roof of his lakefront cottage glinted in the sunlight.
Holly turned to him. On a smile, she said, “We’ll be next-door neighbors, of a fashion.”
“I guess so.” He reached out to scratch at a patch of dried mud on her nose.
“I’m a mess.”
“A pretty mess,” he clarified, resisting the urge to drop a kiss on the very nose he’d just tried to rid of dirt.
“I need to get cleaned up.”
Nate nodded. She was right, of course. He should take her back to his cottage where she could shower while he swung by the marina. He’d been gone several hours. In the meantime, a couple of yachts were due in today, one of them making the Saint Lawrence loop that took the big crafts from the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean all the way inland to the Great Lakes system. This one was out of Fort Myers, Florida, and was destined for Chicago.
Despite his responsibilities back at the marina, Nate said, “Lake’s right there.”
“Excuse me?”
“The lake.” He nodded in its direction a second time. “It’s still a bit chilly this time of year.” In fact, this far north, it rarely becameanything other than what the polite termed
refreshing
. With a grin, he added, “But I never knew you to mind a cool dip.”
“Are you daring me, Nathaniel Matthews?”
How was it he found her arched eyebrows and use of his full name so damned sexy?
His first genuine smile in days unfurled. “Yes, ma’am. I believe I am.”
Her chin rose. “I don’t like to swim alone. In fact, that was my grandmother’s rule.”
“Swim with a buddy,” he finished for her before his throat closed.
“So …” Holly blinked guilelessly at him as she backed toward the water, shedding her shoes as she went. “Will you be my buddy, Nate?”
I’ll be anything you damn well want me to be
, he nearly replied.
But that would be foolish, not to mention presumptuous. Holly wasn’t asking him to be anything but a friend. She had someone waiting for her back in her country. Someone she might not love, but who was far more suitable to her station in life.
He reminded himself of that fact again and again as he watched her wade backward into the water, her smile as tempting as asiren’s song. He found it didn’t matter. He loved seeing her like this: smiling, having fun and acting very much like the girl she’d once been.
Except she was all woman now.
Awareness pummeled Nate as the waves lapped gently at Holly’s body, first wetting her calves and then her thighs. Soon enough, the capri pants she had on were soaked. They stuck to her body like a second skin, tugging a groan from deep in his chest. Need built inside him, even more fierce than the likes of which he’d experienced the evening before when he’d kissed her. Nate decided it was just as well that when the water reached her waist, Holly turned and dove under.
She bobbed to the surface a few feet away. Then she stood. It was all Nate could do to remain on his feet—his knees felt that weak.
The water was just below her breasts now. And the blouse she wore had turned all but translucent, molding to her curves. The water was
very
cold indeed.
He held his breath as she leaned over and used her cupped hand to splash some of it on her face and hair, removing the last traces of mud.
“Aren’t you coming in?” she called to him as she straightened.
Any other woman and he would have been galloping through the surf at that invitation. But this was Holly. If Nate waded in to where she stood, he would want to touch her. He would
need
to touch her, he amended silently. Just as he had the other night. And if he touched her …
Well, it wouldn’t be a good idea. For either of them. He decided to leave it at that, even though his imagination was, at that very moment, busy filling in all of the blanks.
“Nah. I’ll sit this one out. I can be your buddy from here.”
He lowered himself onto a stump, watching enviously as she played in the surf.
Lucky water. Lucky waves.
A moment
Holly turned to him. On a smile, she said, “We’ll be next-door neighbors, of a fashion.”
“I guess so.” He reached out to scratch at a patch of dried mud on her nose.
“I’m a mess.”
“A pretty mess,” he clarified, resisting the urge to drop a kiss on the very nose he’d just tried to rid of dirt.
“I need to get cleaned up.”
Nate nodded. She was right, of course. He should take her back to his cottage where she could shower while he swung by the marina. He’d been gone several hours. In the meantime, a couple of yachts were due in today, one of them making the Saint Lawrence loop that took the big crafts from the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean all the way inland to the Great Lakes system. This one was out of Fort Myers, Florida, and was destined for Chicago.
Despite his responsibilities back at the marina, Nate said, “Lake’s right there.”
“Excuse me?”
“The lake.” He nodded in its direction a second time. “It’s still a bit chilly this time of year.” In fact, this far north, it rarely becameanything other than what the polite termed
refreshing
. With a grin, he added, “But I never knew you to mind a cool dip.”
“Are you daring me, Nathaniel Matthews?”
How was it he found her arched eyebrows and use of his full name so damned sexy?
His first genuine smile in days unfurled. “Yes, ma’am. I believe I am.”
Her chin rose. “I don’t like to swim alone. In fact, that was my grandmother’s rule.”
“Swim with a buddy,” he finished for her before his throat closed.
“So …” Holly blinked guilelessly at him as she backed toward the water, shedding her shoes as she went. “Will you be my buddy, Nate?”
I’ll be anything you damn well want me to be
, he nearly replied.
But that would be foolish, not to mention presumptuous. Holly wasn’t asking him to be anything but a friend. She had someone waiting for her back in her country. Someone she might not love, but who was far more suitable to her station in life.
He reminded himself of that fact again and again as he watched her wade backward into the water, her smile as tempting as asiren’s song. He found it didn’t matter. He loved seeing her like this: smiling, having fun and acting very much like the girl she’d once been.
Except she was all woman now.
Awareness pummeled Nate as the waves lapped gently at Holly’s body, first wetting her calves and then her thighs. Soon enough, the capri pants she had on were soaked. They stuck to her body like a second skin, tugging a groan from deep in his chest. Need built inside him, even more fierce than the likes of which he’d experienced the evening before when he’d kissed her. Nate decided it was just as well that when the water reached her waist, Holly turned and dove under.
She bobbed to the surface a few feet away. Then she stood. It was all Nate could do to remain on his feet—his knees felt that weak.
The water was just below her breasts now. And the blouse she wore had turned all but translucent, molding to her curves. The water was
very
cold indeed.
He held his breath as she leaned over and used her cupped hand to splash some of it on her face and hair, removing the last traces of mud.
“Aren’t you coming in?” she called to him as she straightened.
Any other woman and he would have been galloping through the surf at that invitation. But this was Holly. If Nate waded in to where she stood, he would want to touch her. He would
need
to touch her, he amended silently. Just as he had the other night. And if he touched her …
Well, it wouldn’t be a good idea. For either of them. He decided to leave it at that, even though his imagination was, at that very moment, busy filling in all of the blanks.
“Nah. I’ll sit this one out. I can be your buddy from here.”
He lowered himself onto a stump, watching enviously as she played in the surf.
Lucky water. Lucky waves.
A moment
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