Page 119 of Third Chances (Men of Manhattan 2)

I laughed. "It's not yours. You can't own something in the middle of the rainforest."

"Especially when a beautiful woman keeps showing up. Maybe that makes it ours."

Ours? I hated the distance between us. I wanted to run into his arms and kiss every inch of his perfect face. "So, you got my voicemails?"

"Voicemails?"

Oh my God. He hadn't heard my crazy voicemails? If he did, he'd probably be running in the opposite direction of me. "Well, since you're here, you don't really need to listen to them. Actually, if you hand me your phone I can just delete them for you."

An even bigger smile spread across his face with each word I spoke. "Oh, now that I'm thinking about it, I did get those voicemails. I don't know why your hands aren't all over me if you're in love with me, Daphne."

"Why didn't you pick up your phone?" I could feel my face turning red. Maybe if I just avoided talking about my confession of loving him, he'd let it go.

"I was on a plane. I didn't get your messages until I landed back in Costa Rica."

"Back in Costa Rica? You were already on your way back?"

"My brother can be super annoying sometimes."

"What, did he force you onto the plane?"

Rob smiled. "No. He just made me realize that if I didn't give this a shot, I'd regret it for my whole life. I don't want to regret anything."

"Me either."

"So you love me, huh?" His smile was playful.

Of course he didn't let it go. "I'm not in love with you, Rob."

"In your idea of the definition, surely not. But what about mine?"

"Passion?"

"Yes, passion."

I knew he was right. And looking into his eyes, I knew he had the same passion for me as I had for him. "Maybe in that sense, I am a little in love with you."

"Just a little? I kind of remember our passion a little differently." He grabbed his shirt by the nape of its collar and pulled it over his head.

It was hard not to lose my voice at the sight of him. Especially when he started to unhinge his belt. "Does that mean you're in love with me?" My heart was beating fast as I watched him mull it over.

"Honestly, I don't know, Daphne."

Oh. I bit my bottom lip.

"All I know is that I can't stop thinking about you. When I close my eyes I see the green of yours. My fingers itch to feel the curve of your hips. All I want is to taste you again. And I love the way your face flushes when I talk to you. I don't really know what love is. I was kind of hoping we could figure out the whole love thing together." He pulled his belt out of the loops, tossed it on the ground, and unbuttoned his shorts.

/> "By skinny dipping?"

He smiled. "No. Well, partially. You said you didn't want to do it alone, Daphne. You said you wanted me. Well, I want you too. So I'm going to show you how to live by showering under a waterfall like humans are meant to do." He shoved his shorts and boxers to the ground, revealing his huge erection. "And by fucking. I should probably put that out there. Because if you're naked, there's no way I'm not fucking you. Come and get me, beautiful." He turned around and dove head first into the pool of water.

I just stood there and watched him as his head bobbed on the surface of the water.

"What are you waiting for?!" he yelled over the sound of the cascading water.

What am I waiting for? I grabbed my shirt and pulled it off over my head. I quickly unbuttoned my shorts and pushed them down my hips, leaving me in only my one-piece bathing suit. But then I paused. I had never been skinny dipping in my life. I looked over my shoulder to see if there were any passersby.

"All of it, Daphne."

---