I steady her, murmuring low in her ear. “Easy. You’ve got this.”
Together we reel it in, between bursts of shrieks and giggles bubbling out of her.
She finally hauls the wriggling bass out of the water but doesn’t have the good sense to reach out and grab it with her hand. It smacks her straight in the face.
“Ahh!” Jackie drops the rod and flails her arms, alerting Patrick, who’s on his feet in an instant. Realizing what’s happened, he doubles over laughing.
The rock wobbles under all her movement. “Jackie, careful, you’re—”
But it’s too late. The rock tilts backward, and she loses her balance, falling back, right into me.
We crash into the cold water with a splash. My butt takes the brunt of the fall on the rocks lining the bottom of the river, and I lift her up, but it only helps her land straight in my lap, knocking all the air from my lungs.
For a couple of seconds, she blinks, taking in her drenched shorts and T-shirt, drops of water dripping off her nose and hair. Then she glances down at where she’s sitting.
Those ocean blue pools widen. The next moment, she throws her head back, laughing. Hard. Tears streak her cheeks as she bends over, shaking. Which doesn’t really help with the fact that she’s grinding her ass against my dick.
“I’m sorry,” she hiccups. “Did I hurt you?”
“Not yet. But if you keep up with this lap dance, I might die of blue balls.”
She rears back and glances at my lap again. Another pearl of laughter bubbles out of her, bright and merciless. “Wouldn’t that be a shame?”
Her laughter is contagious. I join in, gasping. “That was spectacularly awful.”
“I actually tried as well. Why is it so hard?”
Her ponytail is plastered to her neck. I tug it loose, brushing it away. “You’re not doing the whole relaxing thing too well.”
Jackie sighs, a little deflated. “When I don’t know something, I learn by doing. What am I supposed to learn from sucking at fishing?”
“Not everything serves a greater purpose. Sometimes you just suck at things, or you get better with time. It’s all part of the fun.” I smile at her affronted expression.
For me, though, she’s perfect. Which is terrifying.
She hiccups again, leaning over her legs, pushing her ass against me more. “I think there’s a small fish in my boot.”
I groan, the pressure becoming unbearable.
“Still counts as a catch,” Jackie quips, and the friction only makes me bite out another helpless sound.
Patrick’s holler travels over the rushing water and our laughter. “Stick to your day job, Adam. Bodyguarding’s not for you.”
I don’t know about that. I’m doing a decent job at holding her close.
I might be too good at this.
And it aches.
How perfectly she fits into this world, too. The last few days have shown me how easy it is for her to spend time with my family. Walk around Maple Hollow like it could just as well be a stretch of Manhattan sidewalk.
That’s the cruel part. She might not turn her nose up at the place I grew up, but it still doesn’t erase the truth. The fact that she left without a word. BecauseIdidn’t fit inherworld.
Chapter Eighteen
ADAM
Half an hour ago, she was tearing into Logan and Derrick on their weekly security debrief video call, voice sharp enough to draw blood. The investigation is moving too slow, and she sounds close to the breaking point.
