Page 73 of Tempting Me

“You okay?” Luca asks as he walks backward and slowly into the water.

“Fine.”

“You’re flushed.”

“It’s too dark for you to see that.”

He shrugs but chuckles when I don’t tell him he’s wrong.

“You could get in here and cool down with me, then we get back to work.”

“Luca.”

“Okay. Okay. You’re right. I’m done.”

He dips lower into the water but never takes his eyes off me.

“Stop watching me.”

He grins and turns. Then he dunks under the water.

I glance at The Marina and then back at the water.

Wearealone.

So, I mean, no one would know except us.

And, I’ve never … been in my underwear in public. I don’t have a bucket list or anything, but the idea of it does give me a rush I didn’t expect.

Luca keeps treading water and ignoring me like I asked, and it annoys me even more.

He just keeps listening to me, and it’s starting to piss me off.

It's not okay for him to be this attentive to me.

To me.

Me!

This is not what we do, and yes, I know things are changing, but when the summer is over and it’s time for my family to return, I need us to be the old Shay and Luca. Not … whatever this is.

When the summer is over.

It’s not over yet.

And getting whatever this is out of my system could be agood idea. He’s probably all talk anyway and it wouldn’t even be that great.

I stomp my foot as if someone said something to upset me, and technically they did, only it was me.

Am I really considering this?

The urge to do something crazy and just let my mind relax for once is consuming.

Before I can think twice, I pull my shirt over my head and slip off my shorts.

Then I run toward the water before Luca can turn around and see me. I would have made it if not for my squeal the entire way.

He spins quickly, the grin on his face dropping quickly when he spots me.

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