In His Bed(31)

The sound of her voice rolled through him. The hour he’d been at his dad’s, away from her, felt like an hour too long. He grabbed her arm and tugged her into a hug. She laughed and ran her smooth palms along his biceps. The way she was always exploring his body like she’d never felt it before made him feel like Hercules. Yeah, he was kind of a softie like that—he wanted his woman to like his body.

“I missed you,” he said, leaning down to kiss her precious lips.

She wrapped her arms around his waist, sneaking her little fingers under his shirt to massage his lower back. God, he loved that. “I missed you, too.”

He’d stand in the kitchen forever, but they needed to get on the road if they expected to catch anything. “Ready?”

She let him go, instantly making him regret the decision to prompt them to part. “Yes,” she said and grabbed the two bags she’d packed for the picnic. “Come on Charlie!” When the dog padded into the kitchen, she latched the colorful pink leash onto Charlie’s matching collar.

Colin’s chest swelled with pride. This was his little family now. “I’ll get the cooler.”

They loaded the truck, Charlie taking her seat in his lap as he backed out of the driveway. He scooted the seat back to give the fat dog more room then lowered the window enough so she could catch the breeze.

“Your dog’s a spoiled brat,” he teased.

Lea gave him a snarky smile. “So? You love her.”

Colin stopped at the end of the driveway to check for any coming cars. He looked over at Lea. “Yes, I do love her.”

Lea, cheeks sun-kissed from their time in the pool, blushed. “So...you do realize I won’t put a worm on a hook, right?”

Colin put the truck into drive and started down the road. “I’ll do it for you, but you’re going to learn to safely take a fish off a hook.”

He loved how she curled her pert nose. “I don’t know about that. My dad took me fishing once and I almost passed out when he pulled the hook out of the fish’s mouth. You’ve got your work cut out for you.”

He laughed, first because she looked so damn cute and second because the dog’s tongue lazily flapped in the wind. “If you want fish for dinner, you’re going to have to be brave.” He reached over and squeezed her bare knee. She’d worn her swimsuit with some kind of strapless cover-up that accentuated her soft curves. His dick was in solid agreement—she’d done it just to tease him.

“We’ll see,” she said.

Colin gripped the steering wheel then forced his fingers to relax. He’d been grateful his dad understood his feelings for Lea. Losing the woman he loved would be a crushing blow far greater than his mom not speaking to him for several months. The woman sitting beside him was worth the risk. Now, he had to convince her they were worth going all in on any bet at any poker table. They weren’t going anywhere, no matter how others felt about their relationship.





CHAPTER SEVEN



“I can’t do it!” Lea felt bile rise in her throat as she yet again attempted to slide her finger along the fish’s cheek. “Colin, I can’t!”

Colin held on tight to the wiggling fish and laughed. “Like I showed you, just hold it. The hook is out. Why you insist on throwing yours back in is beyond me. A guy’s got to eat and you want to throw away his dinner.”

Full of pride, she stood on the grassy bank of the pond and slipped her finger inside the fish’s mouth and tugged. Colin pulled the hook and Lea swiftly tossed the flailing fish back into the pond.

His chest heaved with laughter. “Every time, baby. You’ve caught three and you get all creeped out every time you have to throw it back in.”

Her breathes see-sawed from the excitement. “I know, but it’s weird.”

The sun reached halfway to the horizon when he said, “Come here.” He lay on his back on the blanket and patted the empty space beside him. “I need to touch you.”

God, the way he was so blunt made her skin feel prickly all over. As soon as she cuddled up to his warm body, she ran her hand over the smooth skin stretched over his chest. “You got a lot of sun today.”

He slipped his finger over her cheek. “So did you. I think”—he slid his finger down and dipped the edge of her swimsuit top—“you need to show me your tan lines.”

She’d never been one to feel insecure about her ample figure, but Colin’s constant affection made her confidence meter rise one hundred points. She stood up and shimmied out of the one-piece suit. “See them?” she asked and gradually turned around so he could see every curve.