Page 73 of Conjure

“No, Dom. You said it yourself—be here with me.” She trails a finger over my lips, then climbs to her feet and jumps off the flatbed. “Let’s go for a swim.”

I sit up, bewildered, as she strips out of her clothes. “What are you doing?”

Pulling her top over her head, her long hair cascades over her freckled shoulders. “I’m getting naked.”

A smile spreads across my lips. “I can see that.”

She unclips her bra and then tosses it into the overgrown grass. “Am I swimming alone, Dominic?”

I watch her slowly back away with a teasing smile that’s so flirtatious my chest warms with something foreign, something I’ve never felt before. Something only this girl can evoke.

Jumping up, I yank my T-shirt over the back of my head and she sinks her teeth into her bottom lip as I drop it to the flatbed.

“You better run.”

Her lip escapes from between her teeth, and a bright smile touches those sensuous lips. She squints up at me, shielding her eyes from the sun with her hand.

I rest my foot on the edge of the flatbed and offer a wide grin. “You think I’m joking?”

A laugh escapes her when I jump down, landing with a heavy thump.

“I don’t see you running,” I tease as I kick off my shorts.

“I don’t know,” she replies, watching me remove my shoes and socks. “I’m curious to see what you’ll do.”

My smile is wolfish. “You know exactly what I’ll do when I catch you.”

Once I’m fully undressed, I hold up a shoe and make a show of letting it fall to the grass. A heartbeat passes while we smile at each other, and then she squeals with delight and dashes for the water.

My fingers surf the warm breeze outside the window.

Camryn is quiet on the way back, and I soon find out why when she breaks the silence. “Do you think we should tell my mom about us?”

I cut my gaze from the road to look at her. “Do you think she’ll take it well?”

She worries her lip for a moment, then sighs and looks back out the passenger window. “No, she won’t.”

An ugly feeling settles in my chest. Trust her mom to try to get between us. It wouldn’t surprise me. I gnash my teeth before forcing myself to relax.

When she continues staring at the passing cornfields, I pull my hand from the window, grab the steering wheel, and reach for her fingers. “We don’t have to tell her yet. There’s no rush.”

There absolutely is. I want the whole world to know about us, but I’m mature enough to admit that it’s not ideal to go public this soon after the move.

Camryn attempts to smile, but then her eyes catch on the road, and she straightens in her seat. “Pull over here.”

Frowning, I follow her line of sight. “Wilfred’s farm? Why?”

She gestures impatiently, and I spin the wheel.

The truck slows to a halt by the edge of the road.

“What are you—” I ask when Camryn jumps out, but she slams the door shut.

What the fuck? Where is she going?

I climb out too, frowning as she sets off down a dirt road that leads to his house.

“Camryn,” I shout, but she doesn’t stop.