“Uhhh.” My eyes widened.
He looked over at me and grinned. “Don’t worry, Princess, I’m wearing underwear.”
Yeah, that’s what I was afraid of. Seeing his sexy body in boxers.
I gulped. “I’m just gonna keep my dress on.”
He shrugged, as if he didn’t care. “Suit yourself, but the tow truck guy might not let you sit on his seat sopping wet.”
With that he dove into the murky water and I winced.
“It’s all brown,” I told him when his head peeked above water. I didn’t grow up in the city, but I also didn’t grow up swimming in rivers. This one wasn’t what I imagined. It looked muddy, and God knows what was swimming around under there.
“It’s amazing.” He grinned, and started to float on his back, his black cotton boxers clinging to his package.
Oh Lord.
Without thinking it over too much, I grabbed the hem of my dress and pulled it up over my head. I didn’t even remember what kind of bra or undies I’d put on, so now I stared down at my body and cursed myself.
Pink sheer bra and white cotton panties.
Pink. Sheer. My fucking nipples were exposed.
My cheeks reddened in horror. Too late to back out now, I was already half naked. Ashton looked up at me and his entire face went slack as he gulped hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing before he averted his eyes quickly. I kicked off my heels and dove into the water before I exposed myself any longer, putting out the burning fire on my skin.
“Sweet relief!” I sighed, and waded over to where he floated, staring at me. His package was back underwater, thank God, but now I had a full view of his chest, with rolling beads of water running down it.
Breathe, Millie.
The river was deep, I had to actively paddle because I couldn’t feel the ground.
Ashton was watching me with a hooded gaze and I couldn’t read him; he’d shut down in the car when I asked him the personal questions and now the walls were higher than ever.
“I’ve never swam in a river before,” I confessed.
He smirked. “Not surprised.”
I scowled at him. “Whatever, farm boy.”
He swam closer to me and my stomach dropped. “Whatever, Princess.”
His dark hair was slicked back with water and the tip of his scar peeked out from the water. I couldn’t help but stare at it.
Colin’s heart.The love of my life’s heart was beating between that ribcage. So close I could touch it.
“Go on. Just ask,” Ashton said, and I realized he’d caught me staring.
“What?” I flicked my gaze up to his stormy eyes and he paddled closer to me. My knee brushed his and desire pooled between my legs and my breath hitched.
“The scar. Just ask,” he said, point blank.
Okay. Here it was. Moment of truth. “Why did you need the heart transplant? Were you born with a defect or something?”
There. I asked. I asked about it.
He watched me, eyes going dark as his gaze thinned. It’s almost as if he was thinking about what to tell me.
“Car accident. Tore three of my four chambers on impact. A cardiologist was at the scene with a surgeon’s kit or I wouldn’t have made it.”
