Page 163 of The Woman By the Lake

She probably had fifteen, twenty minutes, and she’d hightailed her ass down the trail to spend it with him.

It was time.

“I’m falling for you, princess,” he declared.

Her head snapped his way one second, the next, she was astride his lap, doing her best to stick her tongue down his throat.

He cupped her ass in both hands and kissed her back, but she ended it when she realized he was doing that while laughing.

“I hope that’s happy laughter,” she warned.

“What else would it be? Since you used your tongue to communicate direct with my larynx you feel the same,” he replied.

She slapped his arm and ordered, “Stop it, Riggs.”

He gave her ass cheeks a squeeze and belatedly answered, “Yes, it’s happy laughter.”

“Good,” she murmured, her eyes moving all over his face like she was drinking him in.

“Can’t express how thrilled I am you’re there with me, Nadia, but it isn’t lost on me this is complicated,” he warned.

“The most foolish thing a woman can do is uproot her life for a man,” she replied.

His whole body got tight.

“But most women don’t have an occupation where they can find a job practically anywhere, and a massive bank account to fall back on should things go awry,” she continued, and put a hand to his cheek. “It’s too soon to make this decision, but I want you to know, I’m falling for you too. I’ve already fallen for Ledger. Gia won’t like my apartment as much as she likes this lake, and Ledger may never forgive me for taking her away from him. And I like Misted Pines, although I’m uncertain about Kimmy, but she seems harmless. So you should know, I was already considering it.”

That landed her on her back in the couch so he could kiss her and feel her up.

When they broke for air, she whispered, “I hate it, but I have to get back. I left a note for Maribeth telling her where I was going, and I suspect she knows why I came here, but she flew across the country to be with me, not hang out alone while I got busy with my boyfriend.”

“Yeah,” he grunted.

She gave him a quick kiss and slid out from under him again.

She had her jeans and Birks back on, and was halfway to the door after another quick kiss, before she turned back and asked, “Do you think Dave and Brenda would consider an offer on the cabin if I made it worth their while? It’d be a nice guest house, and when we don’t have guests, a fabulous she shed.”

Only Nadia would consider the option of a thousand square foot cabin for a she shed.

“I think it’s mostly been a hassle and a money drain for them since they bought it, so yeah. But I can’t say that for certain.”

She shot him a sunny smile. “I bet I can talk them around.”

He’d bet the same.

“See you tonight,” she bid. “We’ll be over early to help set up for the party.”

Set up was opening bags of chips, tubs of dips, filling coolers and tossing some hotdogs on a grill. All of this taking him and Murphy maybe half an hour.

He didn’t tell her that because he wanted her to come over early.

He said, “Later, honey.”

Another bright smile, and Riggs watched her slip through the big barn doors.

Yeah, when she got used to a world without her mother, she’d come fully back to herself.

Because he was going to make it that way.

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