Chapter 4

• While I’m thinking of a believable excuse, my phone dings again, only this time Sloane’s name pops up. She’s texted me over the years, but never regularly. My heart speeds up at the sight of her name, though, and I hurry up to see what she’s said.
• Hey, Liam. I know my dad just texted you about coming to the lake this weekend. I hope you’ll decide to come. I don’t want things to be weird between us, and I miss hanging out with you. If you come, I promise I’ll be a good girl. ;)
• I stare at her text, reading it over and over again. I’m sure she didn’t mean for it to make my cock hard, but it did. I’d love for her to be my good girl, and my throbbing cock is in perfect agreement.
• I shoot Jerry a quick text letting him know I’ll be there, and then send another to Sloane.
• I’d love to come. I miss hanging out with you, too.
• My fingers hover over the screen, debating about whether or not to add something. Without letting myself think too much about it, I type:
• You’re always a good girl, Sloane. See you soon.
• I stare at the screen waiting for a reply until I begin to feel embarrassed for myself and set it down. I tried to tell myself that it was for the best she didn’t reply. What would be the point? I need to put distance between us, get us back to the purely platonic relationship we had, and not draw her into flirty text territory.
• I managed to get through the slowest Thursday of my life, but finally, it’s Friday. I take off work a few hours early and make the hour-long drive to their lake house in record time. I tell myself it’s ridiculous, that absolutely nothing can or will happen, but that doesn’t stop my cock from growing a little bit bigger with every mile that passes. By the time I pull up to the house, I’m painfully hard, and all I can think about is Sloane.
• Jerry and his wife Sara greet mat greeted the door and ushered me in. I drop my bags off in the spare room I always use, the one that just happens to be right next door to Sloane’s room and meet them on the deck for a beer.
• “I’m so glad you could make it, Liam,” Sara says with a smile.
• “Yeah,” Jerry agrees, “we haven’t been seeing much of you lately.”
• “I’ve just been busy with work. The asshole we’re building this new house for keeps changing the plans and dicking us around. It’s been a real nightmare.”
• The statement is true enough, but I’ve dealt with enough jackass clients to not let it affect my personal life or downtime. I could tell them the real reason is because I’ve decided to hide from their insanely sexy daughter who I also happened to have made out with pretty heavily in my jeep, but I decide against that particular route.
• Instead, like a moron, I ask, “So where’s Sloane?”
• “She’s down at the beach,” Jerry says, moving toward the grill as Sara brings out a big plate of hamburger patties. He waves the tongs in my direction. “Would you mind going down and telling her supper will be ready soon?”
• “Sure,” I say, taking another very long swig of beer.
• I walk down the sandy trail, winding my way down the path that opens onto the long swath of private beach in front of the house. The lake stretches out, sparkling from the sun that still has a few hours of light left to give before calling it quits for the day. I’ve always loved this lake. No matter how hot it is, the crystal-clear water still holds a refreshing chill. The vision of Sloane floating in it in her small green bikini just makes it all the more perfect.
• When she notices me, she immediately starts swimming closer until it’s shallow enough for her to stand. I watch as her soaking wet, youthful body walks closer and remind myself that this exquisite torture is of my own making. I stare at her rock-hard nipples poking through the thin wet fabric of her bikini top and tell myself that I didn’t have to come this weekend. I could’ve spared myself all of this, but when she runs toward me with a giant smile on her face and throws herself in my arms, pressing her wet, lithe body against mine, I know I never really had a choice. I could never have said no to this. I’d rather have her near and not be able to have her than not have her at all.
• I hug her back, hoping like hell she doesn’t feel my massive hard-on. She holds onto me longer than normal, and when she steps back, her green eyes are searching mine, wondering if she’s crossed a line. I smile back and tuck a strand of wet, dark hair behind her ear, willing myself to not think about how she’d tasted or about how her full lips are just begging to be kissed again.
• “I’m glad you came,” she says, giving me a shy smile. “I was afraid maybe you wouldn’t.”
• “I said I’d be here. I’d never lie to you, Sloane,” I say, making her smile again.