Page 187 of Collide

He sets down the bags and turns to me, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “We have a family tradition,” he starts, crossing his arms as he leans against the kitchen counter. “Every summer, first night at the cabin, we strip down to our underwear and dive straight into the lake.”

“You can’t be serious.”

His grin widens, slow and teasing. “Dead serious.”

I roll my eyes.

“Scared you can’t handle a little cold?”

I shake my head. “That water is probably freezing.”

“That’s the whole point,” he says, stepping closer. “It’s exhilarating. A cleanse. And, you know, maybe I can warm you up after.”

I narrow my eyes at him, crossing my arms. “Oh, I see. This is your sneaky way of getting me to strip down.”

He smirks, running his tongue over his bottom lip. “I mean, I won’t complain. But I also think you’re bluffing. I don’t see you actually doing it.”

I scoff, heat curling low in my stomach. His challenge is like fuel to a fire. “You think I won’t?”

He tilts his head, gaze raking over me. “I think you talk a big game.”

I shove him playfully, my pulse racing. “Fine.”

Alex arches a brow. “Fine?”

I kick off my shoes, pulling my sweater over my head. “You’re not the only one who can handle a little cold.”

His eyes darken with amusement—and something else—as he quickly follows suit. Within seconds, we’re both standing on the dock in nothing but our underwear, and I have to take a second to appreciate the sheer perfection of him. His abs looklike they’re chiseled from marble, every muscle taut and defined, a masterpiece of strength and control. My gaze traces the sharp cut of his V-line, disappearing beneath the waistband of his boxers, and my mouth goes dry. The cool afternoon air prickling against my skin doesn’t compare to the heat pooling low in my belly as I force myself to look away before he catches me staring.

“Are you ready?” he asks, taking my hand.

I simply nod, taking a deep breath, my heart hammering. Alex looks at me, his expression a mixture of challenge and admiration. Then, without another word, we take off running and leap off the dock together, the icy shock of the lake stealing the breath from my lungs as I’m plunged beneath the surface.

The water hits my skin like a thousand pinpricks, jolting every sense in my body. I have never felt so alive. It’s such a thrill! We emerge from under the water, and Alex reaches out and pulls me into him. Before I can think, before I can fully take a breath, my lips crash into his, carnal, hungry. I’ve never needed a kiss as much as I need it right now.

We return to the cabin with the utmost haste, our underwear clinging to our damp skin, breathless laughter spilling between us as we burst inside. The lake’s icy shock still lingers in my veins, but the adrenaline, the exhilaration of it, burns hotter. I can’t stop smiling.

Alex shakes his head, water droplets flying from his hair as he grins. “You’re insane.”

“You challenged me,” I remind him, arching a brow. “And I don’t lose.”

His eyes darken, that slow, knowing smirk curling at the corner of his lips. “I don’t think you have a single idea what you started.” The flicker of heat in his voice sends a shiver straight through me—not from the cold, but from the way he’s looking at me now, like he’s seconds away from devouring me whole.

He watches me for a moment longer before exhaling sharply. “Go shower before you freeze.” His voice is rougher now, strained.

I should go. I should move. But there’s something intoxicating about the way he’s barely holding himself back, how he’s clenching his fists as if resisting the urge to reach for me.

I bite my lip, savoring that power for a second before turning on my heel, making my way to the bathroom.

By the time I step out of the shower, warmth has seeped back into my skin, but I can still feel the thrilling charge left behind from the lake, from Alex. The mirror is fogged over, but my reflection is clear in my mind—the flush on my cheeks, the brightness in my eyes. I’ve never looked like this before.

Alive.

When I re-enter the main room, Alex is crouched by the fireplace, coaxing flames to life. He’s changed into dry sweatpants, but his torso remains bare, muscles flexing as he moves. The fire casts flickering gold across his skin, accentuating every defined ridge of his abs, the sharp lines of his arms.

For a moment, I can only stand there, watching him, my breath shallow. He turns his head, catching me mid-stare. I don’t look away. His gaze drags over me, over the oversized sweater hugging my frame, and my damp hair curling over my shoulders. Something shifts in his expression.

“Better?” he asks, voice rough, edged with something deeper.