“You okay?” she asks, low enough that Daphne doesn’t hear.
“Yeah.” I force a grin. “Just making sure this high-end vessel stays on course.”
Faith glances at the old boat. “Oh yeah. It screams ‘precision engineering.’”
I nudge her with my shoulder. “Don’t disrespect the Slowpoke.”
She laughs. God, that sound.
We idle past a quiet cove where the water’s smooth like glass. I make a last-minute turn, guiding us toward it.
“Shortcut?” she asks.
“Swim stop,” I reply. “This place is perfect. No one around. Water’s warm this time of day.”
Daphne glances up. “I’m down. I even brought the floaties.”
I cut the engine, and the boat drifts to a peaceful halt. I grab the anchor and drop it in.
Faith looks around, then back at me. “We’re just gonna…jump in?”
I nod, peeling off my shirt. Her eyes flicker down my torso and linger just a second too long.
“Unless you’d rather I go first and show you how it’s done.”
“Thor energy,” she mutters under her breath, making Daphne laugh.
I wink and dive in, the water cool and perfect. I come up, slicking my hair back. “Come on, goddess.”
Faith sighs dramatically, then stands and peels off her shirt and shorts. I get a full view of her teal bikini—the one she clearly packed with intent. My cock twitches beneath the water.
“Don’t ogle,” she warns playfully, stepping up to the edge.
“Too late.”
She dives in next to me, surfacing with a shriek. “Oh my God, it’s colder than I thought!”
I swim toward her, slow. “You’ll warm up.”
She kicks toward me, bumping my shoulder. “Don’t even think about dunking me.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
But I’m dreaming about other things. About pushing her against the side of this boat, water trailing down her skin while I kiss her until she forgets we’re not alone. About tasting her with the lake lapping around us, her legs wrapped around me under the surface.
But instead, I let her swim past me, pretending this is just another summer day. Pretending I’m not unraveling from the inside out, wanting her in ways I have no business wanting anyone.
Friends with benefits. That’s what she said.
But God help me, I’m ready to break every rule she made.
* * *
We get backto the house soaked, sun-warmed, and grinning like idiots. Faith’s hair is half-dried from the wind, cheeks flushed, and she keeps brushing water droplets off her collarbone like she doesn’t know it’s driving me crazy.
“We’re gonna pop into town,” my mom says, tossing her keys into her beach bag. “There’s this new place with wood-fired slices the size of your head.”
Daphne waves her hand. “Back in thirty!”
