Everywhere and Every Way
Page 26
He laughed but pushed on. “A little further. Trust me.”
“Said every serial killer on the planet.”
“Here.” Satisfaction rushed through him. It was exactly as he remembered, even though it had been years since he hiked the trail. The harbor spilled into a separate private watering hole, an oasis broken from crowds or boats, with only the thick, shady trees to witness a person’s secrets. “What do you think?”
“It’s beautiful.” She smiled, her gaze sweeping over the short dock leading into the water. “Reminds me of a few places down South. There was an isolated marsh area down by the Ashley River. My girlfriends and I used to sneak out after dinner and meet there when it got dark.”
Cal leaned against a moss-covered oak and crossed his ankles. A wistful expression flickered over Morgan’s face, as if she were reliving the memories of her childhood. “Yeah, my brothers and I would hang here when we wanted some alone time,” he continued. “Sometimes we’d just lie on our backs and watch the stars after a swim. Sometimes we’d sneak in liquor and try to get girls to make out with us.”
Her laugh was infectious. “I bet you did,” she drawled. “Bet you did lots of bad things.”
“Bet you didn’t.”
She stiffened. Her annoyed gaze snapped to his. “Excuse me? You don’t know what I did or didn’t do.”
“Again, I have a feeling it was a lot of didn’t.” He threw up his hands in defense. “Don’t mean to insult you, princess. It’s just obvious you didn’t cut loose a lot.”
She gave a sexy growl. “Obvious how?”
Cal raked a gaze over her figure. Took in her cute little lace T-shirt, white shorts, and Keds-like sneakers. “Look at you. You drink seltzer. Your sneakers are so white, it’s obvious you haven’t walked anywhere interesting. You wear pearls and diamonds on a daily basis and high heels to relax. You’re a prim, proper, polite Southern woman.”
She straightened up to all of five foot three inches and stuck her aristocratic nose in the air. “You don’t get to judge me. I’ve done plenty of bad things growing up and had a good time doing them.”
“Like what?” he challenged.
“Excuse me?”
His lip twitched at her endless politeness. “Tell me one bad thing you’ve ever done.”
Morgan blew out a breath and turned. “I have nothing to prove to you. I’m going home.”
“One thing. Name me one thing, and I won’t say another word.”
She stopped and shot him an aggravated glare. “This is ridiculous.”
“See, you can’t do it.”
“Fine. When I was seventeen years old, I snuck out of my bedroom to meet a boy I liked. He was having a party, and my parents said I couldn’t go because there was no parental supervision, but I went anyway. Oh, and I got drunk.”
She seemed so excited by her confession, Cal couldn’t laugh. “Did you hook up?”
“No. I found him kissing slutty Megan Davis. I still hate her.”
“What’d you drink?”
“Wine coolers.”
He gave a disgusted humph. “You lose points for that, princess. Lame.”
“You’re not my judge and jury, Charming. Those things pack a punch.”
He barked out a laugh. Damn, he loved her spitfire way under all those neutrals. The quiet closed around them. The mugginess of the night pressed down in a hot, invisible presence. Suddenly he wanted more. Wanted to push and see what else was beyond the surface. “Ever go skinny-dipping in that river of yours?” he asked lazily.
“No.”
“A shame, really. Can’t say you really did anything crazy until you can claim a good skinny-dip.”
Morgan bristled. “There was never a good opportunity.”
“There is now.”
She stared at him. Suspicion glinted in her steely blue eyes. “You want to go skinny-dipping now?”
“Yep. Up for it?”
“No, thank you.”
“Why? Can’t swim?”
She looked at him like he was a bug she ached to crush. Damn, this was fun. “I can swim. I just don’t enjoy making a public spectacle of myself. Call it a hang-up of mine.”
He pushed himself away from the tree and stretched. She tried hard, but he felt her gaze touch on his chest and drop a tad lower. She hated being attracted to him, but it was there, a constant buzz between them like an annoying gnat. “No one can find us out here,” he said. “You’re perfectly safe. And it’s hot as hell. A night swim will cool us off.” He toed off his shoes, enjoying the crisp feel of the grass under his feet.
“Well, bless your heart. Why on earth would I want to skinny-dip with you?”
“Why not?” Cal tugged off his T-shirt and threw it on the ground. “I dare you.”
She sputtered like a cat getting a bucket of water dumped on it. “Dare me? Do you think I’m five years old? A juvenile dare isn’t going to get me out of my clothes, so I— What are you doing?”
He flicked open the button on his shorts and lowered the zipper. “Getting naked. I’m skinny-dipping.”
She gulped for air. Even in the dark, he caught the red flush to her cheeks. “This is outrageous. I’m leaving.”
He dropped his shorts. Kicked them away from his ankles. And stood before her in his black briefs. His massive erection told the truth of how their banter affected him. A little gasp broke from her lips as she caught sight of him, but instead of being embarrassed, her reaction only made him grow harder. Cal took a few steps forward, studying her still figure with challenge.
“Just as I thought. You’re afraid of letting go and having some fun. When was the last time you did something crazy, just for the hell of it? Live a little, princess.”
Cal figured he’d dive in for a swim and she’d sulk on the sidelines. Maybe even try to find her way home with her stubborn nature. He didn’t expect the sudden burst of outrage from her petite figure.
“You think you’re the wild bad boy of the town, Caleb Pierce?” She went on her tiptoes and got right in his face. “Think you’re gonna shock my poor little Southern heart by standing here, half-naked, with an erection? Think I won’t take your dare, Charming?” Her slow smile glittered and stopped his heart. “Think again.”
“Said every serial killer on the planet.”
“Here.” Satisfaction rushed through him. It was exactly as he remembered, even though it had been years since he hiked the trail. The harbor spilled into a separate private watering hole, an oasis broken from crowds or boats, with only the thick, shady trees to witness a person’s secrets. “What do you think?”
“It’s beautiful.” She smiled, her gaze sweeping over the short dock leading into the water. “Reminds me of a few places down South. There was an isolated marsh area down by the Ashley River. My girlfriends and I used to sneak out after dinner and meet there when it got dark.”
Cal leaned against a moss-covered oak and crossed his ankles. A wistful expression flickered over Morgan’s face, as if she were reliving the memories of her childhood. “Yeah, my brothers and I would hang here when we wanted some alone time,” he continued. “Sometimes we’d just lie on our backs and watch the stars after a swim. Sometimes we’d sneak in liquor and try to get girls to make out with us.”
Her laugh was infectious. “I bet you did,” she drawled. “Bet you did lots of bad things.”
“Bet you didn’t.”
She stiffened. Her annoyed gaze snapped to his. “Excuse me? You don’t know what I did or didn’t do.”
“Again, I have a feeling it was a lot of didn’t.” He threw up his hands in defense. “Don’t mean to insult you, princess. It’s just obvious you didn’t cut loose a lot.”
She gave a sexy growl. “Obvious how?”
Cal raked a gaze over her figure. Took in her cute little lace T-shirt, white shorts, and Keds-like sneakers. “Look at you. You drink seltzer. Your sneakers are so white, it’s obvious you haven’t walked anywhere interesting. You wear pearls and diamonds on a daily basis and high heels to relax. You’re a prim, proper, polite Southern woman.”
She straightened up to all of five foot three inches and stuck her aristocratic nose in the air. “You don’t get to judge me. I’ve done plenty of bad things growing up and had a good time doing them.”
“Like what?” he challenged.
“Excuse me?”
His lip twitched at her endless politeness. “Tell me one bad thing you’ve ever done.”
Morgan blew out a breath and turned. “I have nothing to prove to you. I’m going home.”
“One thing. Name me one thing, and I won’t say another word.”
She stopped and shot him an aggravated glare. “This is ridiculous.”
“See, you can’t do it.”
“Fine. When I was seventeen years old, I snuck out of my bedroom to meet a boy I liked. He was having a party, and my parents said I couldn’t go because there was no parental supervision, but I went anyway. Oh, and I got drunk.”
She seemed so excited by her confession, Cal couldn’t laugh. “Did you hook up?”
“No. I found him kissing slutty Megan Davis. I still hate her.”
“What’d you drink?”
“Wine coolers.”
He gave a disgusted humph. “You lose points for that, princess. Lame.”
“You’re not my judge and jury, Charming. Those things pack a punch.”
He barked out a laugh. Damn, he loved her spitfire way under all those neutrals. The quiet closed around them. The mugginess of the night pressed down in a hot, invisible presence. Suddenly he wanted more. Wanted to push and see what else was beyond the surface. “Ever go skinny-dipping in that river of yours?” he asked lazily.
“No.”
“A shame, really. Can’t say you really did anything crazy until you can claim a good skinny-dip.”
Morgan bristled. “There was never a good opportunity.”
“There is now.”
She stared at him. Suspicion glinted in her steely blue eyes. “You want to go skinny-dipping now?”
“Yep. Up for it?”
“No, thank you.”
“Why? Can’t swim?”
She looked at him like he was a bug she ached to crush. Damn, this was fun. “I can swim. I just don’t enjoy making a public spectacle of myself. Call it a hang-up of mine.”
He pushed himself away from the tree and stretched. She tried hard, but he felt her gaze touch on his chest and drop a tad lower. She hated being attracted to him, but it was there, a constant buzz between them like an annoying gnat. “No one can find us out here,” he said. “You’re perfectly safe. And it’s hot as hell. A night swim will cool us off.” He toed off his shoes, enjoying the crisp feel of the grass under his feet.
“Well, bless your heart. Why on earth would I want to skinny-dip with you?”
“Why not?” Cal tugged off his T-shirt and threw it on the ground. “I dare you.”
She sputtered like a cat getting a bucket of water dumped on it. “Dare me? Do you think I’m five years old? A juvenile dare isn’t going to get me out of my clothes, so I— What are you doing?”
He flicked open the button on his shorts and lowered the zipper. “Getting naked. I’m skinny-dipping.”
She gulped for air. Even in the dark, he caught the red flush to her cheeks. “This is outrageous. I’m leaving.”
He dropped his shorts. Kicked them away from his ankles. And stood before her in his black briefs. His massive erection told the truth of how their banter affected him. A little gasp broke from her lips as she caught sight of him, but instead of being embarrassed, her reaction only made him grow harder. Cal took a few steps forward, studying her still figure with challenge.
“Just as I thought. You’re afraid of letting go and having some fun. When was the last time you did something crazy, just for the hell of it? Live a little, princess.”
Cal figured he’d dive in for a swim and she’d sulk on the sidelines. Maybe even try to find her way home with her stubborn nature. He didn’t expect the sudden burst of outrage from her petite figure.
“You think you’re the wild bad boy of the town, Caleb Pierce?” She went on her tiptoes and got right in his face. “Think you’re gonna shock my poor little Southern heart by standing here, half-naked, with an erection? Think I won’t take your dare, Charming?” Her slow smile glittered and stopped his heart. “Think again.”
