“If I were you, I’d avoid skinny dipping. It could lead to places that really don’t suit you.” Like a borderline commitment, but I leave that last part out. Besides, it suits me just fine. In fact, I’d die to have a commitment with Reese—the real deal.
“Skinny dipping always leads to places I like”—he corrects—“unbelievably tight places that especially please my dick.”
“Nice,” I say as he pulls up to the cabin, and I jump out of the truck. “See you down there. Try not to be such a troll.”
“You’re the troll. I’m the pervert. Keep it straight.”
I salute him with my middle finger as he kicks up the dust in my face with his tires.
Skinny dipping. I wonder if I’d do it all over again. Those hot memories of Reese writhing in my arms come back like a flash fire, and I shake my head.
Hell, yes, I’d do it again.
Every. Single. Time.
After a quick shower, and an even quicker bite, I head down to the north side of the lake as the party rages on into the night. I spot Kennedy with Keith, and Neva hanging out by herself, but no sign of Reese, or worse, Warren.
A pair of cool hands glide over my eyes momentarily. “Boo!” A cute female voice perks in my ear, and I turn to find Brylee with a crooked smile.
“Boo, yourself.” I flat line, panning the crowd once again. “What’s new?”
“You mean, what’s new withReese.” She jumps in front of me and hops up and down to the music. “You ever plan on having that talk with her?”
“Yup.” Not really, but I know for a fact it’ll get Brylee off my back.
“Great.” Her eyes widen. “You should do it tonight. You know, there’s no time like the present. The present is a gift and all that crap.”
“She’s leaving soon.” I cut a glance up to her balcony, her side yard, the McCarthy’s home, but there’s no sign of Reese or Warren.
“So are you.”
“Things might get awkward if I try to turn this into some emotional battle zone. Sorry but I’m not ruining her summer.” Or mine for that matter.
The band takes a quick break but my eardrums continue to throb in rhythm to their last disaster. A group of girls belt out a simultaneous laugh. I turn in their direction and spot Reese.
The world stops as her eyes latch onto mine. My adrenaline skyrockets, and my heart starts kicking the shit out of me from the inside.
A smile rises on her face as she bolts over.
“Do yourself a favor and tell her tonight.” Brylee ducks into the crowd behind us and disappears from sight.
An older couple crosses my path.
“Excuse me.” The man with greying hair pulls in his wife as they make their way past me, and it’s only then I recognize him as Reese’s dad.
“Ace Waterman?” His wife pulls back a moment and glares into me.
Shit.
“That would be me.” I nod politely at the two of them.
“I didn’t recognize you.” Her father lifts his chin, examining me. “How’s your dad doing? I see him tooling around the lake now and again.”
Tooling around the lake? Funny. Dad refers to it as work.
“He’s doing good. Keeping busy.”
He presses out a quick grimace. “Tell him, Chuck Westfield says hello, would you?” He pauses, looking over my shoulder at the cabin. “In fact, tell him I wouldn’t mind hitting a bucket of balls with him sometime. My treat.”
