Page 68 of Under Her

I expect her to move away, but she doesn’t. Fiery eyes stare up at me. A thrill shoots through my body.

“You’re a jerk,” she says, but she’s smiling.

“You really want me to toss your ass in this water, don’t you?”

Her eyes narrow on me, and I let out a laugh.

“God, you’re fucking adorable when you’re mad.”

“I’m not adorable.” She pokes me in the chest with her finger. “And I can’t believe you just forced me to say you weren’t a dick in college. Just so you know, I take it back. You were a dick.”

I catch hold of her finger, wrapping mine around it, keeping her there with me. “I know, at times, I was. And I know we didn’t get along in college,” I say gently. “But I always thought you were smart and tenacious.”

“Sure you did.” She rolls her eyes, turning her face away from me.

I know I’m losing her, so I catch her chin in my hand, forcing her focus back to me. I want her to listen to me. I want her to hear what I’m saying.

I know I said I wanted her in my bed. I still do. But I’m not telling her this to make that happen, I realize. I’m telling her because it’s the truth, and I want her to know that.

“I thought you were strong and smart, and I admired that about you. I still do. You worked your ass off in college. You never strayed from your goals. And look where you are today. No one gave this to you. You earned everything you have right now.”

I have her attention now. She’s staring at me, rapt.

I brush my thumb over her skin, and her breath catches.

My eyes dip to her lips and then back to her eyes. “I think you’re incredible. I like how you don’t take my bullshit. You never did.”

The fire in her eyes turns into something else. Something that I really, really like the look of.

“I like you, Morgan.” So fucking much.

I inch my mouth in closer to hers. I can feel her warm breath on my lips.

Her eyes flutter shut.

I’m so close to kissing her that I can almost taste it. Taste her.

God, I want her. I’ve never wanted anyone like I want Morgan.

And I’m just about to erase the last of the space between our mouths and finally kiss her after all this time when the shrill scream of a young girl getting soaked by the shooting spring jolts us apart.

For fuck’s sake.

The disappointment I feel is immense. But I don’t let it show on my face.

“We should probably go,” she says, skirting past me and out of the water. She bends over and picks up her shoes.

I follow after her. “Morgan,” I firmly say her name.

She turns to me, and the look in her eyes is…almost pleading.

The words die on my tongue.

I hold back the sigh I feel. “Are you hungry?” I ask instead, bending to pick up my own shoes. “I was thinking we could grab some food before getting back on the sightseeing trail.”

I see relief flicker through her eyes, and honestly, I don’t know what it means. I don’t know what any of this means. Because I know she wanted me to kiss her. I could see it in her eyes. Feel it in her body.

But I also know, if I push her now, she’ll just clam up on me.