“Oh, sure. The worms. We use squid strips, actually. But I’ll bait the line if you like.”
“I like.”
He showed Chloe what to do, glancing up to see that Elliott was doing the same for Jenn. Chloe looked familiar with the rod and reel, so he stepped back to wipe off his hands and let her cast. The movement pitched her body forward, and Max cringed and reached for her. His mind spit out a charming line as he pulled her back against his chest. I was looking for an excuse to touch you, it said. Then, Maybe you need a little more hands-on instruction.
Max stayed still, one arm wrapped around her waist, the other hand holding her elbow. And he realized that he didn’t need to find a charming line to lull her. He could just…say it.
He took a deep breath. “Could you not lean out like that again?”
She turned her head enough that Max could see her profile as she watched him from the corner of her eye. “Okay.”
“Because it makes me think you’re going to fall out.”
“Surely the water’s not so deep here.”
“No, but that doesn’t matter. You could hit your head or get caught up in vegetation you can’t even see.” Max held his breath, waiting for her to snap at him, to say something like, “Yeah, I’m not an idiot.” Or “I can take care of myself.”
But Chloe nodded. “Okay. I’ll be careful.”
“Thanks,” he said lightly, even though his heart was struggling to pound out of his chest. It was so much harder to be honest. If you were charming, people couldn’t throw it in your face. If you were funny and flirtatious, they wanted to indulge you. But simply taking a deep breath and stating your thoughts aloud…Christ, that seemed like an outright invitation for rejection.
But Chloe was still smiling, and when she leaned her head a little closer to his chin, Max brushed his lips across her temple.
“Mmm.” She sighed, as if there weren’t two life vests propping their bodies far apart. But for Max the life vests were a conduit to the pleasure of this stolen moment. He rested his mouth on her soft hair and breathed in the scent of her as a prickle of electricity scattered over his skin. They were on the water in a boat that dipped and bobbed in every wave, but he could relax and breathe her in because she wore a life jacket and had agreed to be careful.
“You’re not going to rat me out?” he whispered.
“Never. It wouldn’t be nearly as fun to tease you if it wasn’t a private joke.”
Max realized the arm he’d wrapped around her waist was pressed against an expanse of warmth. An experimental swipe of his thumb revealed the sweet texture of her bare skin. Chloe’s muscles jumped a little. He did it again and kissed her cheekbone.
“I couldn’t sleep last night,” he confessed, “thinking about you.”
“Worried about your secret?”
“Chloe, pay attention. I’m coming on to you. I was thinking about you on the beach, letting me get to third base.”
“Ooh.” The parts of her face he could see turned pink. “Is that third base? I forget.”
“That’s about as third base as it gets. Your lack of knowledge makes me think you were a good girl in high school. Were you?”
Her blush deepened to a color close to red. “Maybe.”
Max’s entire body heated in immediate response. He dipped his head to kiss her ear, then carefully pressed his teeth to the delicate lobe, loving the way she shivered against him. Max spread his hand wide over her hot stomach. “Chloe Turner, I think you’re the sweetest girl I’ve ever gotten to third base with.”
The muscles of her stomach flinched. “That was in high school. I’m not sweet anymore.”
“Liar. You’re sweet. And soft. And peaceful.”
“That’s not—”
“And smart enough to see through my act.”
“Well, I—”
When he opened his mouth on her neck and sucked gently at the flesh, Chloe’s words died a quick death in her throat. Max found her sharp gasp immensely satisfying. He edged his pinkie finger beneath the waist of her bottoms, thinking of what she’d let him do last night. Thinking that this wasn’t the time or place, but she’d been so damn hot for him, and he really wasn’t going to touch her like that here on the boat, but maybe just for a second…
A high-pitched squeal pierced his head, and Max jerked Chloe a foot back from the railing, just in case someone had