Page 33 of Date Knight (Roll for Romance #2)

My gaze roved up her tantalisingly long legs to where the tanned skin gave way to a thin, gauzy pair of underwear.

Then I watched as she gripped the hem of her T-shirt, tugging it up painfully slowly, as if she knew I was watching with bated breath.

But I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the motion long enough to find out if she was teasing me, and in that moment, I didn’t care.

Her stomach wasn’t as tanned as the rest of her, but I saw a peek of even paler flesh as her bra caught on her fingertips, and for a moment, my heart stopped.

But she left it on as she took the T-shirt all the way off, revealing a thin white material that matched her pants.

My brain skipped a couple of steps ahead, past the realisation that she’d worn matching bra and pants on our picnic, to the fact that she was about to get in the water in a white bralette that looked semi-translucent at best.

I swallowed hard. It was a good thing I’d gotten in first, I thought, or she’d be seeing just how appreciative I was.

She waded in, and I kicked backwards into the deeper water, making her come to me. But once she was in to her thighs, she dove in the rest of the way elegantly, and I lost sight of her in the murky water.

Then her hands found the sides of my thighs under the surface, and I tensed.

She came up out of the water directly in front of me, her face appearing at my waist just before she surfaced, sending my imagination running wild.

She stood, her shoulders just visible above the waterline.

I couldn’t help but reach out and tuck away the stray strand of her hair stuck to her face.

I wanted to pull her close to me, and for a moment, I wondered if my subconscious had taken over, because she seemed to float closer.

But then I realised she’d stepped in just an inch or so.

I did the same, bringing us so close we were practically in one another’s arms. She didn’t say anything, and I didn’t either, but it felt like we were daring each other forward, playing a familiar game of chicken that I’d decided I wouldn’t be losing again.

I held my breath as she stepped in again, bringing her close enough now that I had to look down between us to avoid her gaze. As I did, I could see her breasts in the water, and yep, that material was far from opaque.

She cleared her throat, and I was horrified to realise how obvious my ogling had been.

So I looked up again, meeting her gaze with mine, all but withering under the intensity of her stare, even as she smiled up at me.

There was a moment where it felt like we might kiss, and I wanted to so badly.

I regretted not kissing her before, on our first date when we got back from bowling, or on that night five years ago.

I wouldn’t make that mistake again. She was right here in front of me, damn near skinny dipping with me. It was terrifying and intoxicating, and I had never felt more turned on in my life.

Her smile faltered, and I watched her throat as she swallowed hard.

Maybe she’d read the intention in my gaze, and she’d been anticipating this as much as I had.

I was about to find out, because just like the horoscope had told me, I was in charge of my own pleasure.

And if Amy would let me, I’d happily take charge of hers too.

I let my hand drift out in front of me until it found her waist, then slowly pulled her towards me.

We were close enough now that the water treated us like one mass, flowing around both of us instead of cutting between us, the heat building quickly without the current to whisk it away.

I felt my breathing grow shallower and shallower as her hands drifted to my arms, running over my biceps and through the hair on my chest. I wanted to watch her touch me like that, but I couldn’t take my eyes off hers.

The green radiating out from her wide pupils practically glowed in the golden hour light, and her eyes turned down at the corners as she looked questioningly at me.

I was about to answer all her questions.

My gaze dropped towards her mouth as I began to lean in, but her light touch suddenly became firm as she pressed her palm to the centre of my chest and pushed me away.

“So, I was thinking,” she said, and I blinked hard, confused.

“Hmm?”

“We’ve been breaking one of our rules,” she said, stepping back just enough that we were two separate objects again, the cool river water rushing between us.

I pictured every time she’d put her hands on me over the last seven weeks, and vice versa, and all I could think was that we’d not broken that rule enough.

“How’s that?”

I tore my eyes from her mouth and met her gaze again, and it was like running into a brick wall. I could immediately see that her defences had gone up, and I’d missed when and why. Suddenly, all the bravery and certainty I’d mustered leached out of me into the river, washing away downstream.

She sighed before she answered, looking nervously down at her hands as she lifted them above the surface, letting the water run off them.

“Because,” she said, matter-of-factly, “we haven’t agreed how we’re going to break up. And I think it’s time we figure that out.”