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Perhaps the universe wanted this to happen. They continued to be thrown together like this; he should just take what it was offering.
“Excuse me! Ma’am, sir, you’re not supposed to be swimming in the lake.”
Just like that, the spell was broken.
Eloise smiled as she extricated herself from his arms. She tucked a strand of wet hair behind her ear and brushed past him.
Shane released a pent-up breath before facing the reason for the intrusion. The woman who stood on the edge of the bank had her hands on her hips and the most judgmental pair of eyes he’d ever seen. That wasn’t the strangest part. She seemed to want to watch him until he was completely out of the lake.
Once he was on the bank, she huffed and then strode away.
“Do you think she works for the parks and recreation department?” Eloise snickered under her breath. “Or do you think she’s just a concerned citizen?”
“Neither,” he muttered, though he couldn’t hide his own smile. “She’s just someone who doesn’t like to see people breaking the rules and having fun.”
Eloise pressed her lips together in a thin line, but it didn’t hide her grin. Her gaze trailed over him, and her laughter returned. “You look terrible.”
He threw a hand to his chest, covering the spot where his heart lay beneath. “You wound me.”
“What are we going to do? I don’t think the pilot is going to be all that thrilled about us showing up dripping wet.”
“Technically, it’s my plane.” He winked at her. “My rules.”
She rolled her eyes. “I guess you’re not wrong.”
“Though I don’t think there is a restaurant on this planet that would seat us the way we are. So let’s get ourselves a change of clothes. My treat.”
* * *
Shane openedthe door of the car and held out his hand toward Eloise. She glanced at it before she slipped her hand within his and allowed him to pull her to her feet. His date slipped past him, and he didn’t miss the fact that there was no lingering.
She hadn’t lifted her face to his, offering her lips for the taking.
He shouldn’t have been disappointed. This was a first date, after all.
But something inside him thought that was where this was going. She’d thank him for a wonderful day, agree to call him, then kiss him goodnight.
His emotions were going haywire. The conflicting thoughts he had were going to be the end of him if he didn’t get them in check. This date wasn’t supposed to be real. He wasn’t supposed to fall for her.
This whole outing was a means to an end.
Shane shut the door and followed in her wake. The sundress she’d picked out swirled around her knees, drawing his attention and causing those betraying reactions to worsen. His heart thundered, and his stomach tightened so much that he thought he might lose the dinner they’d shared.
Eloise stopped in front of her door and offered him a smile. “Today was fun. Thanks for inviting me.”
“I had a good time, too.”
The pregnant pause was torture. Was he supposed to go in for the kill? Or was he supposed to leave her wanting? She answered the questions banging around his head when she placed her hand on the doorknob.
“Wait,” he barked.
She stilled, her large, clear eyes meeting his.
“What about that second date?”
The smile he’d grown to love filled her face, and she tilted her head slightly. “I’ll call you.”
His triumph was short-lived as she pushed the door open and headed inside.
