“I wasn’t trying to swim. I went down to the edge of the water, but when I stepped on something, I fell. The next thing I knew, the ocean was dragging me out.”
“I got to run,” Derek said. “Jan should be getting home from her family outing. Montana, I’m glad you’re okay.”
“You’ve been drinking,” I said to Derek. “So no keys.”
“That’s cool. I’ll stop by tomorrow,” Derek said as he left.
“The shower should be ready,” Reagan said.
The girls could handle the rest. I needed to quiet my shredded nerves. Man, if something had happened to Montana, I didn’t know what I would’ve done.
Both fear and relief flashed in Elvira’s big brown eyes. “Why don’t you dry off? Reagan and I got it from here.”
Austin and I headed for the door.
“Train, don’t leave,” Montana said softly.
Reagan’s hazel eyes went wide, while Elvira’s jaw dropped.
“Will you stay? Please.” Montana sounded desperate as she shivered.
I was at a loss for words.
The sides of Reagan’s lips curled. “I think you should.”
“I’m with Reagan,” Elvira added.
Austin poked me in the side.
Before I could respond, Austin, Reagan, and Elvira shuffled out, closing the door behind them.
Suddenly, I didn’t know what to do until a tear ran down her cheek. This was a new side of Montana. The tough girl did cry.
I went over to her. “Are you certain you want me in here?”
Another tear ran down her cheek. “I’m sorry. Thank you for saving me.”
I wiped the tear away with the pad of my thumb. “You scared the fuck out of me.”
She threw her arms around my neck and started crying. I lifted her off the sink and walked us into the shower. I had on my swim trunks and T-shirt, but we were both soaking wet, so it didn’t matter. I set her down on two feet but held on to her as the hot water cascaded down on us.
She stayed in my arms while I rubbed her back. Her chattering teeth quieted.
“Your heart is racing,” she whispered.
“Well, I just saved a beautiful girl from drowning.”
“Iamdrowning,” she said.
I eased back, placed my hand underneath her chin, and guided her face upward. “Explain.”
“You confuse me and terrify me and make me angry. But all I want to do is kiss you.”
I grinned like an ass before I mashed my lips to hers. I’d been dying to really kiss her too, not nibble her bottom lip or kiss her neck or her ear. But I’d been desperate to slip my tongue in her mouth and kiss the fuck out of her until our lips were red and raw.
As soon as I got my wish and our tongues collided, I groaned, pressing her up against the stone wall. She moaned as she explored my mouth, and for a second, I let her take control of the kiss, enjoying how she suckled my tongue and my lips until I was bursting at the seams.
I lifted her up. “Wrap your legs around me.”
