grassy island, turned and motioned for her to do the same.
“Are you kidding?” Chloe touched the first rock with her shoe, then pulled back. “I’ll fall off.”
“No you won’t. Come on. You need to see the view from the middle of the pond.” He took the path again, stopping halfway to balance between two rocks. “See? It’s easy.”
“For you, maybe.”
He could see how much she wanted to join him. “Chloe, trust me. I’ll help you.”
She bit her lip and placed her foot on the first rock. “You promise?”
“I promise. Now come on.”
“I will if you stop ordering me around. You’re making this harder than I already think it is.”
The nervousness in her tone almost hid the humor behind her words. “Yeah, I know. Doesn’t mean I plan on stopping, though.”
He grinned at her surprise and waved her to him. “Ready whenever you are.”
“Okay, here I come.” She was on the second rock before she knew it and snagging his hand in three more quick steps on top of the rocks.
“See?” He held one arm out to steady himself while keeping hold of her hand. “Let’s take the rest of them one at a time.” Setting up a system of him stepping back and taking her hand again to help her to the next rock, they moved one at a time toward the island until he reached the final two stones. Jumping backward he landed on solid ground, then reached out for her.
Chloe, however, stayed on the next-to-last rock, her arms stretched outward and wobbling like a trapeze artist on a high-wire. “Oh-oh-oh, I’m going to faaaall.”
Conan reached for her the second her foot slid off the wet rock. But he’d gone off balance trying to get to her. His hand gripped hers, but she was already plunging sideways—and taking him along with her.
He fell with her, the coolness of the water sending shudders through his body. Coming up sputtering, he pushed the hair out of his face and glared at her. “Why the hell didn’t you wait for me to take your hand?”
Chloe tossed the hair out of her eyes, then shoved him. “Why didn’t you catch me? You promised you wouldn’t let me fall in.”
“How was I to know you couldn’t stand on one rock for two seconds? I had my hand out. All you had to do was take it.”
She glowered at him, her chest heaving with her anger until, at last, she stopped and looked around her. “Why didn’t you tell me the water was this shallow? I’m standing up.”
“So? You’re still wet.”
“I don’t know. If I was going to get wet, maybe I should’ve just waded across.” Her sudden burst of laughter echoed around the small clearing.
What the hell? Dumbfounded, he watched her cover her mouth in a useless effort to control her mirth.
“Why the hell are you laughing?” What had he done that she found so humorous this time?
Chloe covered her mouth, trying to stifle some of her snickers. “If you could’ve seen your face…”
“You mean before or after you fell in with your mouth hanging open?” He could give as good as he got. “I’m surprised you didn’t catch a fish.”
At least her riotous guffaws subsided into giggles. “Oh, really? A fish? At least I didn’t look like a fish with your big old mouth flapping like a trout hooking onto a—”
He muffled her words with his mouth. She gave a soft whimper and pressed the palms of her hands against his chest. But he wouldn’t let her go. Not when he ached for her so much he could barely stand.
The taste of her rocked him, transforming the simple lust searing through his body into something more, something meaningful that filled him with joy. Chloe’s kiss sent shockwaves through him, churning the heat smoldering inside into a roaring flame. He groaned, realization hitting him harder than a landslide. She was the one for him. Unable to think while his lips touched hers, he pulled back and studied her.
The cool water dripped from her hair, making it cling in a frame around her. Her brown eyes were round with wonder,
“Are you kidding?” Chloe touched the first rock with her shoe, then pulled back. “I’ll fall off.”
“No you won’t. Come on. You need to see the view from the middle of the pond.” He took the path again, stopping halfway to balance between two rocks. “See? It’s easy.”
“For you, maybe.”
He could see how much she wanted to join him. “Chloe, trust me. I’ll help you.”
She bit her lip and placed her foot on the first rock. “You promise?”
“I promise. Now come on.”
“I will if you stop ordering me around. You’re making this harder than I already think it is.”
The nervousness in her tone almost hid the humor behind her words. “Yeah, I know. Doesn’t mean I plan on stopping, though.”
He grinned at her surprise and waved her to him. “Ready whenever you are.”
“Okay, here I come.” She was on the second rock before she knew it and snagging his hand in three more quick steps on top of the rocks.
“See?” He held one arm out to steady himself while keeping hold of her hand. “Let’s take the rest of them one at a time.” Setting up a system of him stepping back and taking her hand again to help her to the next rock, they moved one at a time toward the island until he reached the final two stones. Jumping backward he landed on solid ground, then reached out for her.
Chloe, however, stayed on the next-to-last rock, her arms stretched outward and wobbling like a trapeze artist on a high-wire. “Oh-oh-oh, I’m going to faaaall.”
Conan reached for her the second her foot slid off the wet rock. But he’d gone off balance trying to get to her. His hand gripped hers, but she was already plunging sideways—and taking him along with her.
He fell with her, the coolness of the water sending shudders through his body. Coming up sputtering, he pushed the hair out of his face and glared at her. “Why the hell didn’t you wait for me to take your hand?”
Chloe tossed the hair out of her eyes, then shoved him. “Why didn’t you catch me? You promised you wouldn’t let me fall in.”
“How was I to know you couldn’t stand on one rock for two seconds? I had my hand out. All you had to do was take it.”
She glowered at him, her chest heaving with her anger until, at last, she stopped and looked around her. “Why didn’t you tell me the water was this shallow? I’m standing up.”
“So? You’re still wet.”
“I don’t know. If I was going to get wet, maybe I should’ve just waded across.” Her sudden burst of laughter echoed around the small clearing.
What the hell? Dumbfounded, he watched her cover her mouth in a useless effort to control her mirth.
“Why the hell are you laughing?” What had he done that she found so humorous this time?
Chloe covered her mouth, trying to stifle some of her snickers. “If you could’ve seen your face…”
“You mean before or after you fell in with your mouth hanging open?” He could give as good as he got. “I’m surprised you didn’t catch a fish.”
At least her riotous guffaws subsided into giggles. “Oh, really? A fish? At least I didn’t look like a fish with your big old mouth flapping like a trout hooking onto a—”
He muffled her words with his mouth. She gave a soft whimper and pressed the palms of her hands against his chest. But he wouldn’t let her go. Not when he ached for her so much he could barely stand.
The taste of her rocked him, transforming the simple lust searing through his body into something more, something meaningful that filled him with joy. Chloe’s kiss sent shockwaves through him, churning the heat smoldering inside into a roaring flame. He groaned, realization hitting him harder than a landslide. She was the one for him. Unable to think while his lips touched hers, he pulled back and studied her.
The cool water dripped from her hair, making it cling in a frame around her. Her brown eyes were round with wonder,
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