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Then she stands.

I tell myself not to stare while she strips, but there’s no chance of that happening. Ruby catches me looking and smiles as she steps out of the last of her clothes.

“Enjoying the view?”

“Very much.”

“Good.”

The way she looks at me is enough to make a certain body part start to return to its normal size.

She walks into the water slowly, making it about three steps before she sucks in a breath.

“Oh, you’re an asshole.”

I laugh. “You’ll get used to it.”

“I’m going to drown you.”

She comes after me, splashing hard enough that water hits me in the face, and for the next few minutes there’s nothing sexy about any of it. We’re swimming, laughing, trying to get each other back, and Ruby eventually gets enough water in my face that I have to admit she’s the winner.

When we finally stop, we’re both breathing harder.

Ruby pushes wet hair back from her face while she treads water a few feet away. I look at her and forget whatever I was about to say.

I’ve seen every inch of her before, but out here she looks different. No dark clothes, no silver jewelry, no tattoo machine humming in the background, no wall between us. Just Ruby, bare skin and wet hair and sunlight moving across her shoulders.

She notices me looking.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

Her eyes narrow slightly. “That’s convincing.”

I swim closer, and when the water gets shallow enough for me to stand, I put my hands at her waist and pull her toward me. Ruby’s arms slide around my neck, her legs brushing mine beneath the surface.

The joke disappears from her expression.

I kiss her slowly. Ruby presses closer, and the kiss deepens without either of us rushing it. Her fingers move into my wet hair while my hands stay at her waist, thumbs sliding over slick skin beneath the surface.

She tastes like river water and the lemonade we drank with lunch.

When she pulls back, her mouth stays close to mine. “This was supposed to be swimming.”

“We are in the water.”

She laughs softly. “Technically.”

I kiss her again before she can say anything else. This one has more heat behind it. Ruby’s body fits against mine, and every point of contact becomes impossible not to notice. My hands move up her back, and whatever restraint I was holding onto doesn’t last long. Somewhere between one kiss and the next, we stop pretending this is going to stay innocent.

By the time we finally pull apart, Ruby is smiling against my mouth, and I’m feeling pretty damn good about my choice of swimming hole. I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t at least part of what I’d hoped for when I talked her into getting naked.

“You’re staring again,” she murmurs.

“I like looking at you.”

Her expression softens. “Look all you want.”