Page 53 of Pinch of Love

Cash walked over to a large umbrella propped in the sand close to the water and turned around.

“This one work for you?” He opened up two beach chairs with a shake of his hands.

I held onto my beach hat and nodded. “Perfect.”

He put them on the sand and smiled as my eyes skimmed his beautiful body. He quickly tugged his shirt over his head and tossed it on the chair.

“Want me to go grab some snacks at the shack, or do you want to go for a swim?” He checked his phone. “I think enough time has passed since breakfast.”

I chuckled. “Considering I ate an entire eggs Benedict, two waffles, three sausage links, and four pieces of bacon, I’m pretty sure I’d still sink to the bottom of the lake.”

Cash stood, glancing toward the glistening lake, and nodded. “Yeah, we should probably give ourselves a little more time.”

I drew a deep breath, feeling the warm, sweet air fill my lungs. “Boy, did I miss Buttercup Lake.”

Families were sprinkled across the sandy beach. Several kids floated on tubes in the lake, and several lifeguards watched over the water. I spread out a striped towel on my chair and sat down while Cash did the same.

We’d stopped at both of our places to grab items for the impromptu beach day.

“It’s a special place.” He kicked out his lean, muscular legs and closed his eyes as he rested his head on the plastic beach chair. “I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”

My stomach clenched from his words. Just one more reason this couldn’t be. He was happy where he lived, and I was happy where I lived.

If you subtracted my ex, which I wasn’t actually sure a person could do—legally—anyway, where I lived was really pleasant. I smiled at my dark humor and watched the sunlight dance across the lake. When I snuck another look at Cash, his eyes were still closed, so I took advantage of the time and let my gaze wander down his broad chest and thin waist, where the ripples of muscles led the way to his waistband and a treasure trail that made my pulse race.

He cleared his throat, and my gaze flicked to his.

Immediately, my cheeks blushed with embarrassment, and fire ran across my skin. I waved my face quickly and laughed. “Whew, it’s hot out here.”

“Yeah?” His brows rose in amusement.

“Yup.” I sprang from my chair and placed my hands on my hips as I pretended to stare at the lake when all I could think about was Cash.

And the heat running through me wasn’t lessening, and I didn’t want to become a sweaty mess.

Without another thought, I unbuttoned my shorts and pulled off my sweatshirt to reveal the white and black bikini I’d slipped on back at the house while he waited patiently in the Jeep and I went back and forth a million times on which suit to wear.

Even though I was solidly in my thirties, a therapist, and usually confident, I suddenly scared myself into a frenzy of worry since I wasn’t a five-foot-seven, svelte woman. I barely topped out at five feet tall, and I had lots of curves that left little to the imagination. And if I had cellulite, I’d never know because I refused to look at the back of myself in a mirror.

So, again, I was a wonderful example of being a complete mess while attempting to guide others through their lives.

But after I folded and tossed my stuff in my bag, the silence was killing me. I slowly turned around to see Cash taking me in, all of me. I buried my enlarged toe in the sand so I didn’t pull him out of his fantasy.

The heat in his eyes made every single worry slip away, and I swallowed down every insecurity that didn’t matter.

“Maya, I know we’ve only shared a couple of kisses—”

I held up three fingers. “That last one was officially two.”

His smile widened, but the smoldering look in his gaze remained. “Three kisses,” he corrected. “But the thought of not kissing you again makes me nearly lose my mind.”

I bit my lip since I had a feeling it might drive him crazier and smiled. “Then maybe we can share a fourth.”

“I sure as hell hope so.” He smiled and put his hands behind his head. “I really do.”

Feeling a little loopy, I sat down and let out a happy sigh. “Cash, when I heard my attorney’s voicemail and spoke with him, I thought my day was really going to suck.”

He turned to look at me but didn’t say anything as he lowered his arms. The touch of a smile disappeared as he readied to listen.

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