Poison Me by Cami Checketts

house.
    “Nice place,” Chanel said. Then she noticed the plant towering in the corner of the room. She shot a curious glance at Jake. “What’s with the palm tree?”
    He smiled. “I love the Caribbean.”
    “Hmm. So you brought a piece of it home.” She clucked her tongue. “And what is Jake Merrill’s favorite spot in the Caribbean?”
    He shrugged. “Anywhere with blue water and white sand is fine by me.”
    “But you’ve got to have a favorite.” She imagined him lying on the beach, all muscled and tan, with her fingers trailing down his scarred arm and him telling her all his secrets. Her birthmark had always made her feel self-conscious. She wondered if he kept his arm covered for similar reasons. He probably had no idea that the deformity endeared him to her, made her feel like he could relate to her own insecurities.
    Tilting his head, he paused before saying, “Vieques.”
    “Never heard of it.”
    “Beautiful little island off the coast of Puerto Rico. Decent scuba-diving, but I love it because it’s so unexploited. You go bajaing through these dirt roads and come out on a pristine white sand beach with nobody else around.”
    “Sounds wonderful.” Chanel glanced through the archway to the dining area and large windows showcasing the backyard. She gasped. “You have a pool.”
    “Yeah.”
    “Wow. Caribbean lover, scuba-diver, and pool owner. You must be an amazing swimmer.”
    Jake swallowed. “I like it.”
    “You must to have put in an underground pool in a town that’s cold nine months of the year.”
    Jake chuckled. “It’s only cold to those with thin blood.” He gestured out the window. “I heat the water in the fall and spring, and the thermal cover keeps it almost too warm in the summer.”
    “A pool can never be too warm.” She shook her head, liking the things she was discovering about Jake. “I can’t believe you have a pool.” Most people she knew with pools were wealthy. Jake was a pediatrician, but he couldn’t make amazing money in Preston, Idaho, she’d overheard Ellie saying he only worked part-time because his clientele was still building. She’d heard his family had money, but he didn’t behave like a wealthy person. “Did you swim competitively?”
    “In high school.”
    “Preston had a swim team?” she asked.
    “No. We’re too big of hicks for that.”
    “I didn’t mean…”
    He shook his head. “Believe me, Chanel, I didn’t take any offense.”
    She loved the way her name rolled off his tongue.
    “I drove to Pocatello and swam for Highland’s team,” he said.
    “Hmm.” She looked over his lean frame. Her gaze settled on the dark depths of his eyes. “A swimmer. I kind of imagined you as the basketball star, football hero kind of guy.”
    “No.” He turned from her to look out the back windows. “I quit all of that my senior year and just swam. I used to love all the team sports, especially football, but then… I needed a break.” Finally, his gaze met hers. “Guess I’m kind of a loner. Did you play sports in high school?”
    “Volleyball and track,” Chanel said.
    He grinned. “You wear those little running shorts?”
    “They were bad in high school, but in college I swear they shrank.” She pulled a face.
    “Did you keep any of the small ones?”
    She swatted at him. “No, but thanks for asking.”
    Laughing, he dodged away. “Can’t blame a guy for that.”
    “That’s what you think.”
    “So you competed in college?”
    Oh, no. She was talking too much. “Uh-huh.” Now she was the one studying the dogwood bushes out the window, trying to think of a way to steer this conversation away from her past. “Hundred-yard dash and long jump.”
    “Really? So you’re fast.”
    “Used to be.” How embarrassing to brag about running for the university track team. “Now I’d rather run long distance.” She glanced at Jake’s handsome face. “Must be getting old.”
    His eyes traveled up and down her frame. “I think