Fine. Two can play that game.
I take a deep breath, steadying my nerves, and reach for the button of my shorts. His eyes flick to my hands.
“Nope. I have nothing on my mind. But, yes, I think I will go for a swim.” I unzip and slip my pointer finger into the waist of my shorts, sliding them down the length of my legs as I stare into Luke’s eyes.
Luke’s heated gaze watches every move with rapt attention. I step out of the shorts, now discarded on the floor, and reach for the hem of my tank top. He watches as I lift and pull it over my head, dropping it to the floor.
My heart beats wildly, nerves and adrenaline coursing through my veins. I’ve never undressed this way in front of a guy while he watched as if I were the only person on earth. My ex-boyfriend was always quick to get to the point, often leaving most of my clothes on. I was lucky if we engaged in foreplay, though I desperately wanted to.
Luke rakes his hand across his scalp, his chest expanding as he sucks in a deep lungful of air, releasing it slowly, eyes roaming my body.
“Everything okay, Luke? You seem… distracted,” I say, feigning innocence and pulling my hair into a messy bun.
He nods, and his throat bobs before his mouth forms any words.
“More than okay, Trip. You’re…” He swallows, then clears his throat. “Your bathing suit is really nice.”
“Yeah? Thanks. It’s new.” I look down at the suit, fiddling with the strings at the sides of my bottoms—to be sexy—but my finger catches in the tie, almost pulling the whole thing undone. I flick my finger out of the loop and glance up at Luke, but he doesn’t appear to have noticed.Thank God.
He stares at me like nothing in the world can force him to look away, and the feeling is exhilarating.
“Hey, lovebirds, get your asses in the water already!” Josh yells from the lime green inner tube. Viv is in the pink one, holding the handle to his so they don’t float apart. “And bring the rosé!”
Thirty-Six
A MAN LIVES HERE?
Liv
We cruise back to Luke’s cottage. The sun hanging low in the sky casts a deep orange glow across the water. Luke and Josh are talking among themselves while Viv and I sit quietly on the cushioned benches up front. Viv’s eyes are closed, but I don’t think she’s asleep, just relaxed. My mind is spinning.
Today was so much more than I could have hoped for. We laughed and teased each other like old friends while exchanging stories from our childhoods. I relished every occasion when Luke found small ways to touch me. The way his free hand brushed my shoulder, or how he twirled a lock of my hair around his finger, felt like this thing between us was as natural as breathing. It reminded me of Pop and how he was with Gram. I spent much of the afternoon trying not to think too deeply about what that meant. This is temporary. I know that, no matter how much I like it.
The pontoon docks at Luke’s cottage. Luke directs us into the house so we can get changed while the guys close up the boat for the night.
We cross the path that leads back to the B&B on the way tothe raised deck. Though the sun hasn’t fully set, solar lights glow along the walkway and up the steps to the house.
I slow, taking in the sight. With my next step forward, I become intimately aware of the fact that I still have one more step to go before I’m at the landing.
“Oh, shit!” I trip on the step, careening hands first to the floor.
Viv barks out a surprised laugh at my expense. Climbing to my feet, I dust off my hands.
“Please tell me Luke didn’t see that happen just now.”
“Hey, Trip! I thought you city girls were supposed to be graceful!” Luke calls from the boat.
“Yeah, he saw.” Viv laughs.
“Nice to know you're still living up to the name,” Luke says, a stupid grin splashed across his handsome face.
“Shut it!” I yell back, hearing Luke’s soft chuckle.
“Holy shit, this is really nice.” Viv’s eyes scan the deck, my lapse in coordination forgotten. A large grill sits in the corner, evergreen cushioned lounge chairs face the water, and a table is off on the other side, complete with six chairs around it. Posts at each corner of the deck and one more in the middle have a string of hanging lights that zigzag back and forth, connecting to the house. They flicker on, bathing the deck in an enchanting glow.
“It’s so dreamy.”
Viv opens the door that leads into a small kitchen, clicking the light switch as she enters. The kitchen is bright, with a half-wall separating it from the rest of the open floor plan.
