By the time he reaches me, his face is pale and his mouth is set in a hard line.
“You okay?” I ask, keeping my voice low.
Noah nods, though it’s obvious he’s not. “Let’s go back,” he says, without meeting my eyes.
We head down the trail after Rick, far enough back that we could talk without him hearing us, but Noah stays quiet.
I don’t push. Whatever Rick said, Noah clearly isn’t ready to talk about it.
For the next few minutes, we walk in silence, our shoulders brushing now and then. I can tell Noah’s furious—so wound up he seems to vibrate with it—and I keep catching myself wondering what the hell Rick said to him all over again.
Then the trail narrows, the slope turning steeper and forcing us closer together, and Noah suddenly reaches for my hand. His warm fingers slide between mine, and my pulse kicks hard at the contact.
Jesus. My body’s reaction to him is getting ridiculous.
When I glance over, he’s frowning, his gaze fixed on Rick’s back like he could burn a hole straight through him. I squeeze his hand once, and Noah flashes me a quick smile that doesn’t come close to hiding how angry he is.
Fuck. I know this isn’t really about wanting to hold my hand. It’s not about that hot kiss on the ridge either. It’s about Rick, who keeps glancing back at us as we make our way down the trail. Noah’s probably using me as a buffer without even realizing it, putting distance between himself and whatever Rick just said to him.
But knowing that doesn’t stop my body from reacting. It doesn’t stop the warmth that spreads through my chest when his thumb brushes over the back of my hand.
Fuck. I might be in trouble.
***
When we reach the lake, the others are already there. Caroline and Maria are sitting on lounge chairs under a large umbrella, chatting. Brad and Daniel are down to their swim trunks, standing ankle-deep in the water while they slap sunscreen on in a hurry. Maya and Cassidy are already swimming—Maya cutting through the water with strong strokes far from shore, while Cassidy stays closer in, looking a little lost.
Noah doesn’t let go of my hand as we walk up to the group. If anything, his grip gets tighter.
“There you are!” Caroline calls, waving. “We were starting to wonder if you boys got lost in the woods.”
“We were just enjoying the walk,” I say with a smile, leaving out the part where Rick showed up and killed the mood.
Caroline gives me a wink, like she’s decided “enjoying the walk” is code for making out in the woods or something.
Daniel turns toward me, grinning. “Water’s much warmer than last night, Connor.” He looks genuinely happy, the lines around his eyes crinkling.
“Perfect,” I say. “I just need to go change.”
“Let’s just swim in our underwear,” Noah says, tugging on my hand and looking up at me.
He smiles, and for a second I get distracted by how long his lashes are.
“Come on,” he adds, and it sounds almost like a dare. I can’t tell how much of it is real and how much is for Rick’s benefit. Rick is only a few feet away, stripping down to his swim trunks, close enough to hear us perfectly well.
“Who says I’m wearing any underwear?” I say, my voice coming out rougher than I mean it to.
Noah chuckles, his cheeks turning pink.
“That’s even better,” he says. Then he slips his hand from mine, grabs the hem of his shirt, and pulls it over his head in one smooth motion.
This is the first time I’ve seen him without a shirt, and the sight of his bare chest—lean but muscled, with a faint trail ofhair disappearing down his stomach—makes my mouth go dry. I try not to stare as he kicks off his shoes and unbuttons his jeans, then strips down to his boxers right there on the shore, leaving his clothes in a heap on one of the empty chairs.
Then he heads for the water and looks back at me over his shoulder.
Okay. I’m definitely not staring at his ass.
“Chop-chop, Dr. O’Reilly,” he says with a grin.
