Page 5 of Summer Affair

“Call it a test.” She tilted her head, then started walking down the pathway. She smiled when he fell in step with her.

“What sort of test?” He laid a hand on her arm, stopping her. “You aren’t going to drag me into the marsh somewhere and make me take part in a pagan ritual, are you?”

She laughed when he smiled.

“That wasn’t—” She shook her head. “You know that was just a joke everyone was saying about me, right?”

His smile grew. “I rather like thinking of you dancing naked under a full moon.”

She balled her fist and hit his shoulder. “You first. The mosquitoes would eat me alive.”

“True,” he said as they started walking again. “I suppose in my head I didn’t think of bugs.” He glanced sideways at her. “I’ve gone swimming naked a few times at night at the pools here. If you stay under the water, the bugs leave you alone. For the most part.”

“I may have jumped in late at night, too.” She thought back to the previous summer, the night when she knew the cameras were off and she was alone and held in a sigh. The feeling of being freed of all worldly weight had been rewarding. “I can’t wait for warm nights.”

“How is it we’ve never bumped into one another? Like that?” He cleared his throat. “You know…”

“Naked?” She smiled when he nodded. “I suppose it’s because we’re both cautious. You probably know the camera schedules like I do.”

“Camera?” He frowned. “Oh, right.” He glanced around and spotted a security camera hanging on the nearest light post. “Honestly, I’d forgotten about them.”

She chuckled. “You mean to tell me that there might be some footage of you au naturel out there?”

He shrugged. “I think the footage gets recorded over every week. It’s probably long gone by now.” He smiled.

“Well, I know how to bypass that.” She winked at him and then took his hand and hurried them along the pathway.

“Bypass? You mean with the help of your buddy Aaron?” he asked when they stopped at the edge of the private beach pathway. “Are you two…”

“Friends?” she finished for him. “Like…” She motioned between them. “The rumors of my many affairs are highly exaggerated. Yours on the other hand… The title you’ve earned of camp gigolo suits you, I think.”

“Right,” he said, his voice low. “Those might be a bit exaggerated as well.”

“A bit.” She chuckled, not really taking his word for it. If only a tenth of the rumors circling the camp were true about Dean, then he had taken on more lovers than she had since working there.

“What now?” he asked as he glanced around.

“Now”—she toed off her sandals and motioned to the foggy beach—“we get naked.”

She watched his eyes go large and that sexy smile turn his lips upward.

“Seriously?” he asked softly. She burst out laughing.

“No.” She motioned to the beach and he turned and looked. His eyes narrowed slightly until he could see several dark shadows scattered across the soft sand. “It’s the morning yoga class.” She reached over and tugged his hand.

“Yoga?” he groaned as he followed her across the beach. “This early?”

“Yes, it will help center you for today.” They joined the handful of employees and guests already warming up on the sand.

After his initial groans, he quieted down and seemed to enjoy the class. She knew that it wasn’t his first time attending a yoga class since most employees joined the classes on occasion and she’d seen him in a few before.

By the time the sun had just begun to rise, burning off the morning fog and casting a warm golden glow over the beach and the class members, the session was breaking up. The yoga class had been invigorating, and she felt refreshed. The sound of waves crashing against the sandy shore had provided a soothing backdrop to their stretches and poses.

She sighed contentedly, stretching her arms above her head in one last relaxing move. “That was amazing. I feel like a new person.”

Dean grinned, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “Yeah, I can already feel my chakras aligning. Or maybe that’s just my stomach growling. Breakfast soon?”

Andrea laughed, nudging him playfully with her elbow. “Men, always thinking with your stomach.” She glanced down at his shorts and smiled. “Among other parts.” His grin was fast. “How about a swim to rinse off first?” she suggested.