Page 82 of Let You Love Me

Her eyes rake down my body, taking me in like I’m a prize horse she’s considering buying. But I don’t mind, not one bit. Lane Turner’s eyes on me are something I could get used to, so I let her look, take her fill. Maybe she’ll think of me when she’s alone in bed at night.

I groan at the thought.

I’ll sure as fuck be thinking about her.

She licks her lips, her gaze flickering over me one last time before suddenly turning and swimming a few feet away, which I take as my cue.

I dive into the water. The sharp cold bites at my skin, and I’m enveloped in darkness before the kicking of my arms and legs draws me to the surface.

I burst from the water and whip my hair from my eyes, only to find her a few feet away. Even from here, the mesmerizing blue of her eyes transfixes me.

Inhaling, I catch my bearings and close the distance between us, treading a foot in front of her. “Seems a little unfair, don't you think?” I murmur.

“What?”

“You’ve seen every inch of me, but you turned and dove into the water before I could get my fill.” My gaze dips to her chest covered by the lapping of water, as if I can see below its surface to what’s beneath.

She bites her lip, grinning as she shrugs, and damn if I don’t want to reach out and pull her into my arms, remove the lip from beneath her teeth and tug on it with my own.

We stare at each other for a moment, both of us treading circles around the other when I ask, “So, how’s it feel, skinny dipping? Is it everything you imagined?”

She hums, tipping her head to the sky for a moment as if contemplating my question. “I think it is, actually. I feel . . .alive.” She laughs, a shaky sound as she lowers her head again. “Or maybe it’s just you that makes me feel this way.”

Heat blooms inside my chest, filling the hollow ache as my gaze lowers to her lips where droplets of lake water cling to her cupid’s bow.

I want to kiss her so damn bad it hurts. Make her forget her own name, erase the scars left behind by Sophie’s father, ease whatever turmoil lurks behind her walls. And so I swim closer, until there’s only inches between us instead of feet. Close enough to hear her subtle intake of breath.

“What are we doing here, Lane?”

Her throat bobs. “I don’t know.” She breathes.

Not exactly the answer I was hoping for, but I’ll take it. For now.

I reach out and tug her to me, wrapping my arms around her and drawing her into my chest, so I can bear her weight, treading water for the both of us.

Her body pressed to mine in all the right places makes it hard to breathe. A vise grips my chest, and when she wraps her legs around my waist, it fucking squeezes without restraint.

I grunt, mustering every ounce of willpower I possess not to touch her in all the places hidden by the frigid water. “You’re making it hard to be a gentleman here, Lane.”

“I wasn’t aware being a gentleman was a requirement when swimming nude among friends.”

I close my eyes, mashing my molars to dust. “Well, I don’t really make a habit of swimming nude with myfriends,” I grind out.

Fuck. I hate that word. Never hated a word more in my entire life.

Friends.

The word rattles in my brain like loose change.

Fuck being friends. I want to crush my mouth to hers, to taste her lips and slide my hand between us to the sensitive place between her legs, if only to see her reaction before I make her moan.

But I made Lane a promise and I’m not going to break it, especially not in the heat of the moment when she can’t even define what she feels for me. And I sure as shit won’t after she’s had a couple glasses of wine.

When I finally kiss her, I need to be sure she wants me. I need to know beyond the shadow of a doubt, she wants more than friendship because when I take Lane Turner, there will be no going back. She’ll be mine, every single piece of her. Body, heart, and soul.

She shifts against me, adjusting her arms around my neck and grinding against my hard length in the process.

I hiss, gut clenching from the contact, and her eyes widen. It’s as if her power over me somehow shocks her even though I’ve made it completely obvious I want her.

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