Page 54 of Twice as Tempting

“Just glad to see that you’re enjoying yourself.”

“Um-hmm. It’s so peaceful out here. I love it.”

“Even in a dinky old rowboat?”

She giggled. “Yes,” she admitted and gave him a genuine smile.

He rowed them out to the opposite end of the lake from his parent’s house, into a marshy area where long grasses stuck up from the water. It was quieter here where the speedboats didn’t venture, and all Kelly heard was the sound of some birds chattering in the nearby trees.

Damian pulled the oars up so they just drifted, the water gently lapping against the sides of the boat.

“Kell…”

“Damian…”

“You first,” Damian said.

“Why do you treat me one way when we’re alone and another way when we’re with your family?” She had always believed the direct approach to be the best, and Damian had once told her that he admired that about her.

He shoved his hands in his hair and looked down at his feet. “I don’t know, Kell. I guess I just don’t like everyone up in my business.”

Kelly suspected that that was part of it, but she wasn’t completely satisfied with his answer. “And…”

“And what?”

“C’mon, Damian. There’s got to be more to it than that.”

He raised his eyes to meet hers, and she waited.

“And I guess it makes me a little…nervous. This…us…you and me. You know?”

Kelly’s heart lodged in her throat. All at once, she sensed his vulnerability, and it rocked her to the core. Big bad Damian really did have a soft spot for her, but would it be too optimistic to think that it could be love? Kelly’s romantic brain often overrode her logical one, but it couldn’t hurt to hope. She had an overwhelming urge to kiss him, and in her excitement, she started to stand up in the boat.

Damian tried to warn her, but it was too late. “Kelly. NO! DON’T!” were the last words she heard before the boat tipped and dumped them unceremoniously into the water.

She came up sputtering and coughing, her dress clinging to her body and her hair matted against her head. The water was deep enough that they couldn’t touch the bottom, and Damian quickly grabbed her around the waist and pulled her against him.

“You ok?” he asked, searching her face for any signs of injury.

The only damage that was done, was to my pride! “Yes, I’m fine,” she muttered.

“Hop on my back and hang on,” he ordered, and then she realized that the boat had drifted some distance away. She did as he asked, knowing that it would be quicker than her trying to swim in a dress and sandals, but she cursed herself for not having worn a swimsuit!

Damian’s powerful body cut through the water with ease, and they reached the rowboat too soon. Kelly had thoroughly enjoyed being given a ride, clinging to his back, with her arms looped around his neck and her breasts smashed against him. She reluctantly let go and tread water while Damian grabbed hold of the boat.

“Now for the fun part,” he said. “Getting back in.”

“And how do you propose we do that?”

“Climb up on my shoulders and step in while I hold the boat steady.”

Kelly looked at him like he was nuts, but what did she know? After all, she was the one who had caused them to capsize in the first place. “Ok,” she said skeptically and braced her hands on his broad shoulders. Somehow, she managed to boost herself up to kneel on them, but now her soggy water-laden dress covered his eyes. For some reason, the sight of Damian with her dress hanging over his face caused her to break out in hysterics, and he fought to keep her steady atop his shoulders while she laughed uncontrollably.

When her laughter started to dissipate, he asked, “You done yet?” which only set off a second giggling fit. That time, his deep laugh mixed with hers, and she felt their discord from earlier fade away. By the time they finally made it back into the boat, they were both smiling like fools.

“Well, that was fun,” Damian said as he rowed them back toward his parents’ house.

“I agree, although, look at me. I’m a wreck!”

Damian did look at her, and thoroughly, from her long brown hair that was plastered against her head to the dress that clung to her curves like a second skin, down to her red-painted toes that peeked out from her wet sandals. “I think you look beautiful,” he said.

And those were the sweetest words that she’d heard all day.