“Ross and…you’ve got to be kidding me. I’ll never watch another fucking episode ofFriendsagain,” he muttered. Shea’s laughter rumbled through him, and he held Jake tighter.
“Let’s get you to shore and dried off, and then I’m gonna give you a talkin’-to for not following the rules.”
With the benefit of Shea’s strength to lean on, Jake managed to push through, and Shea half dragged him up the embankment and set him none too gently on the ground.
“Now,” Shea said, hands on his hips, feet planted wide. “What the ever-living fuck were you doin’ out there in the middle of the lake with no life vest on?”
Jake knew he should be apologizing and thanking Shea for rescuing him, but goddamn, he was rendered speechless by the furious man in front of him. Shea dressed was a gorgeous sight. But in soaking-wet briefs that clung to him like a second skin? He might as well be naked. A libido he’d thought long burned to ashes rose hot and strong in Jake’s blood, and he hung his head, not from Shea’s scolding, but to keep from staring and possibly embarrassing himself. As beautiful and memorable as Shea Montgomery was in the pages of a magazine, in person he was perfection.
“I had one. I just didn’t manage to buckle it in time. I’m sorry. I didn’t think—”
“You sure as hell didn’t. What woulda happened if I didn’t come lookin’ for your sorry ass? I only knew ’cause Patty mentioned you’d been by the kitchen real early and where you were off to. And I had a feelin’ you’d think you were a superman and do somethin’ foolish.”
“It wasn’t my fault.” He glared at Shea, who raised a brow and, unfortunately, pulled his jeans on.
“No? Tell me how you ended up in the lake, then. Should be a good one.”
“Just forget it.” Jake pressed his lips together, and Shea, now fully dressed again, snickered.
“’Cause you know I’m right. I saw you as I ran over. Trying to feed them birds somethin’. And just like you ignored the life-vest sign, you ignored this one.” Shea pointed to a sign Jake hadn’t noticed until that moment:PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE SWANS.
“IsaidI had the life jacket on, just not the right way. And I didn’t see the sign about feeding the birds.” Jake stood and took off his shirt and hoodie, squeezed them out, and put his T-shirt back on. “Sorry.”
“Sorry? That’s all you got to say for yourself? Maybe you should look ’round ’fore you do things. Dammit, Jake, what kinda dang fool are you?” Shea fumed.
The angrier Shea got, the stronger his country accent grew until Jake couldn’t control his smile. Which only made Shea angrier.
“Calm down, Shea. It all turned out okay. I would’ve made it to shore.” The man was seriously hot when he got all fired up. Jake rummaged in his backpack, grateful he’d put his phone in a waterproof bag. Although his book did end up soaked through.
“Would you now? And how can you be so sure?”
Blue eyes blazing, Shea stood in front of him, and Jake fought off the shiver of lust rolling through him. He pretended a nonchalance he didn’t feel, with a shrug of his shoulder.
“I’m sure it would’ve been fine.” Jake turned away, intending to walk to the ranch. Grimacing over his bare feet, he carefully picked his way over the pebbles and branches to where he’d left his sneakers by the edge of the lake. A heavy hand landed on his shoulder and held him fast.
“Don’t just walk away from me. You don’t seem to realize how serious this is. Nature’s not a joke to brush off.”
Shea’s mouth had hardened to an unforgiving line, and it only made Jake’s back go up. “I said I was sorry. I didn’t see the sign. Maybe you should make it bigger. There’s nothing more I can say.”
“You think it’s funny, don’t you?”
They stood nose to nose, and Jake’s brain went on hiatus while his body, cold for so long, caught fire and his breath came in short pants.
“No, I don’t think it’s funny at all.” He glared at Shea and watched his blue eyes darken. Desire tugged low in his belly.
“Fuckin’ hell,” Shea muttered. He swept his thumb down the slant of Jake’s cheekbone and rested it alongside the corner of his mouth, teasing the slight opening. “Tell me you’re not married no more. I don’t go with married men.”
Jake swallowed. Hard. “I-I’m not married anymore. I’m divorced.”
“Yeah?” Shea passed the pad of that thumb over Jake’s lower lip, and Jake sighed. “And you’re into guys?”
Jake took a step closer, licking his tongue at Shea’s finger. “Well, usually they get in me, but yeah. I was married to a man, so you could say so.”
Shea yanked him near. “Asshole.” And Jake closed his eyes right before Shea’s lips hit his. Everything Jake thought he knew about kissing faded to black as his bones dissolved and he melted into Shea. In contrast to the hard muscles of Shea’s chest, Shea’s lips moved soft and sweet over his. Jake’s head spun as if drunk, but this time it wasn’t from whiskey, but a much more dangerous cocktail.
Shea Montgomery.
Jake wrapped his arms around Shea and coaxed his lips apart. He slipped his tongue inside Shea’s mouth to play a game of hide-and-seek. Touching, licking, sucking. Jake groaned and slid his fingers in the thick swirls of Shea’s damp hair and held him closer. He tasted coffee and a hint of mint, but most of all pure want as Shea sucked his tongue. Jake whimpered, wishing they were inside. In a bed.
