Читать книгу Forever Buckhorn - Lori Foster - Страница 10

CHAPTER TWO

ELIZABETH narrowed her eyes as she watched Gabriel Kasper fairly ooze masculine charm over the woman draped at his side. And the woman was draped. Elizabeth snorted in disgust. Did all women want to hang on him? Rosemary, Darlene, Ceily and this woman. They seemed to come from all around just to coo at him. No wonder he seemed so…different from the others.

The men she’d interviewed so far had been full of ego over their heroics and more than willing to share their stories with any available ear. They were rightfully proud, considering they’d behaved in a brave, out of the ordinary way that had directly benefited the people around them. Some of them had been shy, some outrageous, but not a one of them had refused her an interview. And not a one of them had so thoroughly ignored her.

No, they’d hung on her every question, anxious to share the excitement, thrilled with her interest, but in a purely self-satisfying way. They certainly hadn’t been distracted with her as a woman, eyeing her up and down the way Gabriel Kasper had. She wondered if he thought she was stupid, or just naive, considering the way he’d looked at her, like he thought she wouldn’t notice just because he wore sunglasses. Not likely! She’d felt his gaze like a tactile stroke, and it had unnerved her. The average man just didn’t look at her that way, and men like Gabe never gave her a thought.

But then Gabe had dismissed her, and that she was more than used to. Except with the heroes she’d interviewed, the men who wanted their unique stories told.

Damn, Mr. Kasper was an enigma.

“Don’t mind that none, miss. Gabe always gets more’n his share of notice from the fillies.”

Elizabeth snapped her attention to Bear. His name suited him, she thought, as she looked way, way up into his grizzled face. “I beg your pardon?”

He nodded toward the docks, where Gabe and the woman were chatting cozily. Elizabeth curled her lip. It was disgusting for a woman to put on such an absurd display, especially right out in the open like that. And for Gabe to encourage her so… Good grief, he had a responsibility to the community as a role model after all the attention they’d given him.

“Has he acted any different since becoming a town hero?” During her research, Elizabeth had discovered that people heralded for valor quickly adapted to all the fanfare and added interest thrown their way.

Bear chuckled. “Not Gabe. Truth is, folks in these parts have pretty much always looked up to him and his brothers. I don’t think anyone doubted Gabe would do something once he noticed what had happened. Any one of his brothers would have done the same.”

“He mentioned his brothers. Can you tell me something about them?”

“Be glad to!” Bear mopped a tattered bandanna around his face, then stuck it in his back pocket. “The oldest brother, Sawyer, is the town doc, and a damn good one to boot. He takes care of everyone from the newborns to the elders. Got hisself married to Honey, a real sweet little woman, about a year back. And that cut his patient load down considerable like. Seems some of the womenfolk coming to see him weren’t really sick, just ambitious.”

Bear grinned, but Elizabeth shook her head in exasperation.

“Right after Sawyer is Morgan, the sheriff, who generally looks like he just crawled right off a cactus, but he’s as nice as they come as long as you stay on his good side.” He leaned close to whisper, “And folks in these parts definitely stay on his good side.”

“Lovely.” Elizabeth tried to picture these two respectable men related to Gabe, who looked like a beach bum, but she couldn’t quite manage it.

“Morgan up and married Honey’s sister, Misty, just a bit after Sawyer married. He smiles more these days—that is, when she doesn’t have him in a temper. She does seem to enjoy riling that boy.”

It was a sure sign of Bear’s age that he’d call a man older than Gabe a boy.

“Then there’s Jordan, the best damn vet Buckhorn County has to offer. He can sing to an animal, and damned if it won’t sing back! That man can charm a bird out of a tree or lull an ornery mule asleep. He’s still a bachelor.”

Good grief. Elizabeth could do no more than blink. Doctor, sheriff, vet. It was certainly an impressive family. “What does Gabe do for a living?”

Bear scratched beneath his chin, thinking, and then he looked away. “Thing is, Gabe’s the youngest, and he don’t yet know what it is he wants to do. Mostly he’s a handyman, sort of a jack-of-all-trades. That boy can do just about anything with his hands. He’s—”

“He doesn’t have a job?” Elizabeth didn’t mean to sound so shocked, but Rosemary had told her Gabe was twenty-seven years old, and to Elizabeth’s mind, that was plenty old enough to have figured out your life’s ambition.

“Well…”

She shook her head, cutting off whatever lame excuses Bear was prepared to make. “I got the impression from a few things Rosemary said that he worked here.”

A cold, wet hand clamped onto her shoulder, and Elizabeth jumped, then whirled to see Gabe, dripping lake water, standing right behind her. His grin wasn’t pleasant, and she wished that she hadn’t gotten engrossed in what Bear had to say, that she’d kept at least part of her attention on Gabe.

She looked around him, but his newest female companion was nowhere to be found. Which, she supposed, accounted for his presence. Surely if any other woman was available he’d still be ignoring her.

Gabe nodded to Bear, more or less dismissing him, then pulled Elizabeth around and started walking a few feet away. In a voice that only barely bordered on cordial, he said, “Well, Miss Nosy, I do work here, but I’m not employed here. There’s a definite difference. And from now on, I’d appreciate it if you kept your questions to yourself. I don’t much like people prying into my personal life, especially when I already told ’em not to.”

Elizabeth gulped. No amount of forced pleasantness could mask his irritation. She tried to inch away from his hot, controlling grasp, but he wasn’t letting go. So she simply stopped.

Gabe turned to face her. They were once again standing in the bright sun, on a gravel drive that declined down the slight hill, used to launch boats into the lake. The glare off the white gravel was blinding. She had to shield her eyes with one hand while balancing her notepad, pen and purse with the other. Looking directly at him both flustered and annoyed her. He was an incredibly…potent male, no denying that. Standing there in nothing more than wet, worn, faded cutoffs—and those hanging entirely too low on his lean hips—he was a devastatingly masculine sight. A sparse covering of light brown hair, damp from his swim, laid over solid muscles in his chest and down his abdomen, then swirled around his navel. He was deeply tanned, his legs long, his big feet bare. He seemed impervious to the sharp gravel and the hot sun. And as she watched, his arms crossed over his chest.

“You be sure and let me know when you’re done looking so I can finish telling you what I think of your prying ways.”

The heat that washed over her face had nothing to do with the summer sun and everything to do with humiliation.

“I’m sorry. It’s just that you don’t look like the other men.”

He sighed dramatically. “I take it we’re talking about the other supposed heroes?”

“Yes.”

“And how did they look?”

Elizabeth hesitated, wondering how to explain it. She couldn’t just say they had all been fully dressed, because thinking it made her blush more. At the moment, Gabe Kasper looked more naked than not, and even the jean shorts didn’t help, considering they were soaked and clinging to his hard thighs, to his… Don’t go there.

She cleared her throat. “They were all more…serious. They have careers they take great pride in, and they enjoyed telling their stories.”

“But I told you, I don’t have a story to tell.”

“Your friends disagree.”

His arms dropped and he scowled at her. Strangely, Elizabeth noticed he was watching her mouth instead of looking into her eyes. It made it easier for her because staring directly at him kept her edgy for some reason. There was so much expression in his eyes, as if he wasn’t just looking at her, but really seeing her. It was an unusual experience for her.

But with him looking at her mouth, she felt nervous in a different way, and without thinking, she licked her lips. His gaze shot to hers, and he stared, eyes narrowed, for two heartbeats while she held her breath and felt faint for some stupid reason. She gulped air and fanned her burning face.

Relaxing slightly, he shook his head, then said, “Look, Lizzy—”

“Don’t call me that. My name is Elizabeth.”

“And as long you’re disregarding my wishes, I think I’ll just disregard yours. Besides, Lizzy sorta suits you. It sounds like the proper name for a red-haired girl.”

Elizabeth wanted to smack him. But since he’d come right out and all but admitted he wanted to annoy her, she decided to deny him the satisfaction. When she remained silent, he smiled, then continued. “This is all foolishness. Now I’m asking you nicely to let it drop.”

“I can’t. I’ve decided you’ll make a really good contrast to the other men in my study. See, you’re very different, and I can’t, in good conscience, leave out such an important factor in my study. In order for the study to be accurate, I need to take data from every angle—”

He raised a hand, looking annoyed enough for his head to explode. “Enough of that already. This is your summer break, right?”

She watched him cautiously. “Yes.”

“So why work so damn hard on summer break? Why not just cut loose a little and have some fun before going back to school?” He looked her over again and judging by the tightness of his mouth and the expression in his eyes, obviously found her lacking. “You’re so prissed up, you have to be sweltering. No one puts on that many clothes in this heat.”

Her shoulders were so stiff they hurt, and her stomach was churning. How dare he attack her on such a personal level? “Obviously someone does. I consider my dress totally appropriate.”

“Appropriate to what?”

“To interviewing a hero.”

His head dropped forward and he groaned. “You are the most stubbornest damn woman....”

“Me? You’re the one who refuses to answer a few simple questions.”

Their voices had risen and Gabe, with a heartfelt sigh, took her arm again and started farther up the gravel drive.

“Where are we going?” She had a vague image of him dragging her off and wringing her neck. Even a hero could only be pushed so far, and with the way everyone worshiped him, she didn’t think she’d get much help.

“We’re drawing attention and it isn’t the kind of attention I like.”

With a sneer she couldn’t quite repress, she asked, “You mean it isn’t purely female?”

Glancing her way, he grinned. “That’s right.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake!”

“Here we go. Have a seat.”

Luckily, this time it wasn’t a root he wanted to perch her on. The rough wooden picnic table was located beneath a tree—not an elm—and though it was partially covered with dried leaves, acorns and twigs, it was at least shaded.

Elizabeth had barely gotten herself settled before Gabe blurted, “Okay, what is it going to take to get you to back off?”

He wanted to bargain with her? Surprised, but also hopeful because she really did want to add his story to the others—he was proving to be the exception that broke the hero mold she’d mentally formed—Elizabeth carefully considered her answer. Finally, she said, “If you’d just answer five questions…”

“I’ll answer one. But it’ll cost you.”

Her relief died a short death. “How much? I have a job, but it’s barely enough to pay my tuition so I couldn’t offer you anything significant—”

He looked so totally and utterly appalled, she knew she’d misunderstood. His expression said so, but in case she hadn’t caught on, he leaned close, caging her in with one arm on the picnic table, the other on her shoulder, and said through his teeth, “You actually think I’d take money from you?”

Elizabeth tried leaning back, but she didn’t have much room to maneuver, not without toppling over. “You…you said you don’t have a job.”

“Wrong.” He looked ready to do that neck wringing she’d worried about. “I said I’m not employed here. For your information, Red, I more than pay my own way. Not that my financial situation is any business of yours.”

“But…” It was one of the questions in her survey, though luckily this time she had the good sense to forfeit it. “Of course not. I didn’t mean to suggest—”

“If you want me to answer a question, you’ll have to loosen up. And before you start widening those big blue eyes at me again, I’m not suggestin’ an illicit affair.”

Her heart almost stopped, but for the life of her she wasn’t entirely sure if it was relief or disappointment she felt. No one had ever offered her an illicit affair, and the idea held a certain amount of appeal. Not that she’d ever accept, of course, but still… “What, exactly, are you suggesting?”

“A swim. In the lake. Me and you.”

The big green murky lake behind her? The lake he’d pulled that enormous fish out of—then thrown it back so it was still in there? The lake where any number of things could be living? Never mind that she didn’t even own a bathing suit, the thought of getting into that lake positively terrified her. Hoping against hope, she said, “I don’t understand.”

“It’s easy, Lizzy. I want you here tomorrow, same time, wearing a swimsuit instead of all that armor. And I want you to relax with me, to take a nice leisurely swim. Maybe if you loosen up a bit, I won’t even mind so much answering a question for you.”

To make certain she understood before she agreed to anything, she asked, “And in exchange, you’ll answer my questions?”

“No, I’ll answer one question. Just one. Any question you like. You can even make notes in that damn little book of yours.” He eyed her mouth again, then shook his head. “And who knows, if all goes well, maybe we can work out another deal.”

“For another question?”

He shrugged, looking reluctant but strangely resigned.

Elizabeth had the sneaking suspicion he was trying to bluff her, to force her to back out. But she was fascinated. Such unusual behavior for a hero! She could almost imagine the response she’d get from this thesis—if anyone even believed it. But there had to be some redeeming information there, something that would make her research all that more complete, valuable and applicable.

In the end, there was really only one decision she could make. She held out her hand, and after a moment, Gabe took it.

His hand was so large, so tanned. And he felt hot. She gulped, shored up her courage, and with a smile that almost hurt, she said, “Deal.”

HE COULDN’T BELIEVE he was running late.

If anything, he’d planned to be on the dock, sunning himself, a man without a care, when she arrived. Truth was, he felt strangely anxious. He grinned at the novelty of it.

“You’ve been doing a lot of that this morning.”

Gabe turned to his brother Sawyer. “What?”

“Smiling like a fool.”

“Maybe I have good reason.”

“And what would that be?”

“None of your business.” Gabe, still grinning, finished running caulk around the windowpane then wiped his hands on a small towel. “That should do you, Sawyer. From now on, don’t let kids play baseball in your office, hear?”

Honey hustled up to his side with a tall glass of iced tea. Bless her, he did like all the doting she felt compelled to do. Having a sister-in-law was a right nice thing. “Thanks, Honey.”

“What are you so happy about, Gabe?”

Uh oh. He glanced at Sawyer, saw his smirk and concentrated on drinking his tea. Sawyer knew without a doubt that he wouldn’t even consider telling Honey to mind her own business. By virtue of being female, she was due all the respect his brothers didn’t warrant. He just naturally tempered himself around women—well, all but Red. She seemed to bring out the oddest reactions from him. Damned if he wasn’t looking forward to seeing her again.

What would she look like in a bikini?

“There he goes, grinning again.”

“Actually,” Gabe said, ignoring his brother, “I was just thinking of a woman.” That was true enough, and not at all uncommon. In fact, Honey gave him a fond look of indulgence, patted his shoulder, then went to her husband’s side. Sawyer sure was a lucky cuss. Honey was a sexy little woman—not that he thought of her that way, her being in the family and all. But he wasn’t blind. She was a real looker, and best of all, she loved his brother to distraction.

Sawyer gave a grievous sigh. “He’s in lust again. Just look at him.”

That drew Gabe up short. Lust? Hell, no, he didn’t feel lust for Little Red. Amusement maybe, because she was unaccountably funny with her freckles and her red corkscrew curls that hung all the way down to her fanny.

And frustration, because she simply had no idea how to accept no for an answer and she trussed herself up in those schoolmarm clothes, to the point a guy couldn’t even tell what he was seeing.

Maybe even annoyance, because her stubbornness rivaled his brother Morgan’s, and that was saying a mouthful. But not lust.

He grunted, earning an odd look from Sawyer.

His invitation for a swim was simply his way of keeping the upper hand. And thinking that, he said to Sawyer, “If a funny little red-haired woman tries to talk to you about me, don’t tell her a damn thing, okay?”

Sawyer and Honey blinked at him in confusion, but he didn’t bother to explain. He hurried off. Knowing Red, if he was too late, she’d give up on him and go home. She wasn’t the type of woman who’d wait around, letting a guy think she’d be happy to see him when he did show up. No, Red would probably get her back all stiff and go off asking questions of every available body in the area.

And he really didn’t want anyone filling her head with that nonsense about heroes. Best that he talked to her himself. And that was another reason he’d engineered the date. No, take that back. Not a date. An appointment. Yeah, that sounded better. He’d arranged an appointment so that at least she’d get her stupid story straight.

Hell, he had plenty of reasons for seeing her again, and none of them were about lust.

He did wonder what she’d look like in a bikini, though.

SHE WAS STILL in full armor.

Gabe frowned as he climbed out of his car and started down the hill. Judging by the color of that long braid hanging almost to the dock, the woman with her back to him was one Miss Elizabeth Parks. And she wasn’t wearing a bikini. He consoled himself with the fact that at least she was waiting for him. There was a certain amount of masculine satisfaction in that.

The second he stepped on the dock, she turned her head. He noticed then that she was sitting cross-legged instead of dangling her feet in the water. She had her shoes and frilly little white socks on. Socks in this heat? He stopped and frowned at her. “Where’s your swimsuit?”

She frowned right back. “I have it on under my dress. Surely you didn’t think I’d drive here in it? And you’re late.”

She turned away and with her elbows on her knees, propped her chin on a fist and stared at the lake.

Gabe surveyed her stiff back and slowly approached. He wasn’t quite sure what to expect of her, so he said carefully, “I’m glad you waited.”

With a snort, she answered, “You made it a part of the deal. If I want to ask you one measly question, I had to be here.” She waved a dismissive hand. “I figured you’d show up sooner or later.”

Not exactly the response he’d hoped for. In fact, she’d taken all the fun out of finding her still here. “Well, skin out of those clothes then, so we can get in. It’s hot enough to send a lizard running for shade. That water’s going to feel good.”

She didn’t look at all convinced. Peering at him with one eye scrunched against the sunshine and her small pointed nose wrinkled, she said, “The thing is, I’m not at all keen on doing that.”

“What?”

“The swimsuit thing. I’ve never had much reason to swim, and this boat dock is pretty crowded....”

“You want privacy?” Now why did that idea intrigue him? But it was a good idea, not because he’d be alone with her. No, that had nothing to do with it. But that way, if she asked her dumb hero question, no one else would be around to contradict him.

He liked that idea. “We can take a fishing boat back to a cove. No one’s there, at least, not close. There might be a few fishermen trolling by, or the occasional skier, but they won’t get near enough to shore to look you over too good.” He gave her a crooked grin. “Your modesty will be preserved.” Except from me.

Her face colored. “It’s not that I think I’d draw much attention, you understand. It’s just not something I’m used to.”

With the way she managed to cover herself from shins to throat, he didn’t doubt it. “No problem. The cove is real peaceful. I swim there all the time. Come on.” He reached down a hand for her, trying not to look as excited as he suddenly felt. “Do you know how to swim?”

She ignored his hand and lumbered to her feet, dusting off her bottom as she did so. “Not really.”

Rather than let her get to him, he dropped his hand and pretended it didn’t matter. But he couldn’t recall ever having such a thing happen in his entire life, and he knew right then and there he didn’t like it worth a damn. “Then you’ll need a flotation belt. There’s some in the boat. You got a towel?”

“My stuff is there.” She pointed to the shore where a large colorful beach towel, a floppy brimmed hat and a pair of round, blue-lens sunglasses had been tossed. Next to the pile was her infamous notepad, which made him frown.

Gabe had his towel slung around his neck, his mirrored glasses already in place and his hat on backward. He carried a stocked cooler in his free hand. “Let’s go.”

He led her to a small metal fishing boat, then despite her efforts to step around him, helped her inside. The boat swayed, and she nearly lost her balance. She would have fallen overboard if he hadn’t held on to her.

He managed not to smirk.

He tossed her stuff in to her, then said, “Take a seat up front and put on a belt. If you fall in, it’ll keep you from drowning until I can fish you out.”

“Like you did the carp?”

Her teasing smile made his stomach tighten. “Naw, I kissed the fish and threw him back in for luck.” He glanced at her, then added, “I wouldn’t do that to you.”

Her owl-eyed expression showed her confusion. Let her wonder if he meant he wouldn’t kiss her or he wouldn’t throw her back. Maybe keeping her guessing would take some of the edge off her cockiness. He hid his satisfaction as he stepped into the boat and tilted the motor into the water. He braced his feet apart, gave the rip cord a tug, and the small trolling motor hummed to life.

After seating himself comfortably, he said, “We won’t break any speed records, but the ride’ll be smooth.”

“Is this your boat?”

“Naw. Belongs to Rosemary. But she lets me use it whenever I want.”

“Because you do work around the dock for her?”

Tendrils of hair escaped her long thick braid and whipped into her face. She held them back with one hand while she watched him. The dress she wore was made like a tent—no shape at all. From what he could see, it pulled on over her head, without a button or zipper or tie anywhere to be found. The neck was rounded and edged with lace, and the sleeves were barely there. But at least it was a softer material, something kind of like a T-shirt, and a pale yellow that complemented her red hair and bright blue eyes.

Gabe pulled himself away from that distraction and reminded himself that lust had nothing to do with his motivation today. He smiled at her. “Is that your question?”

“What?”

“Your one allotted question. You want to know about me working at the boat dock?”

Her frown was fierce. “Just making conversation.”

“Uh-huh. You know what I think? I think you figured you’d sneak a whole bunch of questions in on me and I wouldn’t notice.”

She bit her lips and looked away. Gabe couldn’t help but laugh out loud, it was so obvious she’d been caught. Damn, but she was a surprise. She sat there with her little feet pressed primly together—those damn lacy ankle socks somehow looking kind of sexy all of a sudden—while her snowy white sneakers got damp with the water in the bottom of the boat. Her hands were clasped together in her lap, holding onto her big floppy hat, her eyes squinted against the wind and sun. Her freckles were even more noticeable out here on the lake. She wasn’t exactly what you’d call a pretty woman, certainly not a bombshell like Sawyer’s Honey or Morgan’s Misty. But there was definitely something about her....

“Where are we going?”

She sat facing him in the boat, so he pointed behind her to where the land stretched out and the only living things in sight were a few cows grazing along the shoreline. The man-made lake was long and narrow, shaped a lot like a river with vacation cabins squeezed into tight rows along both sides. Several little fingers of water stretched out to form small coves here and there, only a few of which were still owned by farmers and hadn’t been taken over by developers. The land Gabe lived on with his brothers had a cove like that, a narrow extension of the main lake, almost entirely cut off from the boating traffic since it was so shallow. But it made for great swimming and fishing, which was what the brothers used it for.

Though they didn’t have any cows there, it was peaceful and natural and they loved it, refusing to sell no matter how many times they were asked and regardless of the offer. They jointly owned a lot of property, and in two spots runoff from the main lake had formed a smaller lake and a pond. Gabe intended to build a house on that site some day.

“We’re going there?” Lizzy asked, interrupting his thoughts. She sounded horrified.

Gabe bobbed an eyebrow. “It’s real private.”

“Are the cows friendly?”

“Most bovines are. You just don’t want to walk behind them.”

“They kick?”

She sounded appalled again, so he had to really struggle to keep from laughing. “Nope. But you have to be real careful where you step.”

“Oh.”

Slowing the motor, Gabe let the boat glide forward until they’d rounded the cove and nudged as far inside as possible. Someone in years past had installed a floating dock, but it had definitely seen better days. It tended to list to one side, with three corners out of the water and one corner under, covered by moss. But at least it was a good six feet square and didn’t sink if you climbed on it.

Gabe threw a rope around a metal cleat on the side of the dock. It was strange, but his heart was already pounding like mad—he had no idea why—and he had to force himself to speak calmly.

He looked at her, saw her shy, averted gaze and felt the wild thrum of excitement. He swallowed hard. “This is as far as we get, so you can skin out of that dress now.”

She peeked at him, then away. “Why don’t you go ahead and get in, then I’ll…inch my way in?”

“Have you ever driven a boat?”

“No.”

“Do you know how to start it?”

She glanced dubiously at the pull start for the motor, then shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

He nodded. “So at least I know you’re not plotting on getting me overboard then taking off.”

Her eyes widened. “I wouldn’t do that.” She chewed her lip, looking undecided, then admitted, “It’s just that I hadn’t figured on how to go about stripping off my clothes out here in the open.”

“With me and the cows watching?”

“Right.”

He could have offered a few suggestions, but that would be crass. Besides, he was afraid his suggestions would offend her. Likely they would.

Oh, hell, he knew damn good and well they would.

“All right. I’ll turn my back. But don’t take too long. You can put your folded things on the cooler so they won’t get wet.” Before he could change his mind, he turned his back, stepped on a seat and dove in. He heard her squeal as the small boat rocked wildly.

The water was shallow, so he made the dive straight out, and seconds later his head broke the water. He could easily stand, so he waded to the dock, keeping his head averted, then rested his folded arms over the edge of the aged wood. He could hear her undressing.

“The water feels great.” His voice shook, damn it.

“It’s…green.”

He cleared his throat. “Because of the moss.” She probably had her shoes off already, and those ridiculous, frilly, feminine little socks that looked like they’d come from a fetish catalogue, though he doubted she knew it. He pictured her wearing those socks—and nothing else. The picture was vague because he had no idea what the hell her body looked like, but the thought still excited him. Dumb.

Did she only have on the dress, or was she wearing other stuff over her suit? He cleared his throat and mustered his control. “Aren’t you done yet?”

“Well…yeah.”

His head snapped around, and he stared. She stood there, pale slender arms folded over her middle, long legs pressed together, shoulders squared as if in challenge. And her suit wasn’t a bikini, not that it mattered one little bit.

“Damn, woman.” The words were a choked whisper, hot and touched with awe. It felt like his eyes bugged out of his head.

She shifted nervously, uncrossing and recrossing her arms, taking her weight from one foot to the other, making the supple muscles in her calves and thighs move seductively.

Gabe had no idea if she blushed or not because he couldn’t get his gaze off her body and onto her face.

The one-piece suit was simple, a pale lime green, and it covered enough skin to make a grandma happy. But what it left uncovered…

Her plump breasts made his mouth water with the instinct of Pavlov’s dog. High, round…he wondered for a single heartbeat if they were real or enhanced. He stared, hard, unaware of her discomfort, her uncertainty. Nothing in the suit suggested it capable of that incredible support. There were no underwires, no lined bra cups. The suit was a sleek, simple design, and it hugged her like her own skin.

The visible outline of soft nipples drew him, making his imagination go wild. He wanted to see them tight and puckered, straining for his mouth.

Breathing deeply, he traced her body with his gaze, to the shaping of her rib cage, the indention of a navel, the rounded slope of her mound.

Heat rolled through him, making his nostrils flare. He could easily picture her naked, and did so, tormenting himself further.

Surely even the cows were agog. She had the most symmetrically perfect feminine body he’d ever seen, and the lake water no longer felt so cool. His sex grew thick and heavy, hot. It was unexpected, this instantaneous reaction he had to her. Women didn’t affect him this way. He’d learned control early on and hadn’t had an unwanted erection since his teens. He chose when to be involved; he did not get sucked into a vortex of lust!

But there was no denying what he felt at this moment. It annoyed him, with himself, not her. She did nothing to entice him, other than to stand there and let him look his fill.

Just as he’d suspected, her freckles decorated other parts of her body, not just her face. Her shoulders were lightly sprinkled with them—and her thighs. His heartbeat lost its even rhythm. Damn. He hadn’t known freckles could be so incredibly sexy.

One thing was certain, he was sure glad he’d brought her here so that every guy on the lake wasn’t able to gawk at her.

Hell, he was doing enough gawking for all of them.

Pulling himself together, he cleared his throat again and looked at her face. Her head was down, her long braid hanging over a shoulder, touching a hipbone. He bit his lip, feeling the heavy thumping of his heart, the tautness of his muscles. “Lizzy?”

Her arms tightened around herself. “Hmm?”

Belatedly he understood her anxiety at being on display. He felt like a jerk, and tried for a teasing tone despite the urgency hammering through him. “You comin’ in or not?”

“Do I get a choice?”

He didn’t hesitate. “No.”

Slowly her gaze lifted to his. “You’d better be worth this.”

Oh, he’d show her just how worthwhile he could— No, wait. Wrong thought. He hadn’t brought her here for that. He’d brought her here to convince her to forget about her silly ideas of heroism.

He scowled with determination, but his carnal thoughts seemed less and less wrong with every second she stood there, her small body the epitome of sexual temptation. He unglued his tongue and said, “Come on. Quit stalling.”

She licked her lips and he groaned, practically feeling the stroke of her small pink tongue.

She glared at him suspiciously, then looked over the side of the boat, looked at him and licked her lips again. “How?”

Without even thinking about it, he found himself wading to the boat, holding up his arms and inviting her into them.

And just like that, she closed her eyes, muttered a quiet prayer and fell in against him.