Worth It (Forbidden Men, #6)(41)

“Fine. Now that you’ve caught me, whatever will you do with me?”

I leaned down to press my mouth to her shoulder, my cheek brushing past hers. “Now there’s a loaded question if I ever heard one, City Girl.”

She turned slowly in my arms to face me. The look in her eyes fanned the heat inside me, making it flame through my veins.

“I don’t really like the name City Girl,” she said on a husky whisper while her eyes demanded I kiss her already.

“Just City then?” I asked, my voice gritty and clogged with desire.

Her lips spread as a smile bloomed. “Yeah. I love that.”

I loved the way she said love, especially when she was looking at me the way she was looking at me.

Once again hard, or maybe just harder than I’d been before, I pressed my forehead to hers, overwhelmed by the wave of lust pounding through me. I’d seriously never felt it this strong before. It freaked me out enough to make me hold back, afraid I was getting into something bigger than I could handle. But then she shivered, and thinking she was as swallowed up by everything as I was, I couldn’t resist her any longer.

I focused on her mouth, needing to taste it more than I needed my next breath. But what I saw had me blinking in confusion until the reality of what I was actually looking at completely set in.

“Holy shit. Your lips are totally f*cking blue.”

“That’s because I’m turning into a human Popsicle.” She sent me a trembling, embarrassed smile, and I suddenly realized she wasn’t shaking from desire, but from the cold.

I shook my head, confused. “How can you still be this cold? I feel fine.”

Even her laugh sounded like it was freezing. “Well, I’m sorry if my body doesn’t adjust as quickly as yours.”

“That’s it.” I took her arm and began to swim us toward the dock. “We’re getting you out of the water. Right now.”

“I’ll be fine,” she protested even as she swam along beside me with her teeth chattering up a storm.

“Yeah, as soon as you’re dry.” Drawing her to the ladder, I added, “Up.”

“Bossy,” she muttered under her breath but climbed anyway. Once she was out of the pit with water streaming off her long lean limbs, I concentrated on climbing out myself so I couldn’t admire just how good she looked wet.

She tiptoed barefoot to her bag and dug out a plush, oversized beach towel before wrapping it around her and hiding all the best parts.

As I made it up to the dock and shook water from my arms, Felicity blinked wide blue eyes. “Didn’t you bring a towel?”

I shook my head as I hand-wiped most of the moisture off my face. “I always air dry.”

Except, today, a towel would’ve been damn handy, because Felicity’s lips parted as she scoped out my bare chest. Then, as if she were following the path of a single wet droplet, she ran her gaze down, over my abs, and f*ck… I silently begged her to stop.

Don’t look down, don’t look down, don’t look—

Shit, she looked down, and her eyes bugged when she saw how closely the wet suction of my swim trunks clung to me...and my raging erection.

Embarrassed out of my ever-loving mind, I rushed out words, not even sure what I was saying. “D-do you want to sit? We should sit. Let’s sit down.”

I plopped my ass onto the dock so fast I think I jarred my cock. With a wince, I bent up a leg, hiding proof of my arousal, even though it was way too late for that kind of modest shit now.

Felicity kept standing a second longer before clearing her throat and slowly lowering herself a good three feet away. Far enough away that she could be sure my dick couldn’t accidentally swing out and whack her in the shin or anything.

I swallowed and looked out over the water, trying to think up something to say, ask her if she was warmer now, how her day had gone, hell, what she thought of the weather. Or maybe I should just come right out and address it. Yes, I had a hard-on. For her. We’d almost kissed; why wouldn’t I be sporting wood. Right?

But yeah, I just couldn’t.

Things had been going so good only a minute ago. I’d had her relaxed and willing in my arms, her lips already puckering for my kiss. Where the hell had all this awkwardness come from?

I wished she’d say something like she usually did to smooth out an uneasy silence. But I think she was as embarrassed as I was and couldn’t talk any more than I could.

Hell, I would’ve welcomed one of her lame jokes right about now.

Wait.

That was it!

“Okay, I have one,” I said, breaking the silence.

She looked over, her blue eyes big with surprise and maybe a little leery anxiety. “One what?”

“Joke,” I said.

She blinked. Then blinked again. Face finally relaxing, she smiled a smile that made everything inside me come to life. Then she spun on her tush until she was facing me. Snuggling deeper into her towel, she announced, “Okay, I’m ready.”

“Okay,” I repeated, and then cleared my throat. “Why does Humpty Dumpty like autumn?”

Her eyebrows furrowed as she frowned thoughtfully. It was so adorable, my fingers itched to reach for her and yank her against me. A second later, she shook her head. “I have no clue. Why?”

“Because he had such a great fall.”