Page 49 of The Troublemaker

“Just stay away from Liam. I don’t like the way he’s been looking at you.”

She laughs and whacks my stomach. “Liam is a pussycat. Besides, he was into Em

ily, not me. Just like you,” she says with a smile that does not reach her eyes. My stomach coils. What can I say to that? She’s right, I was going after Emily, but what I found instead was so much better. I’m about to open my mouth and tell her that, when she lets loose a big sigh.

“It’s so peaceful here,” she says as I coil a long strand of her hair around my fingers. “So different from the city. A girl could get used to this.”

“We can come here whenever you want.”

“That’s a nice offer, Cason, but soon enough you’ll be back to practice and on the road. I’ll be working on opening a new restaurant, and things will go back to normal between us.”

I open my mouth wanting to ask for more, but what if I scare her off? Maybe instead of telling her, I need to show her what she means to me.

“It’s nice to live in a fantasy every now and then, though.”

“Yeah, it’s nice,” I say at the reminder of our timeline. That’s still not going to stop me from doing my best to convince her we should make a go at this. Like she says, I’m quite the negotiator, and if there’s one thing I know, actions speak louder than words.

She lifts her face to mine, and my God, my heart does a little flip. Her smile pulls me in and not even the toughest Seattle Shooter’s defensive player could keep me from her. I press my lips to hers, and she tastes like sweet marshmallow and everything nice…everything I want.

Our lips linger, and our breathing is in sync as we exchange tender kisses without a care who’s watching. The last embers of the fire flicker, and water laps gently against the shore.

“We never did go for that swim,” I say. I jumped in earlier with the kids, and I’m still in my swim shorts.

“You want to go in?”

“I have an idea.” I wag my brows at her. “See that wharf out there?”

She lifts her head and peers into the night to take in the wharf lit under the near full moon.

“Let me guess. You want to race to it, winner takes all?” she asks, as she pushes to her feet. She starts running, tugging her top off to reveal her bathing suit underneath. I jump up and go after her, tripping on my laces as I try to get my damn shoes off. She tugs on her shorts, and nearly falls into the sand as she tries to run, and by the time I reach her, my shoes and shirt gone, I’m laughing so hard I can hardly breathe.

“You’re going to kill yourself.” I put my arms around her and spin her.

“No, I’m going to beat you. I was on the swim team in high school.”

“We’ll see about that,” I say and set her behind me.

“No fair. You’re a cheater,” she calls out as I wade out. She finishes undressing, and I nearly bite off my tongue when I find her in a bikini that showcases all her beautiful curves. My dick instantly hardens, despite the cold water. She splashes in after me, and I stand there too busy admiring her to realize she’s been closing that gap.

She dives in when she reaches her waist and I lose her as she goes underwater. I dive in after her, and when I come up, I spot her ahead of me, just inches from the wharf. I push harder, and when I lift my head again, she’s standing on the wharf doing a victory dance.

“Smart ass,” I say and she turns and shakes her backside at me.

“Such a sore loser.”

“Such an obnoxious winner,” I tease.

She crooks her fingers. “That’s right I’m the winner, now get your ass up here.”

I hoist myself up, and stand next to her, and she steps into me, her hands going around my shoulders, our bodies meshed. Her lips find mine for a slow, simmering kiss, and I groan into her mouth.

“Think anyone can see us out here?” she asks.

“There you go again. Thinking about sex,” I tease as my hard cock presses into her stomach.

She laughs. “You know I’ve never had sex outside, or under the stars before,” she tells me. “Have you?”

“Can I plead the fifth?”

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