrop hit her cheek.

“It’s raining,” she said, coming up for air.

“It’s just a little drizzle,” Chase said, trying to bring her mouth back to his.

As if the fates were working against them, the sky burst open and started dumping buckets of rain.

“Shit!” he said, laughing.

“Let’s get out of here!” Pulling away from him, she started swimming toward shore. They climbed out of the water, and she tried to walk gingerly toward her now-soaked clothes, but halfway there she stepped on a sticker and winced. It wasn’t the first time, but it still wasn’t pleasant.

Chase’s hand rested on her back and he yelled over the pouring rain, “Are you all right?”

“Yeah, I’ve stepped on these things a million times.” Holding on to his arm, she bent over to pull it out, trying to see through the downpour and ignore the sounds of rumbling thunder getting closer to them. She let go of Chase’s arm to walk the last few steps cautiously and grabbed her boots, struggling to slip them onto her wet feet. Gathering her clothes, she held them against her chest and turned, laughing when she caught Chase hopping from foot to foot, trying to put on his own wet shoes.

Swiping his clothes from the bush, she waited until he stood back up and thrust them at him. He gave her a wide grin and, using his free arm, reached out and yanked her into his arms, taking her mouth in a hard kiss. She would have stayed right there, kissing him in the rain like every girl’s fantasy come true, except she could hear the thunder closing in. Storms in Idaho could come on quick and change rapidly, and although they were pretty safe from lightning in the canyon, she didn’t want to take any chances.

When the next crack of thunder caused the earth to shake, she pushed him away and grabbed his hand, tugging him toward the trail. The sound of their feet couldn’t be heard over the deafening rain and as they reached the SUV, she ran to her side and jumped into the passenger seat. She started to retie her halter top just as Chase dove into the driver’s seat and threw his clothes in the back.

He gave her a weird look and asked, “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Putting my clothes back on?” she said, pausing to look at him but releasing the straps when she saw his intense stare.

Moving across the seat, he slipped his hand into her wet hair and gently pulled her toward him. “Why the hell would you do that? I’m not done with you yet.”

---