I’m at 3 o’clock. Don’t be startled.
There went her heart, all aglow.
She turned to face Jas. He leaned against a tree, his hair glossy from the remnants of one of her hits. He spread his empty hands in front of him. “You wouldn’t hurt an unarmed man?”
She tossed a balloon in the air and caught it. “Nice try. Use camouflage balloons next time, I see the one you stuck in the branch above your head.”
His lips formed a smile, and he reached up and grabbed the water balloon. “Good eye.”
She threw one of her balloons to the ground and it burst. The water was harmless, but later, she’d come out and pickup all the balloon remnants. Though knowing Jas, he’d probably already considered the environmental impact of their little game here and had a cleanup plan in place. “Truce?”
He nodded solemnly and sacrificed his single balloon to the grass.
She lifted her other arm, considered him for a second, then let her second balloon fly, laughing when it smacked him in the stomach.
“We said truce!”
She laughed harder at his outraged expression. “You were the one who told me to use whatever tools I had at my disposal, remember?”
His eyes narrowed. “Oh right.” He took deliberate steps toward her and she eyed him with suspicion. “What are you doing?”
He walked faster, bridging the short distance between them. “Using my tools.”
She squeaked in amusement and feigned trepidation and tried to dart away, but he was so much faster than she was. He caught her by the waist and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and took a step back. In her mind, they would effortlessly make love against the tree, with her legs wrapped around his waist and absolutely no splinters in her bare ass.
In reality, she tripped on a root.
He tightened his grip on her when she stumbled, but that somehow threw his balance off-kilter, and the momentum toppled them both to the ground. He twisted at the last minute so he took the brunt of the fall. He grunted when she landed on top of him like a graceless sack of potatoes.
His shirt was damp and cold, and his hair was messier than before, with pieces of hay stuck in it. So bedraggled, so sexy. She scrambled up. “Are you okay? Your knee?”
“Yes.” He stroked her back. “You?”
“I’m fine.”
“Good.” His fingers played over her sides rapidly.
She stacked her hands on top of his chest and rested her chin on them. “What are you doing?”
He frowned. “Using my tools.”
“Your tools were your kiss.”
“No, my tools are tickling you.” His fingers moved with renewed vigor.
“Oh, I’m not ticklish.”
His frown deepened. “I just need to find the right spot.” His tickling attempt moved to her back.
She stared at him, then touched her fingers lightly to his side. He cringed and laughed immediately. “Stop!”
He wasticklish.Delight ran through her. The devil in her wanted to continue, but she’d give him a break. “This was very enlightening, thank you.”
He grunted in acceptance. “I’ll find your ticklish spot later.”
She waggled her eyebrows. “Feel free to find all my spots.”
His eyes widened, and she hoped she hadn’t crossed some kind of line... double entendres with Jas would take some getting used to. But he chuckled. “Will do.”
