Pursing my lips, I blew out a breath. I really hoped I knew what I was doing here. If we failed this time, it would break me irreparably.

I reached my hands out slowly, hesitating before my fingertips made contact with his chest. “Just … please … can we do this slowly? Can you give me time? Can we try and be together without the rest of your world knowing?”

“Yet?”

“Yes,” I nodded. “Please?”

I couldn’t wait anymore. We’d figure out the details later, and we’d do it together. I took a deep breath and pressed my palms against his damp skin.

Jack’s eyes closed as he exhaled and canted forward toward me.

Sliding my hands around his ribs and up around his muscled shoulder-blades, I stepped into him.

His arms curled around me, drawing me against him. One hand slid up into my hair and pressed my face against his damp chest. A barely controlled groan came out with his next breath, reverberating against my skin.

I reveled in the feeling of his hot wet skin, his heart pounding beneath my cheek, my body pressed flush against his. So strong was the feeling of relief of being in Jack’s arms, it seemed in that moment that nothing bad could ever happen to me ever again.

The scent of his raw masculinity slid into my every pore, and my face turned to press my lips to his salted skin before I could question it.

His body reacted beneath my touch.

Bringing both hands to cup my face, he tilted it to look at him.

“I’m going to kiss you,” he rasped, staring at my mouth.

I nodded and moistened my lower lip in anticipation as he lowered his head. My pulse picked up a frantic beat as he closed in on me. I willed myself to calm, but my breathing hitched as it gathered pace. I slid a hand up and around the back of his neck, tugging his mouth closer, because he was taking too damn long to get to me. The last thing I saw was his dimple flash before his mouth met mine.

There was nothing slow and sweet about this kiss. We’d waited what seemed like forever for a kiss where there were no doubts and no questions between us. I opened under him, meeting the slide of his tongue and moaned at the exquisite sensation.

His lips were firm against mine, withdrawing and opening again, capturing my lips between his then sliding inside my mouth once more. Our heads shifted and moved, our mouths trying to find the perfect fit. The perfect rhythm. Trying to get closer, even though we were already drinking in each other. Neither of us seemed to want to stop and breathe more than the needy and necessary gasps that punctuated the moment.

I grabbed a fistful of hair at the nape of his neck, and as his lips moved over mine, sucked desperately at his bottom lip, grazing it with my teeth. My entire body was tuned to the kiss, focused on tasting him, the sweet mint on his tongue and the salt from his sweat, and every nip and pull of his mouth reached and pulled sensation from the very depths of my body.

“God,” Jack rasped against my mouth, pausing between thorough kisses. One of his hands left my face and wrapped around my middle drawing me up and against him. Hard. “When you said slow … how slow?” His fingers dug into me, pressing me closer. The hand at my face moved down my throat, tilting my head back, making room for his hot mouth as it left mine and slid to my chin then my ear, causing goose bumps to break out over my already sensitized skin.

I said slow? A giddy laughed bubbled up my throat, and I swallowed unsure how to answer.

“You have to guide me here, Keri Ann, or I … shit,” he said suddenly and lifted me off the ground. Swiveling around, he headed for the lattice gate leading out to the pool area.

I squealed. “What the hell, Jack?”

“Kick your shoes off.”

“What? Why?” I asked winded from how tight he was holding me as he ducked out the gate into the bright sunshine. I glanced at the pool over my shoulder. “No! No way!”

“Nope, not the pool, it’s heated,” he said and hefted me up suddenly over his shoulder in a fireman’s lift.

Gasping, I opened my eyes against his lower back. “Jack! What are you doing?” I yelled and slapped his ass.

He laughed, a deep rumble, and pulled my sneakers off, dropping them as he headed up and over the dune path, his bare feet sliding into the sand as I beat pointlessly at his back.

“Wait, Jack! I thought I said nothing public,” I tried desperately, my voice breathy. His shoulder was digging into my belly. And Mrs. Weaton’s breakfast wasn’t feeling too settled. “Oh, God, I feel sick.”

“Almost there, and no one’s on the beach for about,” he swung both ways not breaking a stride as he headed to the water line so I could look, “a few hundred yards each way.”

His feet splashed into the waves, slowing against the resistance of the water then he pitched us both in with a splash.

I spasmed with the frigid cold as we both went under, and I scrambled to get my feet under me, coming up with a gasp. “What the hell, Jack? What was that for?” I coughed and spat out seawater.

“I needed a cold shower, and fast,” he said, flicking the water from his hair with a swift head snap, and leaving it perfectly styled. Guys. “Damn, it is cold! Sorry,” he said, reaching for me and pulling me against his still warm body.

“Idiot. Of course it’s freaking cold, it’s barely spring,” I muttered, my teeth chattering. “Ugh! I hope it’s this cold,” I said, holding my finger and thumb about a half inch apart in front of his face.

He convulsed with laughter, his mouth wide, his dimples deep, eyes squeezed closed with mirth. Seawater dripped from the tips of his dark hair.

Damn, it was beautiful when the boy smiled. The song lyric wove through my head. My chest suddenly expanded with emotion. The swoon effect was still in full force seven months later. I hiccupped a laugh that bubbled out in spite of myself. It was so contagious to see his happiness.

“Not with you around, Keri Ann.” He winked at me and pressed me against him for proof.

I swallowed with nerves, even as a rush of heat seared a path straight through me, warming my iced down body from the inside. I gritted my teeth against the sensation, lest I pant like a dog or something equally embarrassing. My body quaked.

“C’mon,” Jack said. “You’re freezing. You’re beautiful, but your lips are blue and I can feel you shivering.” He pulled away, and taking my hand, headed to the shore.

We started trawling through the waist deep water toward the sand. My body felt heavy with the weight of my wet pants and t-shirt, and the breeze chilled me further. As we moved, an idea formed in my mind. I had to get him back for dunking me after all.

Just as we got to his calf depth in the water, I waited for the perfect timing of his step and flung out my right leg, hauling his arm to spin his body. His reflexes kicked in, and he grabbed me as he turned and lost his balance, pulling me with him as we both went down, me squealing, into the shallow water.

Jack let out a harsh grunt as his back hit the sand without much water breaking his fall. I landed on top of him, pounding the air out of both of us.

“Christ,” he croaked, and closing his eyes, let his head fall back. “What was that?”

“Sorry. Me trying to get you back for dunking me?” I offered, sheepishly, my damp hair falling to the side of our faces like a curtain.

He opened his eyes and looked into mine. A small wave washed up our bodies then ebbed away, pulling the sand around us.