“I am here.”
“Closer.”
I moved back into his arms, pressing my forehead against his. “Better?”
“Perfect,” he said softly.
We stayed like that for a long moment, just holding each other while the water moved around us. I knew people on the beach could probably see us. I knew I should care about that. ButI couldn’t bring myself to move away from him. I blamed some unseen force.
I put my hands on his shoulders and pushed down hard. He didn’t budge. Not even a little. He just raised one eyebrow at me, clearly amused by my pathetic attempt.
“That’s all you got?” he teased.
“You’re like a tree trunk,” I complained. “A very attractive tree trunk.”
He laughed, and then before I knew what was happening, he’d lifted me out of the water and tossed me backward. I hit the surface with a splash, going under and hitting the bottom before bobbing back up.
His hands were on my hips and his mouth was on mine. The kiss was not PG. It was all tongue and very sloppy. A sharp whistle cut through the air, reminding us we weren’t alone.
“Damn,” he groaned. “I fucking love kissing you.”
“Come to dinner tonight,” I said impulsively.
His eyebrows shot up. “Dinner?”
“Family dinner. At my place.” The words tumbled out before I could second-guess myself. “Dad will be there. Fair warning. But it won’t be weird now, right? You’re not some random guy I’m sneaking around with anymore.”
“Your dad,” he repeated slowly.
“Is that a problem?”
“No.” He shook his head, a smile spreading across his face. “No, I’d love to. Really.”
“Five o’clock. We do drinks before dinner. Virgin cocktails only though. Mocktails.” I felt the need to explain before he showed up with a bottle of wine. “Becca’s ex had a drinking problem. We don’t drink in front of the kids. House rule. We sneak in wine after hours, but, well, it’s a thing.”
“Got it. Virgin cocktails at five.” His hands slid up my back, fingers tracing my spine through the rash guard. “Thank you for inviting me.”
“You’re welcome.” I sighed, wishing I could stay right where I was all day, but duty called. “I have a class in twenty minutes and I have to eat something. And I need water.”
“Can I hang with you until your class starts?”
I smiled. “I’d like that.”
We waded back to shore together. He grabbed his shirt and shoes but didn’t put them on. I retrieved my packed lunch from the truck. I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to eat when he was all half-naked and scrumptious.
He followed me to a shaded spot under the lifeguard tower. I dropped down onto the sand and opened my cooler. Sandwich, apple, water bottle. The same thing I ate almost every day. Colt sat beside me, close enough that our shoulders touched.
I handed him half of my sandwich, but he shook his head. “You need to eat. I’ll eat at home.”
“So what’s been going on with Judd?” I asked around a bite of turkey and ham. “I’ve been afraid to ask.”
He was quiet, his eyes on the surf. “I broke the contract this morning.”
I nearly choked on my sandwich. “You what?”
“Terminated my involvement in the port project. Officially.” He looked at me, his expression serious. “Paid the penalty. Made it clear to the other investors that I’m out and why.”
“Colt.” I swallowed the bite. “That’s huge.”
