Sincerely, The Puck Bunny (Totally Pucked #2)(17)

The boat is definitely older, but I’m impressed with its upkeep. There’s a hatch that leads down a flight of stairs to the cabin of the boat, meaning there’s probably a small bedroom, bathroom and kitchen. There is a spot for poles, and a tackle box tucked under the bench in the front.

Maddison eases us away from the dock, careful not to cause a wake, since there are a few people swimming by the shore. I sit on the bench opposite of her and watch as she expertly maneuvers us out on the lake. She’s so feminine and delicate, doing something as strong as driving a boat and it blows my mind.

“I heard that you used to want to be a professional fisherman when you were little.”

Her head whips toward me, eyes wide, and the pink on her cheeks even brighter now. “God, Grams has to tell everyone that when they see that picture.”

I laugh, “I loved it. You were an adorable kid.”

“I used to want to be a lot of things.” She speaks up as she pushes the throttle, increasing the speed. “I was always the kid who had big ideas, and even bigger hopes and dreams. That’s why I work so hard at my career. I’m in a career mostly dominated by men, and I refuse to let the fact that I’m a female hinder me in any way.”

“I respect that. I’m sure the others you work with do too.”

She nods. “Sometimes. Wanna come learn a thing or two?” She smiles brightly, changing the subject.

I get up from the bench and walk behind her, pressing against her small frame. My arms easily fit over her shoulders as I grab the wheel, and together, we steer out farther onto the lake. I try and focus on the different controls she’s telling me about, but all I can do is focus on her scent, the way her body fits so perfectly against mine. I feel like I’m drunk. On Maddison.

“Briggs, pay attention,” she scolds me, teasingly.

“I can’t help it. You’re distracting me, and I can’t focus.” Using my right hand, I push her hair off her neck and run my nose along the delicate slope of her tan shoulder before planting a single kiss along her pulse point.

“You drive me crazy.”

“Likewise, babe.”

Untangling myself from her, I walk back over to the bench and sit down. I hate putting any distance between us, but she’s obviously on a mission to take us out on the lake, and with me touching her, we aren’t going to make it very far.

“We’re almost there.”

She drives the boat along the lake, the wind whipping through her blonde hair, stirring the floppy hat on her head. Up ahead, there’s a large cliff to the side of the lake, with a small shore where we seem to be headed. The closer we get, the taller the cliff seems. The entire place looks like it’s out of a nature magazine. Sprawling pine trees, sandy shoreline, with a looming clay cliff covered in sparse trees.

“Wow, it’s gorgeous.”

She nods. “This is my favorite spot. We’re going to tie off on the dock over there. We can leave our bags on the boat, in the bedroom below.”

“Maddison, I’m scandalized. Did you assume I was ready for a sleepover?”

My teasing causes her to roll her eyes. “Do I need to remind you of what we did earlier before we even had breakfast?”

“You know what, yes. I do need a reminder. Matter of fact, if you want, we can do a play-by-play below deck.”

She pushes my shoulder when she walks by to tie the boat off. “You’re incorrigible.”

I help her tie the boat off, then we both go below deck and put our bags on the small queen-size bed. I’m six three, my feet will probably hang off the end. It’s tight, but cozy. There’s a small kitchenette right outside the bedroom, and a bathroom with a small shower and toilet to the right of the bedroom.

My six-foot-three self has to duck when going through the doors, and Maddison thinks that’s fucking hilarious.

“God, I didn’t realize how tall you are until seeing you in here.” She giggles before sitting down on the bed and resting back on her arms.

She looks good enough to eat and I tell her so. “As much as I want to get you in this bed and devour you, if we don’t get out of here in the next thirty seconds, we’ll never see the outside of this boat.”

Her eyes grow molten, but she stands and brushes past me, tossing me a smirk over her shoulder as she sashays up the stairs.

This girl is going to be the death of me.

I follow her up the stairs and onto the dock, where she’s grabbed her beach bag.

“Ready?’

“For?”

She glances to the top of the cliff then back at me. “We’re going to jump!”

My eyes widen. “Hell no. We are not going to jump off a fucking c-cliff, Maddison,” I stutter over my words.

Hell, there aren’t many things I’m afraid of, but heights? Yeah, that’s number fucking one on my list. There’s no fucking way I’m going up there.

Maddison steps closer, placing her hands on my chest and gazing up at me with her wide, honey-flecked golden eyes. “Are you afraid of heights?”

I swallow thickly, my eyes darting to the cliff and then squeezing shut. “Yes, I am.”

"And here I thought you were fearless, Briggs. Remember last night when you told me how much of a chicken I was for not wanting to jump into that pitch black lake in the middle of the night?”