Page 24 of Worth the Risk

She chortles a laugh. “Wow, you have some lines.” Finding a seat across from me, we both sink into the water, submerging our bodies as much as we can. “I love this. Did the architect design this area?”

I lean back in the water to get comfortable. “Yeah, and we made sure that at night I can see between the two tall pines over there.” I point behind her. “I thought about a pool. Maybe I will do it, but it’s just that the lake is right here, and a pool in Illinois is only usable from May if we’re lucky until early September. There’s an old guy across the lake who swims every morning, even when it’s cold. The only time he doesn’t swim is when there’s ice.”

“Oh yeah? Swimming in cold water is all the rage these days. They say it stops the aging process and is great for your circulation. I can’t handle cold, so I’ll take a pass,” Piper explains before she too exhales a relaxing breath and admires the sky.

“Me too. I prefer to stay warm.”

After a moment, she turns away and rests her head against her crossed arms on the edge of the tub. “I could look at this all night.”

Me too, but not the sky.

“There is something about the silence here. If you listen closely you might hear an owl somewhere.”

She hums a sound as she finds her peaceful moment in my presence and looking at the stars.

“We have kind of avoided talking about April,” she mentions but remains in her trance.

I run a hand through my hair and continue to watch Piper. “The good thing about being here is that we’re in our own world, and we don’t need to address it quite yet.” Because truthfully, I know April, and she will not take this lightly, and my sister will never let me hear the end of it, but I think this whole dynamic is more complicated for Piper than it is for me.

“True. I can just get lost here.” She half turns her body to look over her shoulder to study me, and the light in the water warms her face. “I spent five minutes upstairs debating what I’m going to do.”

“Hopefully to me,” I quip.

The corner of her mouth curves before her gentle eyes peer up at me. “This attraction between us scares me.” She swims the small distance to sit next to me, allowing our arms to graze. “For the sake of transparency, because you were open with me earlier about your son and everything really… I’m used to being cautious, and I’m not a risk-taker in terms of guys, I play it safe.”

I assume there is more to it than that, and I won’t press until she is ready to talk about the reason why, but her words only confirm that I need to let her lead.

Her voice grows soft. “You are a lot of things that could make my life implode, but this trust I feel around you was instant, and I just want you to kiss me.”

“Say no more.”

I don’t waste a second, and I slide my hand into her hair to bring her closer. My lips meet hers before I take more, and her lips are at my mercy.

Piper murmurs a sweet sound, and I dip my tongue into her mouth to get more. My mind becomes lust-filled, and I am captivated by the taste of her lips and the feeling of her arms looping around my neck. The water shifts around us as I slide her closer to me, inviting her to sit on my lap, and I love that she obliges.

Reangling my mouth, I cover her lips because I want to devour her. She has the ability to take over the atmosphere, and the overpowering desire to be inside of Piper has my mind stuck on the crossroads of lost and where to kiss her next.

We need to part for air, but I think I’m only able to breathe if I know I get to plant my lips back onto hers after.

Our foreheads touch as we take a moment to inhale, but it only takes a second for me to realize she’s sitting on my lap, and I’m going to lose my composure any second.

Before I can warn her, her lips are back on mine and she’s kissing me like I’m the prize she’s been waiting for.

Her murmurs get lost as she deepens our kiss, and my hands move to cradle her face between my palms. Admittedly, I like to lead and control, yet I’ve been patient all day, and I’ll continue to be until she gives the sign. Just in this minute, I need her to know that I enjoy her… a lot.

“No understatement, I can’t get enough of you and only you.” My breath is heavy as I speak against her mouth before pressing my lips back to hers.

“I noticed,” she mumbles as she softens our kiss and glances down.

My guy didn’t get the memo to wait for Piper’s cues, but it doesn’t seem to bother Piper, proven by the fact she licks her lips and grins.

“He knows a good thing when he sees it,” I remark.

But the moment our kiss breaks, she returns to sitting next to me and rests her head against my shoulder.

I have no idea what I’m doing except acting like a man besotted, which goes slightly against my persona of calm and assured. I have no qualms for this change, and I take the opportunity to interlace our fingers under the water as we both look up at the sky again.

“As damaging as your kissing skills are, I’m still sleeping in the guest room,” Piper declares. I glance to my side with wide eyes, and she scoffs with a smile. “We get a touchdown for being attracted to each other, but I need to have a clear mind when it comes to you. Plus, that bed in the guest room looks ridiculously comfy.”

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