36. Coraline
36
CORALINE
The morning sun glints off the lake’s surface, casting a glittering, serene beauty that makes my breath catch. It’s so still, it looks like some kind of painting. The air is humid already, I don’t know why I thought it would be cooler by the lake. If anything, it feels muggier here, on the rocky beachfront behind Jasper’s house.
The leaves rustle with a gentle breeze, carrying the scent of pine and lilac, and I can’t help but feel like I’ve stepped into another world. This untouched piece of land where asshole landlords and overbearing mothers and loneliness don’t exist.
I can’t stay here forever, I know that. It’s not practical, and it would never work. But for today, I’m going to pretend. And that includes pretending I don’t have a black eye. In fact, I might just pretend it’s not there for forever.
I can feel Jasper next to me, which is still as fucking weird now as it was all those years ago. That kind of awareness seems like the stuff of fiction. It’s unexplainable and sort of fascinating.
“C’mon, baby. Don’t tell me you’re afraid of boats,” he teases, hooking his index finger with mine.
I pull my hand away and fold my arms across my chest. “I’m not afraid of boats. But that” —I glare at the bright blue wood—”is not a boat. That’s something children make at home improvement stores on the weekends when their parents need to get them out of the house.” I stand a little taller when low, genuine laughter joins the birdsong.
“Baby, this is a rowboat.”
“You pronounced deathtrap wrong.”
I fold my arms tighter, which only serves to push up my tits. I’m wearing the most ridiculous excuse for a swimsuit I’ve ever seen. But despite my skinny-dipping teasing earlier, I didn’t want to swim naked in an unknown lake. I’ve seen one too many scary movies to know that’s exactly how something comes up and eats someone. They’re always naked.
Though this lake is so clear, you can see right down to the rocky bottom.
So here I am in my high cut cheeky panties and an old muscle tee of Jasper’s. Without a bra. I’ve always liked my tits. Big enough to be a generous handful, but not so big that I can’t get away with doing wild shit like swimming in my fake boyfriend’s tee with the arms cut out.
And if Jasper gets flashed the occasional side-boob, well, I don’t think he’ll complain all that much.
He tosses his arm over my shoulder, steering me toward him and the rowboat that really does look like a deathtrap. “Don’t worry, baby. She’ll float.”
“Fine,” I relent, hiding my smile as he helps me into the boat.
“And if you fall in, I’ll jump in after you.”
I roll my eyes and stand in the center of the boat. A tiny thread of fear worms its way into my good mood when the rowboat rocks underneath our combined weight. My hand darts out, and I grip his shoulder. “Wait. Maybe I am a little afraid of boats?”
He plants his hands on my hips and guides me to sit on one of the benches toward the front of the little rowboat. “You’re alright. Sit here, baby. Let me do the rest.” He places the little cooler he packed with drinks and snacks next to my feet in the center of the boat.
And for once, I do as I’m told. I sit on the little plank of wood and watch Jasper push us off the little strip of rocky beachfront until we’re in deeper water. I watch as he hops in the boat like he does this sort of thing every day. And I definitely watch as he starts rowing. His arm muscles flex and his shoulders bunch as the man puts in the work. It makes me think of what he’d look like on top of me, his broad chest filling my vision as his cock fills me.
The errant thought snaps me out of my daydream. I startle and shift my gaze to the scenery, my cheeks feeling warm. As he rows us out to the platform, the only sounds are the rhythmic splash of the oars and the occasional bird call. I lean my head back, letting the sun soak my face.
“It really is beautiful out here,” I say, my voice soft with awe. “I didn’t know we had lakes like this around here. I can’t believe the water is so clear this far out.”
“That’s because it’s glacier water,” he replies, his brows waggling a few times.
I scoff. “Bullshit. How the hell could this tiny little lake be glacier water?”
Jasper chuckles, a deep, rich sound that makes my stomach flutter. “You saw the rocks on the beach, right? He jerks his head toward the direction we just came from. “Well, it’s technically illegal to remove any of those rocks from this lake, because this is one of only a handful of beaches like this in the country.”
“I don’t understand.” I shake my head, trying to figure out what he’s saying. “You’ll get arrested for taking a rock home?”
He grins, his expression youthful in his joy. “It’s a fine, but yeah. They take it very seriously. This lake—these rocks—they’re national treasures. They’re smooth limestone, glacier-polished over thousands of years.”
I tilt my head to the side. “Are we even allowed to swim in it then if it’s protected?”
He grins, a wicked gleam in his eyes. “Yeah, baby, we’re gonna swim in it.” He jerks his head to something behind me. “We’re almost there.”
I raise an eyebrow, excitement and nervousness tumbling together inside of me, banging around against my ribcage. “How do I know this isn’t some elaborate scheme to get me out of my clothes?”
I can’t help it sometimes, the need to sass him, to make him work for it is too strong. I can’t stop myself from poking at him.
He laughs, the sound rumbling through me. “Nah, you got it twisted, baby. This is an elaborate ruse to get me out of my clothes.”
We reach the floating platform, and Jasper ties the boat to a small cleat and jumps onto the platform. He turns toward me, holding out a hand to help me. His touch is electric, sending a jolt through me as I step onto the platform. The sun is warm on my skin, and the water looks inviting, a deep, clear blue that stretches out endlessly.
And then he stands up and does that stupid hot thing guys do when they reach behind their heads and pull their shirts off in one move. Jasper strips off his shirt, revealing the lean muscles of his torso. I don’t even try not to stare. And like I knew he would, he catches my gaze and smirks.
“Like what you see?”
I roll my eyes, but a smile tugs at my lips. “You wish.”
He laughs and dives into the water with a smooth, practiced motion. He resurfaces, shaking water from his hair and grinning up at me. “Come on in, baby. I won’t bite.”
I hesitate for a moment, then I remind myself that I’m Coraline fucking Carter, and I’m brave as hell. So I run a couple of steps and do a cannonball into the water.
The splash reverberates around me, the cool water enveloping me in a rush of exhilaration. I resurface, laughing as I shake my hair out of my face. I felt the sandbar when I jumped in, but I’m not quite tall enough to stand here.
“God, that was fun.”
“Nice form, baby,” he teases, swimming closer to me.
I squirm out of his way, swimming just out of reach. I can’t make it too easy for him. If he wants me close, he’s going to have to catch me.
He reads the challenge in my expression immediately. He tips his head back to get his hair wet, running his fingers through it as he stands to his full height. The water hits him against his shoulders, which means it’s at least a foot too deep for me to be able to stand. I don’t mind though, because I have a feeling I won’t be swimming for all that long.
“Are you sure you wanna play this game with me?” His grin is downright devilish as he looks across the water at me. The sun reflects off the lake’s surface, highlighting his jawline and cheekbones.
“It’s okay if you’re scared, Jasper. I won’t tell anyone you’re afraid. Except Hawke and every single Reaper I know.” I can barely get through the taunt before I start laughing.
He looks like some kind of sea god as he prowls toward me. Muscles on display and droplets of water sluicing down his chest. Determination narrows his gaze, his lips twisting to the side.
“Remember I gave you an out, baby.”
It’s the last thing he says before he dives underwater, heading toward the swim platform. I expected him to go right for me, but he didn’t, which means he’s up to something. I don’t wait around for him to resurface. I tread water, spinning around and looking for him. I hear a splash behind me, but when I turn around, he’s not there.
My blood starts pounding against my veins, adrenaline burning hot underneath my skin. I pick a random direction and start swimming.
Strong arms encircle my waist from behind, and I squeal with laughter. He emerges from the water, lifting me right out of it.
He playfully growls into my neck, dragging the blunt edges of his teeth across my skin. “Looks like I won. What’s my prize?”
I huff a laugh, still squirming. “What do you want?”
He turns me around in his arms, walking us back toward the platform. “Didn’t I tell you? I only play for keeps.”
And then he kisses me.