Page 57 of The Love Dare
“Oh, you want to play it like that?”
He laughs. “You’ve got nothing, Little Rusu!”
“Don’t I?”
She dips her chin into the water, expression turning seductive as she swims closer. All at once, he becomes acutely aware of the water’s effect on her white T-shirt. It’s completely translucent, clinging to her skin, revealing the outline of a lacy pink bra. He wonders if it’s the same one from that time he caught that guy in her room. The thought makes his blood boil—because it was the feature of many a fantasy, but also because the memory makes him jealous as hell. But unlike seven years ago, now he can do something about it. When she nears, he pulls her close, hooking her legs around his waist as she clasps her hands behind his neck.
“Ty,” she whispers as a bead of water gathers on her lower lip.
He aches to taste it. “Yes.”
“There’s something you should know about me, before we take this any further.”
“What?” He forces himself to look away from that mesmerizing little droplet, concerned. “Whatever it is, I don’t?—”
She cuts him off with a rushed, “I’m not the pushover I once was,” then digs her thumbs into his armpits. He immediately bucks as a truly embarrassing yelp works its way up his throat. But she’s relentless, and well-informed, hitting all his most ticklish points. She locks her ankles behind his back, holding on like a monkey as she launches a full-scale assault. She’s not ticklish. He knows this. He’s seen Alex try and fail a million times to get her back. Though he’s not proud to admit it, he’s helped his friend hold her down, resorting to a fart in the face when all else failed. Still, he tries, because what the hell else is he supposed to do?
“Yield,” she calls.
“Not a chance, Win.”
“Yield!”
Somehow, despite jerking around like a madman every time she jabs her fingertips into his most vulnerable spots, he manages to maneuver them over to the wall. The second her back hits the tile, he disarms her in the only way he knows how—with his lips. Tyler seals his mouth against hers, using the water as a cover to squeeze her curves the way he desperately wanted to on the couch. Winnie moans into his mouth, thetickles immediately stopping as she melts into his embrace. Her hands find their way into his wet hair as her calves cling even tighter, hugging him closer. He wouldn’t be surprised if the water started bubbling around them. His chest burns from the pressure of her breasts pressed against him. The raging hard-on he was trying to cover comes back full force, as if it never left. He runs his hands up her sides, sliding his fingers beneath her thin cotton shirt, letting his thumbs graze the lace edges of her bra. She gasps into his lips and scrapes her nails down his shoulder blades. It feels fucking amazing.
But they’re both aware of the cameras this time.
Before it goes too far, they ease apart, on the same page without speaking. Water drips down her cheeks. He wipes a drop from her brow before it slips into her eye as she blinks up at him. Then he pushes a few stray strands from her forehead.
“Tell me I’m not dreaming,” Winnie whispers.
“If it’s a dream, I don’t want to wake up.”
“Are we crazy for thinking this could actually work?”
“Maybe.” He pushes into her a little farther, pinning her against the tiled edge and digging his fingers deeper into the thighs still draped around his waist. “But not as crazy as we’d be to walk away.”
“I want to try.”
“Me too. More than anything.”
“So let’s do it.” She laughs brightly, the sound almost musical. “Let’s go on dates. Let’s travel the world. Let’s pretend we’re just two people falling in love on national TV.”
“No pretending.” He shakes his head, hating that word.
She bites her lips and swallows. “No pretending.”
“Let’s just be us. And fuck everyone else.”
They kiss slow and deep. When he can’t take it anymore, Tyler spins Winnie in his arms to remove the temptation of her lips and holds her against the side of the pool. Water lapsover the infinity edge, a gentle backdrop to the scene of the sun sinking into the Pacific and Los Angeles twinkling against the already darkened sky. He’s been in love with this view since the moment he stepped foot inside this house. It’s the only reason he bought it. But it’s never seemed less impressive than it does right now. He can’t take his eyes off the woman in his arms, can’t stop his hands from exploring her supple curves. Most mesmerizing, though, are the little sounds she makes, sharp inhales to match each new touch. He lowers his lips to her shoulder, feeding off her gasp like a starving man, needing more as he trails a path up the column of her throat. She drops her head to the side, giving him more access. They stay like that for a while, enjoying each other as best they can with an audience, not even close to satisfied. The restraint it takes not to drag her pants down her thighs is physically painful. Someday, he knows. But not tonight.
They stay in the dream as long as they can, but eventually, their time runs out. The real world returns with perfect clarity as producers call them out of the pool and tell them it’s time to head back to the mansion for the rest of the puzzle ceremony. Tyler changes back into his suit. Winnie doesn’t have extra clothes with her, and the single pair of pants he tries to provide immediately falls down to her ankles, so he wraps her up in a gigantic bathrobe instead. The producers, of course, don’t let her change when they get back to the mansion. He can tell from her expression that she feels like a complete fool lined up next to fourteen women sporting ball gowns, but he’s never seen anyone look more beautiful. Her wet hair has dried just enough to bring out its natural waves. Without any makeup, her freckles are on full display against her light skin. Behind her tortoiseshell glasses, her eyes sparkle, as bright as any star, shining with a sort of giddy happiness he’s not sure he’s ever seen in them before, at least not so fully. Knowing he played a part in putting it there makes his heart swell.
For the third time in a row, he calls her name immediately.
For the first time, she doesn’t look shocked to hear it.
Winnie steps down from the bleachers, eyes locked on him, unaware of the snide looks from some of the other women. An uneasy feeling swirls in his gut, but he forces it away as he takes a golden trinket off the tray and watches her stop before him.
