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The path turns into a stand of trees, and I hear the trickle of water, which means we’re close to the stream. I guide us over some small rocks and between the tree trunks until the water grows louder and we can see the shallow stretch flowing along.

It’s only a few inches deep in places, deeper in others, and the swirl at the surface tells me there are rocks on the bottom. The sun dapples the water, creeping through the foliage on the trees, which are dense enough to provide shade but sparse enough that there’s plenty of visible sky, the blue punctuating the bright green leaves above.

“Pretty,” Callie says, slipping her phone from her pocket to take a few photos of the stream. Ever diligent about capturing our “relationship,” she turns the camera around and takes a few selfies of us with the greenery and water behind us. Looking at my face on the screen, I’m surprised at how shattered I still look at the mere mention of Scout’s day with Elizabeth.

“Maybe I need to talk about it,” I say, surprising myself with the admission. I don’t talk about this shit with anyone, least of all someone who is a temporary fixture in my world and who probably has her own problems to deal with. “Or not.”

“No, come on, Sulky Dude, let’s talk.” The only sound is the rush of water, which has a calming effect on my senses. It feels safe here, free from anyone overhearing me badmouthing my ex and reporting it to the judge. And I feel safe with Callie, free from judgment. I stop and stare at the water moving along, following a stick that floats by to the farthest place I can see it before it disappears.

“Fine. What do you want to know?”

“Come on.” Callie points at a large flat rock that’s close enough to the stream that we can dangle our feet into the water once we sit down. We take off our shoes, and Callie starts to put her feet in, squealing when her skin hits the water and she realizes how cold it is. “Holy crap. Why is it so cold?”

“It’s not that cold.” I put my feet in, bracing for the cold-ish water and doing my best to remain manly and tough in the face of pretty damn cold water.

“Ha. Your teeth are chattering.”

“They are not,” I say, fixing my jaw in a hard line.

Callie swipes her foot through the water and splashes me, getting my pants, legs and a good part of my shirt wet. “Oh, now it’s on, baby,” I say, leaning forward and sweeping my arm across the water and dousing her entire lap. It runs down her legs as she looks at me with a surprised glint in her eyes.

“If you say so.” She takes a wobbly step onto a rock, so she’s closer to the water, steadying herself with a hand on a log that crosses over the water. It’s shallow there, so I’m not too worried about her falling, but I’m not sure what she’s up to until she bends down. With both hands, she scoops as much water as she can heave in my direction.

Most of it ends up getting her more wet, splashing her in the face, and only a little gets on my shirt. “Oops, did I get you wet?” She hits me with those damn batting eyelashes again. Then she slips a bit on the rock, which is wet, thanks to her shenanigans.

“Me? Oh, not at all. Don’t worry.” I step down so I’m standing in the stream, which hits above my ankles. It’s chilly, but she has my blood pulsing hot, so it actually feels good. I steady my feet on the bottom and extend my hand toward her. “You okay there? Steady?”

She puts her hand in mine, expecting me to help her balance, but I pull her toward me, so she slides off the rock and into the water. My other hand goes to her hip to steady her so she stays on her feet, but there’s no question about how wet she’s about to get.

“Traitor!” she yelps.

“Who just tried to splash me and ended up getting a face full of water?” I scoop two big armfuls of water in her direction, dousing her hair and face, which drips as she scowls at me.

She splashes me back, almost losing her balance, but I have her in my grip so she stays upright.

“Um, guilty.” She puts up her hand, and I grab it, pulling her closer. Her shirt is pretty much soaked through. The outline of her bra under the fabric makes my dick twitch in my pants, and when she licks her lips, I nearly lose my fucking mind thinking about how much I want to kiss them.

“So guilty. And so deserving of punishment.” I smirk, and she brings a finger to my lips.

“Never gonna get tired of seeing this smile. Even when you’re telling me I’ve been naughty.” She gives me a smirk of her own.

“I like the sound of that word coming out of your mouth.”

“What word?” she asks, teasing. “Naughty?”

I nod slowly, pulling her flush against me. Her hips hit me in the groin and increase the ache I already have there. “I’ll take that over nice, any day.”

Her chest rises and falls, each time pressing her breasts against my chest. Bringing a finger to her face, I trace the line of her jaw, then move my hand into her hair, tangling in the golden strands as her breathing becomes more ragged.

“Finally.” The word is barely a breath. “I thought you were immune to me.” She takes another shaky breath, her eyelids fluttering. This time it’s not because she’s trying to flirt. She’s losing control inch by inch, and I want to see the last of it snap.

The way it has within me. It’s been hours—days—of her teasing me. Working me. Trying to get me to react.

“Not immune. Quite the fucking opposite,” I say.

“Good.”

My heart thuds behind my rib cage, urging me to do what I’ve been thinking about for weeks. The way Callie’s face has gone slack and the glassy look in her eyes tells me we’re on the same page.