His gentle voice scraped at her like spits of gravel. She practically shook with fury. When her father abandoned them, she’d made the decision to do everything right and never make trouble. She had—and her father came back. Her once-splintered family healed. Being good paid. Following the rules gave rewards. Wolfe didn’t know what he was talking about. She jumped up from the rock, put her beer down, and walked to the edge of the dock. Her finger jabbed in the air. “Who are you to dump all this psychobabble on me? You’re just as driven in work as I am. You detest failure, laziness, and mediocrity.”
His laugh splintered the wooded silence. The sun began to sink slowly over the hill. Shadows danced from the swaying trees. “Yeah, I do. You look mad.”
“I am mad!”
He swam over and stood. “How mad?” he drawled.
She growled. “Really mad.”
“That’s what I thought. Better cool you off.”
She didn’t have a chance. With a graceful motion, he loomed up from the water like some type of monstrous sea creature, grabbed her, and pulled her in. Her shrieks got cut off by the slap of warm water closing in. She hit the bottom, and her feet scraped against soft moss before she kicked herself to the surface. The huge grin on his face pushed one vow to the forefront of her mind.
Revenge.
Oh, it would be sweet.
“Proud of yourself?” she drawled, shaking her head like a wet dog to get the hair out of her face.
“Kind of. Things were getting way too serious.”
His outrageous statement made her laugh. Damned if he’d be the one to let her sulk, even on her failed wedding day. Wolfe sensed when she needed to stew, be depressed, or push through. Right now, there were so many emotions churning like choppy waters she didn’t know where to focus. The water helped clear her head.
Gen kicked her feet, treading water. “Ewww, it’s all soft and gooey on the bottom. God knows what’s down there.”
“Scared of a few fish?”
She pursed her lips. “Don’t come running into my room tonight.”
One dark brow shot up. He swam around her like a shark circling his prey. “A proposition? I had no idea you lusted after my body.”
She snorted and almost choked. “Oh yeah, it’ll be romantic. Me, you, and the big hairy spider I’m putting in your bed.”
The humor drained from his face. “Don’t fuck with me.”
She laughed and stuck out her tongue. “Bet there’s a lot around here. Ever seen one of the wood spiders?” She gave a shudder. “Furry, with fat legs and superfast, so you can’t catch them.”
He tried to laugh it off but she caught the paleness to his features. Damn, this was too much fun.
“You know what comes with spiders?” he said.
“What?”
“Frogs. Lots and lots of green frogs. Like Kermit.”
The horror washed through her. “I told you that in secret,” she whispered. A creepy shiver raced down her spine at the image. “You’re a horrible, evil human being.”
“I find a spider in my bed, and you’ll wake up to a portrait of Kermit.”
“Asshole. I was drunk when I confessed. Drunk info should be sacred—you broke the cardinal rule.” She’d had a dream once that haunted her to this day, and was stupid enough to confide in Wolfe after too many beers. She’d woken up from a wicked nightmare of Kermit the Frog faces attacking her. Instead of sweet smiles, they had bloody teeth, and had gone after her like a herd of piranhas. She hadn’t been able to watch a Muppets movie since.
“An eye for an eye and all that,” he said. Then dove beneath the water.
Gen watched him swim, appreciating the raw power and grace of his body and flexing muscles. Awareness trickled through her, but she was an expert at ignoring it.
Wolfe needed so much more than a quick lay or another affair. He needed a friend. Gen knew him better than anyone, and was gifted with the trueness of his soul. Sex was the surefire pathway to disaster, heartbreak, and the loss of one of her most important relationships.
No thanks.
What he offered was enough. No expectations, only acceptance, respect, and love.
Very different from David.
The thought was like an uppercut, and for a moment she fought for breath. She’d done a terrible thing, and she was going to pay. Wolfe was wrong. Mistakes ruined lives, and by not following through, she’d let everyone down.
No. You protected yourself. You know why.
The inner voice whispered slyly, as if she knew much more and couldn’t wait to spill. But Gen didn’t want to hear it.
She swam to the dock and jumped back up, reaching for her beer. Her goal of drunken forgetfulness was the only thing keeping her together right now. Thank goodness for Mr. Samuel Adams.