Page 82 of Tasting Fire
“Keep moving,” Cash said over his shoulder. “It gets better the wetter you get.”
No way he meant that as some kind of sly sexual reference because surely the water’s chill had deflated his Twizzler-worthy hard-on and sent his testicles into deep hiding.
Emmy wrapped her arms around herself, but continued to splash forward until she was behind Cash.
“This is as deep as it goes,” he said. “Grab on to me.”
She immediately hugged him around the chest, hoping for some warmth. But as soon as she had a grip on him, Cash lowered them both shoulder deep.
“Eeee!” Emmy couldn’t keep from squealing as she plastered herself to Cash’s back, trying to keep the water from inching up between them. She looped her legs around his waist and her heel brushed his penis, proving that although his main sail wasn’t full mast, it hadn’t completely lowered either. “How is that possible?”
“I’m just that hot for you.” Grabbing her beneath the thighs, he hiked her up, bumping all herbusinessagainst his spine.
Uh, yeah. Maybe she understood. Even the water temp couldn’t lessen the tingle in her clitoris. Still… “We are not having sex in this water.”
“Who said we were?” His wily fingers brushed her between her spread legs.
“I mean it. There’s no telling what kind of microbes are in here.”
He twisted her around his waist so they were face-to-face and kissed her nose. Her very cold nose. “If I put my mind—and hands—to it, I could changeyourmind.”
“How I ever thought you lacked ambition, I will never know.”
The easy vibe flowing between them severed as if someone had sliced it with a scalpel. “Cash, I—”
“Don’t apologize. You thought what you thought. Hell, what you may still think.”
She held his face in her hands, forcing him to meet her gaze. “I think you’re the most generous, most caring, most selfless man I know. And I also think I lo—”
A suddenchirp-chirp-chirpcame from the hood of Cash’s truck. God, had she just been saved or screwed? “That’s my text tone for the hospital. It could be the lab.”
Cash released his grip on her butt, allowing Emmy to unwrap from around his body and splash toward the bank.
“There’s a towel in the toolbox. Left side,” he called out.
Emmy scooped her phone off the hood and checked the screen as she rounded the truck to rummage in the toolbox. Towel was a bit optimistic. The piece of cloth she pulled out was a chamois the size of a washcloth.
The text said:Results in. Come to lab to discuss.
Cash strolled up beside her, took the scrap of fabric, and proceeded to pat them both completely dry.
“Lab results are back,” she told him.
Without comment, he grabbed their clothes and handed Emmy’s share to her.
Once they were in the truck pulling away from the creek, Emmy said, “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For understanding that I need to know. For doing this with me.”
His hand covered hers. “Em, you never have to do anything alone that you don’t want to. Being alone doesn’t make you strong.”
Cash’s phone rang and he answered it with a button on his steering wheel. “Kingston.”
“Hey, it’s Jonah. Have you seen today’sSteele Ridge News?”
“No,” Cash said. “Why?”
