Clay holds Rex up high. “He jumped ship. He’s headed for shark territory.”
She rolls her eyes. I grin. He’s impossible. And exactly right.
I drape a towel around my shoulders and walk down to the water’s edge. Clay watches me, those gray-blue eyes taking in my wet sundress clinging to me. Nearly translucent in the hot sun. My heart thunders in my chest when his gaze flicks to my legs, then up to my face.
“Come on in,” I say, tone playful. “The water’s nearly warm enough for me—will you consider joining?”
He smirks. “Depends. On whether you deserve it.”
I splutter mock outrage. “Ideserveit—how else would you have someone to fetch your beer?”
He laughs, that growl deep in his chest. “I’ll fetch my own—what I want from you is optional.”
My lips twitch. “You want a lot.”
He takes a step toward the shore, water dripping from his arms, muscles flexing under the sunlight. “Igeta lot.”
I swallow, the heat turning real. I want to pull him into the water, push him beneath, make him chase me. Make him show me he still wants me.Here.Now.
But I keep my composure. I scroll through my phone, pretending to look at something. “Hey—bedtime plans for later?”
He arches a brow. “I thought you’d let me surprise you.”
I toss him a smile. “Nope. I prefer toplanto get in trouble.”
He steps out of the water and comes closer. The air between us crackles. Kids still playing behind us; we’re not alone—but Ifeelalone with him.
“I was thinking…” he leaves the sentence hanging, fingers brushing a lock of my hair back behind my ear. Heat blooms low inside me. “We go skinny dipping later. After they’re asleep.”
My heart flips. “You are ridiculous.”
He grins. “And you like it.”
I narrow my eyes. “Don’t push your luck.”
He leans his forehead against mine. “I’ve already surpassed it.”
My breath catches. I’ve stood here before with men whopretendedthey wanted me. Clay doesn’t. Doesn’t hold back. Doesn’t mask what he wants. Doesn’t hide the way he’smine.
He pulls me closer. The heat of his body seeps through the towel. I don’t move back. I can’t.
“I love this,” I murmur. “All of this.”
He kisses my temple. “Me too.”
I glance at our kids, splashing and laughing. “They’re perfect.”
He chuckles. “And loud.”
I laugh. “And messy. And everything I couldn’t imagine liking.”
He tugs me by the towel until I’m in the shallow water beside him. “Good thing we set up the studio and the house and the life right. So we can handle the loud and messy.”
I press my hand to his chest, fingertips tracing the ridge of his pec. “I never thought I could love like this.”
“Yeah you did.” His voice is low. “You just needed someone worth staying for.”
I tilt my head up, stare at him. “You think Ichosethis?”
