Bonus Epilogue
“Are you sure we won’t get caught?” Rachel asked for the tenth time, increasingly nervous as they walked quietly through the dark path in the woods along the outline of the water.
Kell had sprung this surprise on her after they’d shared a lovely dinner together, suggesting a walk along the water’s edge following his delicious creation of pan-fried salmon, mushroom risotto, and perfectly roasted summer squash.
Mid-summer classes led by Sheila at The Food Alchemist had helped with Rachel’s foodie cravings from L.A., and she adored the fact that Kell had risen to the occasion, learning to cook right along with her. Life here in Luview was slower, sure, but it was richer, too.
Not financially.
Richer in love.
The drive here to the water’s edge had been so pleasant, the two quietly listening to the Rolling Stones singing “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” on WLUV, Selena taking caller’s requests.
October was a lazy month for the town, a time when another New England city, Salem – down in Massachusetts – got to be the center of attention.
The streets of Luview had been quite empty, a perfect time to do what Kell was planning.
Rachel had an inkling.
But when he’d grabbed two towels out of the truck’s backseat after parking in a spot by the edge, Calamine on their heels, she’d finally known for sure.
Skinny dipping. They were going skinny dipping. In October.
In Maine.
“Kell? Can you answer me?”
“Already did.”
“I just want to be sure no one catches us!”
“No. I can’t be sure. Someone might see us. Hope you’re a bit of a secret exhibitionist, though, just in case.” He reached back for her hand, his grasp warm and sure, just as Calamine brushed against her ankles and shot ahead of them both on the trail.
“Kell!”
“I can’t guarantee it. But that’s part of the fun.
So what?” The rustle of leaves and snaps of small twigs seemed louder than they should as her nervousness spiked.
Embarrassment at being caught naked in the water would be bad enough, but she had standing in town now.
As Director of Business Development and Planning, she was a town employee.
It was hard to shake her first negative impression after what happened with the hot mic on the town common shortly before Valentine’s Day.
Add a public indecency charge and she’d really never live it down.
“Why can’t we go to Greek’s Rock like Luke suggested? We can swim in privacy there.”
“Because the magic waters don’t flow at Greek’s Rock.” His words were clear in the night, though his hushed tone felt intimate.
“We’re already together. The hot springs don’t have to work their magic on us. We’re just swimming.”
“Then come swim with me, Rachel.”
“I’ll swim, but skinny dipping?” She bit her lower lip, nervous. “I don’t know.”
He stopped before a clearing, the town’s lights off in the distance.
The Food Alchemist, the small bistro owned and operated by Kell’s cousin Blake and his wife, Shiela, was on the other side of the springs, the back of it facing the water, the lights turned out.
A full moon made swimming so much easier, and she had to give it to Kell – this was romantic.
Breathtaking.
Beautiful.
With a quick shift of his wrists and fingers that knew what they were doing, Kell pulled on the hem of his t-shirt, lifting thick, powerful arms up, his broad chest shining in the moonlight, the steam covering part of her view.
But not all.
Speaking of beautiful and breathtaking sights…
They’d been together for five months now, and as October began, she marveled at how much her life had changed in such a short stretch of time. Two weeks ago, she’d booked tickets for L.A., to visit her family for Thanksgiving, and now, here she was, about to skinny dip for the first time.
Getting half-naked in public with Kell wasn’t new, but this time, she was doing it by choice.
“Come on,” he said, unbuttoning his jeans, the zipper’s sound making her grin as he slid out of his pants, then snapped the waistband of his underwear. “The leeches are starving.”
That stopped her cold. “LEECHES?” she screeched. “You didn’t mention those! There weren’t any when you shoved me in the water back in February!”
“Change of season.”
“Liar.” She waved a hand at him and took off her clothes in an act of fury.
Kell didn’t respond, laughing hard through his nose instead, watching her overtly as she shed her clothing.
Suddenly, she was down to bra and panties, stripping those off faster than him and with a mighty shove, she ran into him, tackling as hard as possible to give him a taste of his own medicine.
Except.
Except –she wasn’t a wall of muscle like Kell Luview, and all her effort did was make him hold his ground, laugh, and pick her up in his arms, their bare skin against each other as the night’s chill sent ripples of gooseflesh up and down her skin, Kell’s nipples hard against her cheek and hand as she squirmed.
“Nice try.”
“You’re a walking piece of granite.”
He nudged his hips at her.
“Part of me sure is when I hold you in my arms all naked and hot like this.”
“You can hold me in your arms all naked and hot any time you like! Indoors, in an apartment, with a bed, like civilized people!”
“I like this wilder version of you.”
“Wilder?”
“Outside. Primal. Fewer rules.” His wicked grin told Rachel exactly what he meant by “fewer rules” as she looked at the water with trepidation.
“Are you sure you want to throw me in?” she asked, heart racing, skin chilled and burning at the same time as adrenaline shot through her.
“I never said I would.”
“I can tell by the gleam in your eye.”
“I am a man of many gleams.”
“This one is number 27.”
“You’ve numbered my gleams? How many do I have?”
“As of now? 27.”
“You’re right, then. I am planning to throw you in after your adorable attempt to tackle me.”
“We could just grab a blanket from the truck and have sex over there, under in that alcove.” Pointing over his shoulder, she thought it was worth offering up the option. “Tackle each other, if you know what I mean.”
And the option was sounding increasingly appealing as she breathed against him, her hand caressing his ass.
“Hmmm. Skinny dipping with Rachel in magic waters that make us fall in love forever, or hot monkey sex on a blanket under a two-hundred-year-old beech tree. When did my life become so abundant?”
“When you superglued us together.”
“I didn’t superglue us together. You did.”
“It was not my fault, Kell. We’ve been over this. You were the one who – ”
SPLASH!
Never argue from a position of weakness, Rachel heard her father’s voice intone as she sputtered to the surface, opening her eyes just in time to see a gloriously nude Kell take a swan dive into the water, arms rising up in a triangle, his rock-solid body majestic in the moonlight.
As they made their way to each other, she shivered once, the contrast between the chilly night air and the warm, welcoming waters making her relax, body tingling with fun.
Life with Kell was one wonderful surprise after the other.
A quieter life, for sure, but also one with more variety.
She had thought that moving away from L.A.
would limit her life, but the opposite had happened.
Love had expanded it.
One deep breath and she steadied herself, treading water, Kell coming to her with a sexy smile, drops of water reflecting moonlight off his dark eyelashes.
“Never done this before,” he said as they floated, arms moving slower and slower, small kicks enough to stay in place.
“Swam in the hot springs with a girl you liked?”
“Skinny dipped with the woman I love,” he corrected, coming in for a kiss.
This time, it was full and real, nothing almost about it, his hand on her waist underwater, pulling her to him, her legs wrapping around him, his groan in her mouth making it clear how much he wanted her.
“Is it official, then, Mr. Luview?” she murmured against his lips as he held her, the steam rising off his wet hair, Kell looking like a mystical, mythical protector. “Are we bound by love forever because we swam in the special waters?”
“No,” he said, stroking her cheek, pupils wide and gaze deep. “We’re bound together forever because I love you. No water needed. But you’re so luscious when you break the rules and get naked with me in public.”
“This is the first time I’ve ever done that,” she said with a laugh. “And what are the chances Luke will show up with a searchlight and a heart-shaped citation notepad?”
“Zero. I told him about my plan and he promised to stay away.”
“Nepotism! You’re guilty of nepotism.”
“The only thing I’m guilty of right now, Ms. Hart, is a bad case of lust.” The way he nudged his hips made her gasp. He was close, right there, and his she moved her legs just so they would –
Ahh.
They would do that.
And that is what they did, indeed, under the watchful eye of a loving moon, in waters so enchanted that Luview, Maine became Love You, Maine.
And Kell and Rachel became soulmates.
Water or no water.
:)
Thank you so much for reading Love You Right, from New York Times bestselling author Julia Kent.
Flip the page to read Love You Again, featuring Kell’s brother, Luke Luview, and the woman Luke shared his first kiss with in high school, Kylie Hood.
When chance brings them together as Kylie’s trapped in a metal charity donation bin and Luke comes to her rescue, second chances bring more than either of them expect.