Page 25 of You Shouldn't Have Come Here

I patted his shoulder. “You have a river to jump in.”

Calvin let out a deep breath and chuckled as I walked to the back door.

I looked back at him with a smirk. “You coming?”

He playfully shook his head and grinned. “Grace Evans, you astound me.”

See? He liked bold.

The dewy grass felt refreshing beneath my bare feet. Calvin followed behind almost stumbling like Bambi learning how to walk. I think he was too stunned and too excited for his usual cool, country boy stroll.

At the riverbank, Calvin slid his jeans down and kicked them off. He bent down, slowly removing each sock. When he was finished, he stood in front of me wearing just a pair of navy blue boxers. At that point, I didn’t even really want him to jump in. I just wanted to watch him, to study him, to take in every muscle bulge and crevice, every scar, every freckle, every inch of his skin. But a bet was a bet.

“Boxers too.”

He looked down at himself and shuffled his feet. “Oh, come on.”

“You lost the bet, Calvin. It’s time to pay up.”

He huffed, but I knew it was just for show. He slid off his boxers and quickly covered himself before I could really see anything. Calvin looked at the dark, murky water, hesitating for a moment. The reflection from the moon and stars glimmered across it, creating a mirror of the sky. There was a small splash downstream, a fish, I presumed. I thought it would scare Calvin, and he’d refuse to jump in. But it didn’t. He was used to nature.

“Consider my debt paid in full, Grace,” he said, uncovering himself and jumping quickly into the river. Calvin came up for air and tossed his head back, shaking the water from him.

“How is it?” I asked, giving him a pleased smile.

“It’s actually nice.” He wiped his face with his hand while treading water. “You should come in.”

I glanced down at my silk pajamas. “I’m not wearing the right swimming clothes.”

“Well, go ahead and take them off,” he teased. “I’ll turn around, and I promise I won’t peek.”

I looked down the river one way and then the other. It was endless in both directions, disappearing only behind bends or trees. Calvin had the biggest smile on his face while he waited. I wanted to say no. I had no idea what was in that water, how vulnerable I’d be in there, but I wasn’t one to back away from a challenge.

“Fine. But no looking.”

“Cross my heart,” he said, turning away.

I quickly slid my bottoms off and removed my top. I hesitated for a moment, standing there completely unclothed. Calvin didn’t look. I was surprised. He was a man of his word. Most men weren’t. I jumped in and let out a squeal. The water was cool but refreshing, just as he said it was. I was underwater for only a few seconds before I reached the surface. Wiping my face, I leaned my head back, letting the water coat and smooth out my hair.

Calvin turned around, and that same smile was still on his face. His eyes flickered with desire—or was it something else? I couldn’t be sure.

“You all right?” he asked.

I nodded and playfully splashed a little water at him, letting out ahigh-pitchedlaugh. He did the same back. As we swam, the seconds became minutes, and we got closer and closer until we were only a few feet apart. My leg bumped his first.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be,” he said.

“Thanks for teaching me to fish today.”

“It was my pleasure, and I’m glad you caught one before me.”

We smiled and continued to tread, swimming around one another until the minutes became an hour.

“How was your night with Charlotte?” I finally asked, interrupting the silence we both were obviously fond of.

“Uneventful. I just worked the whole time.”

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