“I really hate you,” Ashlyn said with a heartfelt sigh that had him chuckling.
“If it makes ye feel better, lass, our tickets for the masquerade ball were delivered ta the room earlier,” Shayne said conversationally.
“Are you asking me out?” Ashlyn asked, only to frown when Shayne suddenly veered off the path into the woods.
“Will ye put out if I do?” Shayne countered as he carefully made his way through the dimly lit woods and onto what appeared to be a secluded beach overlooking the lake with a small fire burning on the shore.
“It depends on whether or not dessert is involved,” Ashlyn said, absently noting that the fire didn’t look like the ones lining the beach by the resort. While those fires were lit in fire pits made of stone, this one was a simple fire burning directly on the shore.
“I think I can manage that,” Shayne said as he carefully placed her down on her feet.
“What are we doing here?” Ashlyn couldn’t help but wonder as she took in the wall of trees on one side, completely blocking their view of the resorts lining the lake before taking in the blanket that was laid out on the shore that looked a lot like the one from their bed at the hotel.
“I’m giving ye a chance ta make it up ta me, lass,” Shayne said, drawing her attention just in time to watch him pull off his shirt and toss it on the blanket.
“And how exactly am I supposed to do that?” Ashlyn asked, watching as he made quick work of removing his shoes and socks before reaching for his pants.
“With a late-night swim,” Shayne said, shooting her a wink. “How else?”
“And if I try to make a run for it?” Ashlyn asked, swallowing hard as she glanced at the lake, noting that she could barely make out the surface and found herself wondering just how cold it was. That led her to wonder what was in there waiting for them.
“I’ll toss ye in,” Shayne drawled as she watched him hook his thumbs in the waist of his pants and push them down along with his boxer briefs, leaving her with one hell of a view.
Slowly nodding, Ashlyn said, “I’m going to make a run for it.”
“I figured,” Shayne said conversationally.
“I’m going to need you to give me a thirty-second head start,” Ashlyn said, unable to take her eyes off him.
“That really went without saying, lass,” Shayne said, gesturing for her to get on with it.
“This is the part where you turn around and count to thirty,” Ashlyn pointed out as she took a step back.
“Do ye really think that’s going ta help, lass?” Shayne asked with a pitying look.
“It couldn’t hurt,” Ashlyn said, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth as she moved to take another step back, noting the way that he watched the move.
“Fine. Have it yer way, lass,” Shayne said, sighing heavily as he turned around and faced the lake while she stood there, debating how she wanted to do this, run through the woods and hope for the best or...
“Thirty,” Shayne began counting, reminding her that she only had thirty seconds to pull this off.
With that, she quickly toed off her shoes as she reached for her shirt, stumbling in the process as Shayne continued counting down, causing her to panic as she somehow managed to pull off her shirt and get her shoes off without falling flat on her face. By the time he reached nineteen, she was pulling off her bra and dropping it on the ground.
When he reached fifteen, she was forced to bite back a curse as she reached for her pants. By the time he reached five, she was frantically shoving her panties off, and-
“One,” Shayne said as she did what she had to do.
CHAPTER 28
“What the hell are ye doing, lass?” Shayne found himself wondering when he turned around.
“I watchedJawswhen I was nine,” Ashlyn said as though that would explain why she was currently lying on her stomach on the blanket that he had his brothers grab from the hotel for him.
“I see,” Shayne murmured as he ran his eyes over her, taking in everything from her beautiful blonde hair spread out over the soft cotton blanket to the soft curves that made up every delectable inch of her body and nearly fucking groaned.
“For every question that you answer, I will partake in one naughty activity of your choice,” Ashlyn said as he noted everything from the way that she had her chin propped up on her folded arms to the way that she wiggled her little toes.
“What if I have questions, lass?” Shayne asked as he debated how he wanted to do this.
