“Which is exactly what I said,” Dayna smiled.
“The Deke is a good fucking name. I thought you, of all people, would appreciate it,” Carson grumbled. “I’m going to grab my things. Will you two be okay for a minute?”
“I think we can manage,” Dayna said.
“And you”—he leveled me with a knowing look—“behave.”
The second Carson was gone, she looked at me and frowned. “What did he mean, behave?”
Oh fuck.
“Nothing,” I replied.
She snatched the container off the counter and flipped the lid, helping herself to a muffin. “You, Aiden Dumfries, are a terrible liar.”
If only she knew how right she was.
* * *
Thanks to Dayna, I knew that The Deke was a twenty-foot bowrider that Carson and Dalton had fully restored with Carson’s dad when they were both young boys.
I wasn’t a boat guy. I was an ice and hockey guy. I preferred keeping my feet flat on the ground—or skates as the case usually was. But there was something pretty awesome about racing across Lake Erie on Carson’s boat.
The spray was refreshing, cooling us off in the midmorning heat. Within minutes of getting out on the water, Dayna had slipped off her t-shirt to reveal a plain black bikini top that may as well have been silk and lace for how fucking hot she looked in the damn thing.
I was having a really hard time not staring at her curves. So much so that I had no choice but to turn my back on her.
“So, what do you think?” Carson grinned as he eased his hand off the throttle, and The Deke began to slow. We were at least a mile out from shore.
“I can see the appeal,” I said.
“See Cedar Point over there?” He pointed to the distance. “And in that direction is Kelley’s Island. Another beer?” he asked, leaning back to rummage in the cooler.
“Sure.”
“Bug, you want a soda?”
“I’m good,” she said, catching my eye.
I smiled, but she barely smiled back. I guess I deserved that. I had shunned her for most of the morning. But I couldn’t look at her in that fucking bikini top without wanting to tear it off her body, preferably with my teeth.
“You good?” Carson asked, handing me a beer. “You seem tense.”
“Nope, I’m fine.”
“Fine, right.” The fucker smirked.
He knew.
Of course, he fucking knew, and I didn’t doubt that once we made it back to shore, he’d give me shit for it. Reminding me that Dayna was off-limits.
“Do you think you can take the helm while I go talk to her?”
“You want me to drive the boat?” I gawked at him.
“It’s hardly rocket science. Just keep her steady.”
“Sure, I can handle it.”