Page 64 of Igniting Sparks
Oh, shit.
“No tickling,” I warn, desperate to squirm out of his grasp.
Not happening. Braden pushes me down and straddles me, grabbing both my hands in one of his and going straight for the kill.
“Stop it,” I beg, wriggling against the picnic blanket as I try to wrestle him off me.
“Take it back and I’ll stop.”
“Fine,” I crow, my voice shaking in between laughs. “I take it back.”
Braden stills, his hand still pinning both of mine above my head. “No more talk of other men?”
“Can I have my hands back now?”
“I don’t think so.” His eyes darken as he shifts down beside me, rolling me onto my side, wrists still trapped in his grasp.
His free hand trails up my thigh, inching slowly over my curves, his touch achingly deliberate.
Braden drags his knuckles along my jaw, holding my chin in place, forcing me to meet his gaze.
My blood pounds in my ears as he draws closer—until a loud splash sounds next to us, scaring the crap out of me.
I release a shriek. “Shark!”
No, I don’t know why I yellshark. I know damn well there are no sharks in the pond, but when I hear the splash right next to my head, my brain flies straight toShark Week.
So much for being sexy.At all.
Might as well have been wearing my elephant-llama pajamas.
Trust me, I’m hating myself pretty hard right now.
Braden, however, finds the whole thing hysterically funny. He freezes for a second, eyes wide like he’s trying to process my ridiculous outburst.
Then he throws his head back and laughs, his entire body shaking with the effort. He rolls off me and onto his back, snorts of laughter rippling through him.
It takes him thirty seconds to calm down.
Yep. I counted.
And every time he meets my glower, it sends him over the edge again. Much more of this, and I’ll sendhimover the edge of the dock.
“Mina,” he gasps, giving my knee a friendly squeeze, “that may be the greatest thing I’ve heard all year.”
I roll my eyes, biting back my giggle. “So glad I could provide comic relief.”
He sits up and wraps an arm around my shoulder, dropping a kiss to my hair. “Have you had many run-ins with the elusive but highly predatory pond shark?”
I’m going to kill him. Drown him in this damn pond, and no one will ever be the wiser.
I toss up my hands and shake my head. “I fell asleep watching this ridiculous shark movie the other night. The shark somehow got into the canal system and swam up the sewers into this town.”
“Which happens all the time.”
“Jackass.” I deliver a soft punch to his arm. “I know it’s insane, but I guess it stuck in my brain. What the hell was that splash, anyway?”
Braden gestures at something floating by the dock. “Your wine glass.”
