Her lips parted, and her eyes grew heavy.

“But you naked is better. Always.”

Undecided, she turned to look down at the lake.

“No one will see you. There’s a reason I chose to build here. The cove is private. But even if someone did come by, you’ll be in the water. Hidden.” He teased his thumb over her. “To everyone but me.”

Filled with resolve, her gaze came back to his. “Fine.”

Oh, man. He started to growl out a few alternate suggestions to swimming, but she didn’t give him a chance.

“You have to be naked, too.”

“Not a problem.” He grinned at her. “I don’t even own trunks.”

“You don’t…” Nettled, she slipped away from him. “For heaven’s sake, Jackson. So you always swim naked with women?”

“Keep up, will you?” He took her arm and started them both down the hill. “I haven’t brought any other women here.” And to make sure she got the significance of that, he tacked on, “Just you.”

Bees flitted across the clover in front of them, and Jackson steered her around to a path of sorts. Eventually he’d put in a stone walkway, but it wasn’t high on his list of priorities.

“So.” Alani stepped with him onto the dock, then curled her toes on the sun-warmed boards. “I know I’m here because of a threat.”

“There’s that.” Mindful of a full erection, he unzipped his jeans.

“What if another woman was threatened?”

“I’d do what I could.” He pushed down his jeans and stepped free of them. Naked, the sun hot on his back, he stood before her. “But I wouldn’t bring her here.”

Her attention darted from his body, to the entrance of the cove and back again. Making him more than a little nuts, she licked her bottom lip—and focused on his dick.

Man, oh man. “Dangerous territory, babe, if you know what I mean.”

She shook her head. “You’re incredible.”

He choked back a laugh. “With you staring, I’m sure to get more incredible by the second.” Jackson turned her. His fingers on the band holding her braid, he said as casually as he could, “This is my home, honey. My getaway.” The band slid free of her silky hair, and he smoothed it, running his fingers through the ripples left behind, before pushing it over her shoulder.

He trailed his knuckles down her spine.

“Your brother and Dare have been here. Their women are welcome.”

“You are such a caveman,” she muttered, but goose-flesh rose in the wake of his touch. “They’re wives.”

“And women.” He knew better than Alani just how possessive a man in love could be. Blocking that disturbing thought, he caught her hips. “Point is, I would never bring my work here. That’d defeat the purpose of having a private place.”

Did she understand that, for him, she was more than work? More than sex. More than…he didn’t know.

More than anything he’d had before, or ever expected to have.

Drawing her back against him, he kissed the side of her throat, opened his mouth over the sensitive spot where her shoulder met her neck.

Tipping her head to the side, she whispered, “I feel on display.”

“Yeah.” He found the back tie to her top and lightly tugged it apart. The cups over her br**sts loosened enough for him to get his hands underneath. “If I could, I’d lay you out right here on the dock.”

Breathless, she whispered, “I couldn’t,” almost like she were considering it.

He played with her ni**les, making her—and himself—nuts. “We’ll see.” In a rush, taking her by surprise, he opened the tie around her neck, and the top fell to the dock.

Going to one knee behind her, Jackson tugged down her bottoms.

Her knees locked, and on a gasp, she covered herself with a hand. Putting his hand over hers, he pressed her fingers in, turned on by the idea of her touching herself.

He kissed her lower spine, down, over one cheek—and she jumped away. Staring at him wide-eyed, she opened her mouth, said nothing, then turned and in two quick steps reached the end of the dock. She dove in.

Left sitting there holding air, it took Jackson a second before he grinned and stood to follow her. Just as she’d done, he dove in, dousing his lust in the chilly water.

He surfaced right in front of her. Water spiked her lashes; her slicked-back hair looked darker, her cheekbones more pronounced, her lips moist.

They tread water together. “You do realize that the cold has a negative effect on men.”

“Really?” One hand on his shoulder to help keep her afloat, she held his gaze, and with the other hand under the water, she found him, wrapping her small fingers around his shaft, squeezing. “I don’t think so.”

“I’ve created a monster.” Being a strong swimmer, Jackson easily moved them both to the ladder. He held on with one hand, and she held on to him with both. “You wanna try some water play, is that it?”

“Yes.” And then, “Is it possible?”

He didn’t have a condom with him, but that didn’t mean she had to wait. “I’ll show you.” While kissing her, he coasted a hand over her waist, down over her hip, back and over her rounded ass. “Open up for me, Alani. Put your legs around me.”

Buoyed by the water, she did so easily, and damn, it felt good, the contrast of her heat with the cold water.