When I kicked my way to the surface, I gasped for air, wiping cold droplets from my eyes. “Oh my gosh, Jay, I’m going to kill you.”
His chuckle sounded beside me, and then his arms were wrapping around me again, pulling me back to him.
My legs wrapped around him instinctively, and I realized it was pretty shallow by the dock. He could stand easily, and also hold me against him with minimal effort.
I was shivering, but he was very warm, and it felt nice. Really nice.
“Relájate.It gets better after a few minutes,” he said gently, brushing strands of dark curls from his forehead before leaning in to kiss me again.
When his lips met mine, I was no longer thinking about how cold it was. And he was actually right. After a few minutes, it did get better.
He carefully waded through the water until we were just beneath the edge of the dock. He reached up, gripping the edge of the wood to steady himself as he kissed me.
His other hand was still wrapped tightly around my waist, keeping me pressed against him.
I let myself kiss him with total wild abandon. There was teeth and tongue, and I was breathing so rapidly itwas sort of embarrassing. Between the cold water and the way he was devouring me, there was no way I could’ve kept my breathing steady.
“Jay,” I breathed his name between kisses. My hands roamed his shoulders and his back, unable to stay still.
It was cold, and he was warm, and I wanted to be as close as possible to him. He seemed to like it when I put my hands in his hair, which was where they ended up, fisted around his curls for quite some time.
After a few long minutes, he pulled back and rested his forehead against mine. I gave a little whimper, not wanting it to end.
“You’re shivering, Hope.”
“I am? I don’t think I am,” I said, attempting to tug him back for another kiss, but he didn’t budge.
“Let’s go inside and get you warm,” he murmured, kissing my cheek, then my temple.
“O-okay,” I said, my teeth chattering now.
He pulled himself up onto the dock. Water droplets splashed everywhere. Then he reached down to help pull me up after him.
Once I was safely on the dock again, dripping and shivering like a drowned cat, he wrapped his spare towel around me as quickly as possible.
Then he bent down again.
“Jay, what are you?—”
He scooped his arm behind my knees and, with ease, lifted me to a cradle position against his chest.
“I’ll hurry and make us a fire and some hot chocolate.”
“Hot chocolate?” My protests were immediately silenced, and my obvious interest made a smirk tug at his lips.
“It’s the least I can do after throwing us both into that freezing water.”
“So you admit that was a little insane.”
“You just told me you’re falling for me, Hope. I’m not going to be thinking clearly for a while,” he admitted.
My stomach fluttered with butterflies at his words.
This wasn’t some crazy dream I was having after a concussion. Jay had said he was falling for me, and I’d said it back.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” I whispered as he continued carrying me back to the house.
“Believe it,” he murmured.
