My grin was smug as hell, especially when her nails dug into my shoulders and she clung to me. She could pretend to be mad all she wanted, but I knew her. I knew her fake anger,her real smiles, what worried her and what her dreams were. I was gonna marry this woman someday, but we weren’t rushing. We had plenty of time, now that we both could be together openly, without consequence. It’d actually been uneventful once word got out. Shocking…but no one really cared about us being together. It didn’t affect her work with the guys, and it didn’t affect me on the field.
I tipped my forehead against hers, the lake lapping around us, her body snug against mine in that black bikini I had no business surviving. My hands slid over her back, memorizing the slick curve of her spine, her shoulders, every inch I’d almost lost the chance to hold. “God, you’re beautiful.”
Her cheeks flushed, even with the sun beating down, and she shook her head. “You can’t say things like that when you nearlydrownedme.”
“First off, we both know you’re an excellent swimmer. Second—” I brushed a kiss against her jaw, slow, deliberate, making her shiver “—“Maybe I wanted to feel your body against mine?”
She rolled her eyes, but she smiled as she ran her finger gently over my hair. “Oh, was last night or this morning not enough for you?”
My skin hummed. We had a great time in the shower this morning, where I brought her to orgasm four times, ensuring I beat every record I set before. “Sloane, honey, I say this with all the love in the world, but I will never fucking get enough of you.”
“Yeah.” She leaned closer, her pretty brown eyes softening. “I know what you mean. God, look at us. Our friends are here, everyone’s happy…this…life’s pretty good.”
“It sure is,” I replied, keeping one hand on her ass. I used the other to push some wet hair behind her ear. “I love you so much, Sloane. I want this every day with you.”
“I love you too.” She kissed me, her perfect wet lips sliding against mine as I rocked into her. It didn’t matter how many times we had sex or fooled around, she always turned me on. If it wasn’t her body, it was her mind. If it wasn’t her brilliance, it was her subtle humor. If it wasn’t that, it was her shy smiles that I read like a book. “I’m so happy. It sounds so cheesy, but I didn’t know life could be like this.”
That made the ache in my chest grow. “I know the feeling.” I sighed, unable to stop smiling at her. “When should we get married?”
She blinked, eyes widening. “Oliver, what?”
“My heart is beating twice as hard thinking about how much I want this with you. I want you to be my wife. I want to be Mr. Doctor Mercer.”
“That’s not a thing.” She blushed, hard, making a few freckles stand out. “Oliver, did you just propose to me in a lake?”
“Eh, not really a proposal. There isn’t really asking going on.” I tickled her side, and she splashed me, pushing off me and swimming away. “Hey, come back!”
“There isn’t really asking going on.Are you kidding me?” She swam closer to land, kicking water at me the whole time.
“Honey, stop swimming away from me.”
“Can you believe him, Noah? He just asked when we should get married. No proposal. No ring, just some bullshit ask.”
“My dude.” Noah lowered his sunglasses and shook his head in disappointment. “That is not what Sloane deserves.”
“Okay, this backfired.” I pushed forward, water sliding off my shoulders as I stalked closer to Sloane. “Doc, stop running from me.”
She shot me a look over her shoulder—smug, mischievous, and so damn sexy. Then she pushed herself out of the lake in one smooth motion, droplets sliding down her body like the universe was showing off. That string bikini somehow looked smallerthan I remembered, clinging to every curve, and God help me, her ass could’ve brought me to my knees if I wasn’t already wading waist-deep in water.
Her laugh carried over the dock as she darted forward, strong legs dripping and glistening in the sun. She had maybe a yard on me, but I ate up the distance, the competitive part of me lighting up. “Don’t think you can outrun me, Mercer!”
She squealed as I lunged, wrapping my arms around her waist and lifting her in one swoop. She wriggled and laughed, her wet legs sliding against me, slick and maddening.
“Oliver!” she gasped, smacking my shoulder, but she looped her arms tight around my neck anyway. “Put me down!”
“Gladly,” I teased, spinning us once for good measure.
Except the dock was wet, my footing slipped, and gravity decided to remind me I wasn’t invincible. My heel skidded, her laugh turned into a yelp, and I cocooned her against my chest as we toppled backward in slow motion.
The world tilted. Water exploded around us when we hit, cool and shocking.
She burst out laughing before we even surfaced, clinging to me as I kicked us upright. “Oh my God—you idiot!”
“Correction,” I panted dramatically, pushing my wet hair out of my face, “your idiot.”
She shoved at my chest, but her grin gave her away. “You’re impossible.”
“Yeah, but you love me anyway,” I shot back, pulling her closer until her body pressed tight against mine again. The lake rippled around us, warm sun cutting through the chill of the splash, her laughter still vibrating against my skin.
