Chapter Twelve
E mma plopped her large-brimmed hat on her head as she stepped out of Darby’s car. Little Ralph had been fast asleep in his miniature barn when she left, his tummy full of warm, creamy milk.
Man oh man, is it hot. Emma let a grin widen her lips as she scanned the picnic area that sat right beside the jetty. And not the temperature kind of hot, either.
“View’s not so bad over here, Darb,” she called.
A loud chuckle reached her from the other side of the car, Darby’s head peering over the top when she turned to look.
“Well, look at that.” Darby lifted an eyebrow and panned her gaze across the picnic site to the water. Half-naked male bodies littered the area, lazing in the sun despite the lack of serious heat in the early spring day.
Darby grinned at Emma as she came around the side of the car and fanned herself with her hand. “Did it just get warmer out here, or what? This is going to be so much fun.”
Emma grabbed the picnic basket, hooking it over her arm. “Mmm. There are only a few women here. How is one to choose from all this eye candy? You know, overindulgence only makes you sick.”
Darby’s laughter echoed around the site, turning heads in their direction.
“Now you’ve done it! They’re all staring at us.”
Darby raised an eyebrow and stuck her tongue between her teeth. “Not us, Em. You.”
Emma pushed away the flutter of nerves that followed Darby’s statement. She knew there were a few men on that silly list, but other than Ryan, Pete and a couple of others, she was sure Darby was overreacting.
“Don’t be silly. It’s a lovely day. That’s why they’re here. To enjoy the sun and food.”
Darby stared at Emma so long she glanced away, disconcerted. “If you say so. Come on. Let’s get this food sorted. The water will be really cold, but it might be okay to take a quick dip.”
A dip. She couldn’t swim to save her life.
Dog paddle, sort of. Swim? No.
“Darby?” Emma waited until Darby looked at her. “I can’t swim very well. Actually, not much at all, really. I’ll just sit on the edge of the jetty and paddle my feet, okay?”
Darby looked surprised for a moment, then smiled. “Sure. We’ll make sure to tell everyone. Who knows, by the end of summer we might have you swimming laps, eh?”
Emma grinned back, relieved that Darby didn’t care.
“Sure. I’d like to learn properly, just never really had the time.”
Emma set the basket down on the picnic table and peered inside. Everything looked good to go. The cold things had freezer packs stuffed around them to keep them fresh, the things not needing refrigeration benefitted from the cooler interior of the insulated basket as well.
Darby slid her shorts off and tossed them onto the back seat of her car, picked up her towel, then grabbed Emma’s hand and took off at a dead run down the jetty.
Emma laughed and yanked her hand away. The crazy woman kept running and vaulted from the end into the water. Emma sucked in a deep breath, undoing the knot on her sarong. She’d tied a matching sarong over her new white one-piece suit, feeling a little self-conscious and wanting to wear something over the top until she sat down.
She unwrapped it from her hips and draped it over the low wooden railing beside her.
Darby’s head surfaced and she sucked in a huge, gasping breath. “It’s bloody freezing! You were smart to stay up there!”
Emma laughed and shook her head. Bare feet slapping on the boards vibrated the jetty beneath her feet. Emma glanced over her shoulder as a strong arm wrapped around her waist from behind and hurled her up into the air, another arm coming up under her knees.
An ear-splitting squeal erupted from her lips. Her hat flew off and she felt herself fly through the air. She gasped in a breath before icy water surged up her body and enveloped her head. Their heads broke the surface of the lake amid loud peals of laughter all around.
“You might want to release your death grip a little, honey. You’re gonna choke me.” Ryan’s voice breathed against her ear, his observation spurring her anger.
Emma almost couldn’t breathe through the shock of the frosty water to her body. “Let me go, you brute! Who do you think you are, grabbing me like that?”
Ryan’s eyes clouded over in confusion at her tone. “I didn’t think you’d mind. I was just having a little fun. Here, let me—”
Emma struggled and squirmed in his strong arms, water lapping at and splashing on her face. Fear made her sharper with him than she’d intended but he’d scared her half to death.
“No, just put me down.”
“Dammit, Ryan! She can’t swim!” Darby called out as Emma yanked her arms from his neck and shoved herself away from him, backward into the waiting water. She reached down with a toe to touch bottom and her head slipped under for the second time when there was no bottom.
She floundered, kicking and struggling to get her head above the surface. Panic rose in a wave. She couldn’t get her head above the water.
A hand brushed along her bare back, stopping when it reached her suit-covered bottom. The hand grabbed a fistful of swimsuit and heaved. Her head broke through. Her mouth opened to gulp precious air into her lungs.
Her arms snaked out and snagged around the neck of her rescuer, pulling him close. Her legs kicked furiously and wrapped around firm, lean hips.
Emma blinked and shook her head, trying to clear the water from her eyes, hacking coughs forcing her wet breasts into contact with the rock-hard, naked chest in front of her. She pressed her face into the warm, sun-drenched skin of his neck and breathed deeply.
I’m such an idiot!
Her arms shook with the effect of first the fright, then the whole debacle that followed.
She owed Ryan an apology, even though it was his fault she was in the water in the first place. It wasn’t his fault she’d acted like such a ninny, nearly drowning herself in the process.
“That was one of the stupidest things I’ve ever seen you do. You could’ve found out if she could swim first.”
Gabe’s husky voice rumbled in her ear, the low timbre washing over her, turning her frazzled nerve endings to mush.
Relief, that’s what it was.
She was just relieved to have her head out of the water and to be breathing.
“I’m sorry, Emma, really. I didn’t think. I assumed…”
His explanation sounded flat and lame, even to a waterlogged Emma.
She coughed again and turned her face against Gabe’s neck to look under his chin at the shamefaced Ryan.
“I was only going to paddle my feet in the water, until you hijacked me.”
Ryan had the grace to look genuinely sorry.
“It’s okay. You weren’t to know,” Emma allowed. The poor guy looked like he’d just lost a winning lottery ticket.
He held out a hand to her. “I can take you back to shore. I promise I won’t let you go.”
Emma’s teeth chattered and her arms tightened involuntarily around Gabe’s neck.
“No thanks. I’m fine.” She looked up at Gabe. “Gabe might take me back.”
A wide grin split his mouth, inches from hers. His grey eyes sparkled with the reflection off the water.
“You’d better hope so, considering you’re stuck on me like a burr.”
Instantly, Emma was acutely aware that her thighs were wrapped tightly around his hips, and that it was Gabe’s chest that her breasts were pushed so hard against. Each breath rasped her sensitive nipples against the drenched material, the thin barrier the only thing between them. She hoped to God he didn’t notice her body’s traitorous reaction, clinging to him as she was.
Gabe looked down and his expression tightened, the smile disappearing. His gaze jumped away from her as his hands loosened her legs on his hips.
“You might want to rethink that swimsuit.”
Emma stared at him, thankful but confused. That wasn’t what she’d expected him to say.
“What do you mean?”
Gabe moved backward in the water as he spoke, his strong legs thrusting through the water in a lazy kick. He glanced at her again, his stormy gaze impaling her. “Have you ever worn that thing before?”
Emma shook her head. “No, it’s new. I bought it just before moving here. I haven’t had a chance to wear it before now. Why?”
Gabe pulled the side of his bottom lip into his mouth, the action incredibly sensual, taking Emma’s attention.
“It’s see-through.”
“What?” Her outburst had several people turning to look at them. She gritted her teeth and glared up at him. “It is not! I would have noticed that when I tried it on. I would never have bought it.”
Gabe’s eyes narrowed to slits. “Was it wet when you tried it on?”
Emma opened her mouth for a sharp retort and looked down.
Translucent material gleamed in the afternoon light, giving her naked skin a shining hue as if she were a mermaid shining from within. Every part of her front was visible. She yanked her arms from around his neck and crossed them over her chest. Her legs she couldn’t do much about, not if she wanted to breathe at the same time.
How far down could he see?
“Bit late for that.”
His low-pitched comment had her skin flaming again and her knees turning to jelly. Why, oh why, was she there glued to him like a leech?
The one thing that saved her sanity was that they’d agreed to be friends, nothing more. It made it easier to ignore the feelings he stirred with one sexy look. At least, that’s what she told herself.
“What will I do?” she whispered, horrified that someone might overhear.
Gabe brought them up close to the jetty, where the pylons went deep down into the water and soil below. He moved them closer to the shore and faced her. She couldn’t tell what he might be thinking. His whole face was shuttered, giving nothing away.
“Put your legs down, you can touch bottom here. The water should only come up to your underarms. Stay here and hold on to the post.” He motioned to the pylon beside them. “I’ll be right back.”
Emma put one hand on the post, keeping one on his shoulder as she gingerly slid off his hips. She grimaced as mud squelched between her toes and over her foot.
Yuck. She hoped there weren’t any critters with claws resting around here. It was almost enough for her to grab hold of Gabe again and demand he carry her out, despite the state of her swimsuit.
With incredible self-control, Emma placed her other foot beside the first. It was okay. He was leaving her, but she could still breathe.
“Are you all right there for a minute?”
Emma nodded and sent him a tentative smile, one arm wrapped protectively in front of her, the other clinging to the post.
Gabe turned and waded the rest of the way out of the water, his incredible physique appearing bit by bit with each step he took toward land. Water sluiced down his shoulders, over defined back and arm muscles, down over his lean hips. His shorts drenched and moulded to his delicious butt.
Emma found herself wishing his shorts would slip and reveal that ass as he walked.
“Are you all right? Heck, Emma! You scared me half to death when you pushed Ryan away.” Darby’s worried voice brought Emma around to face her. She shrugged a shoulder.
“It’s no big deal. I’m okay.”
Darby’s eyes narrowed and jumped from Emma to Gabe’s retreating back. “Why is he leaving you here? What’s going on?”
“Shh!” Emma brought her finger to her lips. “Gabe’s getting me a towel or something. My suit’s see-through.”
Darby’s eyes widened in shock, then a huge, wicked grin blazed over her mouth. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Let me see!” Darby grabbed Emma’s arm before she could react, pulling it away from her body. Darby’s eyes flew to Emma’s. “And Gabe saw this? Told you?”
Emma nodded, embarrassed beyond comprehension.
Darby slapped her hand over her mouth to stop her laughter from alerting everyone within earshot that something was up. Her shoulders shook with the effort of keeping it all in.
“This is just too good. Do you have any idea just how see-through that thing is? And there you were, hanging on to my brother like your life depended on it. I’m so impressed. I can’t believe he didn’t keep hold of you and carry you off to his ute.”
Emma buried her face in both hands. “How am I going to face him now? He’s seen it all.”
Darby’s chuckles faded as she got herself under control. “No, not all. Just down to your navel. The water’s too dark past there.”
Emma groaned and laid her head against the pylon and shivered. She never wanted to show her face in public again. Maybe it was too dark under the jetty like she was. What about out in the sun? She’d been sitting higher in the water, her legs wrapped tight around him. From his reaction she was certain he’d seen absolutely everything.
The last couple of weeks had been one gaffe after another. These people must think her the biggest twit, or completely insane.
“Here he is, the big hero.”
Darby’s teasing made it even harder to look at Gabe, knowing what he’d seen. She may as well just strip and walk out naked. It would save the hassle.
“Very funny, Darb. Why don’t you make yourself useful and find her some clothes?”
“Can’t. Don’t have any. But I am getting out of here. It’s too damned cold.”
Gabe held a huge beach towel high above the waterline, standing a few feet in front of her. “Come this way, and I’ll wrap this around you before it’s obvious what’s wrong.”
Emma dropped her hands from her face, expecting to see amusement on his face. Instead, the open awareness on his face caught her off guard. She blinked and it was gone, replaced with a studied passivity that threw her.
Had she really seen interest on his face? Desire?
It had disappeared so fast she couldn’t be sure. She threw him a grateful smile and moved toward him, holding her arms crossed over her chest. Gabe moved backward with her, keeping an eye on the waterline, stopping her a few yards from the shore. He draped the towel around her shoulders and held the ends up as she continued walking ashore.
The warm outline of his hand imprinted on her mid-back as they walked toward where he’d parked his ute. She could feel the line of every finger, down to the curve of the palm of his hand. Its heat outstripped that of the late-afternoon sun trying to warm them.
No one took much notice as they reached his truck, the towel reaching almost to her knees and doing a wonderful job of hiding her in its massive folds.
Emma bit her lip, sucking the edge into her mouth as she glanced up at him.
“Thank you. I’m sorry I’m such a pain in the ass.”
At her words, one eyebrow disappeared into the messed-up wet hair hanging over his forehead. “Why would you say that?”
She shrugged, embarrassed. “Since I’ve known you—a whole two weeks—I’ve been nothing but a problem for you.” At his continued confusion, Emma felt the need to elaborate. She ticked the points on her fingers. “First, I question your sexual preferences in front of half the town. Second, I drag you away from your ranch and business to come play handyman. Third, I nearly drown myself, and you have to haul my wet ass out of the water. My useless swimsuit is like the cherry on top of an ice cream sundae of poor decisions. Not the best impression I’ve ever made on anyone.”
*
Gabe bit back his initial reply. The validity of her statement depended on where you were standing, and his vantage point was a pretty good spot to be.
He hid his grin behind the truck’s door and dug around for his shirt.
“Hauling your so-called wet ass out of the lake wasn’t a problem. I offered to help with your renovations, so you can’t worry about that. And your swimsuit? Well, your swimsuit wasn’t your fault and is neither here nor there.”
His mind threw up a perfect image of the moment he’d realised he could see straight through her suit—her gorgeous breasts straining against the translucent material, hard pink nipples visible, her smooth thighs clamped tightly around his hips. He didn’t dare tell her how much he’d actually seen. If she’d been even an inch closer, she would’ve realised how impressed he’d really been. He wasn’t taking a chance that any of the other guys, especially the ones on that stupid list, might have noticed. And notice they would have, as soon as she stepped out of the water.
“We’re friends. Friends help each other. At least, around here they do.”
He found the edge of a discarded work shirt and pulled it out from under the pile of things littering the cab of his ute. He held it up in both hands and gave it a shake. Satisfied it was clean, he passed it to Emma.
“Here. It’s way too big but that’s a good thing. It’ll come down over your butt and will button right up to your chin if you want it to.” Emma just stared at it, and him, confused.
Gabe jiggled the shirt a little in front of her face. “Don’t you want it? Would you prefer to walk around in your transparent swimsuit?”
Emma blinked and a flush stained her cheeks a sexy pink. “Thank you. You really are a good friend.”
Gabe inclined his head to her and sent her a wry grin, wishing he’d never heard of that word.
Darby came up behind them wrapped in a towel, her lips distinctly pale. Gabe grabbed the picnic basket from where it sat on the top of the bench. He was cold, but not freezing. The sun on his bare skin warmed him nicely.
“You guys gonna eat?” he asked as he peered inside the basket.
Darby rubbed at her hair with the edge of the towel. “Sure. Help yourself.”
He didn’t need to be told twice. By the time the women sat he’d already pulled all the food out and was munching on the edge of a corned beef sandwich. Ryan wandered over and accepted Emma’s peace offering of food with an abashed smile.
Gabe sat on the edge of the table and listened to the casual chatter surrounding him. It felt good to get out, away from work for a while, to just drift in the moment with good company.
He opened one eye a little and watched Emma. She seemed to be settling into their group surprisingly well. Extremely well, if he was being completely honest. He liked being around her. She just… fit .
“I should get back. Ralph will be getting hungry by now,” Emma said, glancing at her watch.
Gabe stretched and nodded, grabbing items to pop back into the basket. “He’s behaving?”
Emma laughed. “Yes. He’s been fantastic. Makes a bit of a mess, but he’s just lovely.” She took the picnic basket and walked over to pack it into the back seat of Darby’s car.
She shut the car door and sent a smirk in Darby’s direction. Emma’s eyes glittered with humour as she looked at Gabe’s sister. “So, Darby. Will you help me pick out a dress for my date on Friday night?”
Gabe caught Darby’s startled glance, knowing his own echoed the sentiment.
A date. Had he heard correctly?
“Why didn’t you tell me about this? I thought you weren’t going to get involved in all that? I thought we were friends!” Darby’s accusing words tugged a larger smile from the corners of Emma’s lips. Her teasing cut through some of the shock her words had created.
Emma shrugged a shoulder, slid into the car and winked at him. “See you later, Gabe.”
He nodded, unable to speak. The soft click of the door latching launched Darby into action. She sprinted around to the other side of the car and jumped in, slamming her door behind herself.
Gabe stood watching as the car peeled out of the parking area and beetled down the road, disappearing around the bend toward town.
Emma had a date.