“In looks maybe. The rest we couldn’t be more different.”
“If we’d gone to school together I’d have asked you out.”
She grinned. “I’m pretty sure if we’d gone to school together you’d have been one of my teachers.”
“Are you implying I’m old?”
“You’re definitely older than me by more than a few years.” She studied his face. “How old are you?”
“You don’t know? You didn’t run a check on me after you arrested me?”
“I didn’t arrest you,” she protested.
“Forgive me if this old memory fails me but did you or did you not put handcuffs on me while I was naked?”
“You were skinning dipping right in front of the gazebo!”
“It was pitch black dark and no one was around.”
“I was around!”
“Yes, and believe me I noticed how long it took you to get to me and slap those cuffs on.” He grinned. “I’m sure you were just making sure I didn’t have a weapon concealed anywhere.”
Heat flushed her face. Oh, she’d taken her time all right. When she’d spotted him coming out of the lake in all his naked glory, water dripping down his chest, his thighs… She’d lost the ability to breath or think. It had taken a good couple of minutes to pull herself clear of the arousal that had rushed through her and remember she was supposed to be policing the park along the lake front.
Nash laughed. “You’re thinking about it again aren’t you? Remembering how you enjoyed cuffing me and preventing me from covering myself.”
“Ha, if you didn’t want anyone to see you you’d have worn pants.”
“What would you do if I said I planned it?”
“Planned what? Getting naked or arrested?”
“I didn’t think you arrested me.”
She growled. “You know what I mean.”
“I do.” He dropped his forehead to rest on hers. “I saw you patrolling and thought the easiest way to get your attention was to strip naked and jump in the lake.”
“Wow. You are a teenager.”
“Yeah. Not my best move that’s for sure. I got your attention but then you avoided me like the plague.”
“Because I didn’t know what to do with you.”
“No, you knew what you wanted to do with me, you were too scared to do it.”
He had her there. She had been afraid of him, of what he made her feel. Still was afraid if she were honest. And now they’d moved to the part naked, pressed together stage of their relationship she wasn’t sure if that fear would help or ruin this tentative connection. “I’m still scared.”
“I know.”
“We already said we were doing this but I need a couple of things. A couple of guarantees.”
“Name them.”
“Honesty.”
“Of course. That goes without saying. On both sides.”
