Chapter Seventeen ADAM #2
The frustration in her voice melts my resolve, and I give in, hauling myself onto the boulder behind her. One hand gripping the rod firmly so it stops twirling the poor creature, one on her elbow, keeping her still.
Jackie freezes in my hold as I focus on adjusting her grip, threading my fingers over hers. “Spread your hand here. You’ll have more control like this.”
A breathless OK is carried away with the breeze flowing around us.
I gently push the tip of the rod toward a good spot in the water. “See that rock with the calmer water on the right side? That’s your target.”
Her back nudges my chest with each inhale. I’m so caught off guard by the need to press myself against her more that I barely catch her quiet reply. “Yeah. Isn’t it too far?”
I thought I could handle having her so close, but my body has other ideas. “You’ve got this.”
Sliding my palm down her arm, her shiver nearly undoes me. I show her the fluid movement needed for casting, cupping her elbow. Once she repeats it on her own, I can’t help myself and move to her shoulder to adjust her posture.
“Ready? Now, cast.”
She pulls back and manages not to jerk the rod. On her forward arch, I push gently on her arm. The line sails out and drops exactly where I pointed.
“That was great!”
She looks over her shoulder at me, pride and excitement making her glow, and my chest tightens.
“You’re a great teacher,” she says.
“You’re lucky,” I chuckle. “You’re my favorite student,” I add without thinking. Joking around with her like we used to comes so naturally that I forget myself.
Instead of scowling or biting back, she fucking blushes, and her eyes dip to my mouth. I don’t pull away but let my hands fall onto her waist.
Blonde strands fly around her face, one getting stuck between her lips, dragging my gaze to that soft spot in the corner of her mouth. My hand moves by itself. I crook my finger and hook it free, my knuckles grazing her jaw.
Her lips part on a shuddered exhale and—
We both feel the sharp tug and watch the line dart sideways.
“Something’s happening,” Jackie squeaks, panicked. The rod is swaying, her hands clasped in a death grip on the handle.
“That’s your guy! Give it a sharp flick!”
She yanks too hard and stumbles into me, almost dropping the handle.
I steady her, murmuring low in her ear. “Easy. You’ve got this.”
Together we reel it in, between bursts of shrieks and giggles bubbling out of her.
She finally hauls the wriggling bass out of the water but doesn’t have the good sense to reach out and grab it with her hand. It smacks her straight in the face.
“Ahh!” Jackie drops the rod and flails her arms, alerting Patrick, who’s on his feet in an instant. Realizing what’s happened, he doubles over laughing.
The rock wobbles under all her movement. “Jackie, careful, you’re—”
But it’s too late. The rock tilts backward, and she loses her balance, falling back, right into me.
We crash into the cold water with a splash. My butt takes the brunt of the fall on the rocks lining the bottom of the river, and I lift her up, but it only helps her land straight in my lap, knocking all the air from my lungs.
For a couple of seconds, she blinks, taking in her drenched shorts and T-shirt, drops of water dripping off her nose and hair. Then she glances down at where she’s sitting.
Those ocean blue pools widen. The next moment, she throws her head back, laughing. Hard. Tears streak her cheeks as she bends over, shaking. Which doesn’t really help with the fact that she’s grinding her ass against my dick.
“I’m sorry,” she hiccups. “Did I hurt you?”
“Not yet. But if you keep up with this lap dance, I might die of blue balls.”
She rears back and glances at my lap again. Another pearl of laughter bubbles out of her, bright and merciless. “Wouldn’t that be a shame?”
Her laughter is contagious. I join in, gasping. “That was spectacularly awful.”
“I actually tried as well. Why is it so hard?”
Her ponytail is plastered to her neck. I tug it loose, brushing it away. “You’re not doing the whole relaxing thing too well.”
Jackie sighs, a little deflated. “When I don’t know something, I learn by doing. What am I supposed to learn from sucking at fishing?”
“Not everything serves a greater purpose. Sometimes you just suck at things, or you get better with time. It’s all part of the fun.” I smile at her affronted expression.
For me, though, she’s perfect. Which is terrifying.
She hiccups again, leaning over her legs, pushing her ass against me more. “I think there’s a small fish in my boot.”
I groan, the pressure becoming unbearable.
“Still counts as a catch,” Jackie quips, and the friction only makes me bite out another helpless sound.
Patrick’s holler travels over the rushing water and our laughter. “Stick to your day job, Adam. Bodyguarding’s not for you.”
I don’t know about that. I’m doing a decent job at holding her close.
I might be too good at this.
And it aches.
How perfectly she fits into this world, too. The last few days have shown me how easy it is for her to spend time with my family. Walk around Maple Hollow like it could just as well be a stretch of Manhattan sidewalk.
That’s the cruel part. She might not turn her nose up at the place I grew up, but it still doesn’t erase the truth. The fact that she left without a word. Because I didn’t fit in her world.