“Definitely.” She grins. “We have to go back soon. I texted Dom that I’m taking a shower. He’ll start wondering if I’ve drowned soon.”
I stretch my arms behind my head, staring at the sky. The last of the pink is bleeding out now, leaving behind a velvet blue that settles low and thick over the cove. The moon’s rising fast, casting silver streaks across the water.
“Alright,” I say, pushing to my feet and brushing sand off my shorts. “There’s one more thing I love doing here.”
“Let me guess.” She raises a brow. “Sex.”
“I’ve never brought anyone else here,” I remind her. “No one knows about this place.”
That makes her pause. I don’t miss the flicker in her eyes and the flush at the top of her cheeks.
“Skinny dipping.” I nod my head towards the water.
“Absolutely not.” She blinks.
“Suit yourself.” I shrug.
Before she can protest, I hook my thumbs into the waistband of my swim shorts and start peeling them down.
“What the- Jace!” she shrieks, spinning around so fast she kicks up sand.
“Feel free to look, sweetheart!” I laugh, tossing the shorts dramatically onto the sand right next to her. “Or not.”
“Oh my god, you’re actually insane.”
I walk right into the water until I’m waist deep and dive in, head under, body cutting through the soft waves. The water’s still warm, today’s heat still clinging to it.
I surface with a shake of my head, pushing my wet hair back.
“Fuck, that’s good,” I call out, voice echoing off the stone walls.
“No thank you!” she shouts from her spot on the log, hands still over her eyes.
“C’mon.” I float lazily, grinning up at the stars.
“No,” she yells back, flustered.
“I dare you.”
“You think you can peer pressure me into stripping in the middle of nowhere?”
“I think you’ve beendyingto get in this water since the second I brought you here.” I call back, swimming closer to the shore.
“So you did have a plan to get me naked.” She scoffs.
“Guilty.” I grin “Only… I think you want to. But you’re scared.”
That gets her quiet. I tread water, eyes locked on her silhouette.
“You live behind rules,” I say with confidence, because these are her words, not mine. Words she’s told me herself. “Expectations. What people think. What youshoulddo. But no one’s here right now. No one’s watching but me.”
She’s silent but she removes her hands from her eyes.
“Don’t you want to do something that’s just for you?” I ask, softer now.
There’s another beat of silence before she speaks.
“Promise not to look while I get in?”
