Chapter Sixteen #3
Her wet skirt was a nuisance, so she gathered it into a knot at her side.
Wade stayed close to her, as if he thought she might fall again.
He also seemed distracted. When she bent over to pick up another rock, she caught him staring at her backside.
She straightened to check the hem of her skirt.
The wet fabric barely covered her bottom.
No wonder he was looking. He wore a lazy half smile of admiration.
She put her hands on her hips. “Enjoying yourself?”
“Yes.”
“Am I going to lift rocks all day while you watch?”
“I have an even better idea.”
“So do I. Let’s take a break.”
She climbed onto the bank and tried to loosen the knot she’d made in her skirt.
Instead of following her, he sank down into the water with a low groan.
He reclined in the creek, unmoving. She figured he was aroused and attempting to cool off.
Her cheeks flushed with heat. She focused on the fabric of her skirt, flustered.
When he finally rose from the water, rivulets coursed down his chest and into the waistband of his pants.
Her mouth went dry at the sight.
They walked barefoot, carrying their shoes, to the nearby swimming hole.
It was a better spot for a picnic. Wade spread out a blanket under the branches of a large live oak tree, which gave ample shade.
Then he arranged an array of snacks on a plastic tray.
He’d brought mini sandwiches as the main dish, and frozen lemonade to drink.
Sides included green olives, cheese squares with whole-grain crackers, and a bunch of plump red grapes.
“Very fancy,” she said, munching a ripe olive.
“I thought so.”
She was too hungry to be delicate, so she filled a plate.
The lemonade had thawed to the perfect temperature.
After she’d eaten a variety of savory snacks, she lay back on the blanket and nibbled grapes.
He watched her through half-lidded eyes, like a tiger waiting to pounce. She smiled, aware of his interest.
He might not expect sex, but he wanted it.
He wanted her.
She studied him in return, more comfortable with his bare chest now that he’d been in close proximity for over an hour.
Although he was strong and well-muscled, he didn’t have that smooth-waxed, six-pack look.
His stomach had hair on it, and more whorled around his nipples.
He was warm and golden, relaxed in his masculinity.
He ate grapes with her, lounging with his weight resting on a crooked elbow, and his long legs crossed at the ankles. She imagined that he exercised to stay healthy, not to take selfies or preen in front the mirror.
“Like what you see?” he asked.
She shrugged, as if she’d seen better-looking men. She hadn’t.
“I’m going to have to jump in the water again if you keep undressing me with your eyes.”
She snorted at this idle threat and moved her gaze to the tree trunk at her side.
The gnarled surface was patched with scars.
Dozens of names and initials had been carved into the bark.
Teenagers must have been marking their territory here for decades.
She sat up to trace the inscriptions with her fingertips. EG + WN, CP # 10.
“CP number ten,” she breathed, glancing at Wade. “That’s Cameron Pickett.”
He removed his phone from the backpack and took a picture. “You’re a natural at investigative work.”
She beamed at the praise. “Do you think he was killed here?”
Wade judged the distance to the gravesite with a quick scan.
“He wouldn’t be easy to move, but it’s possible he was killed here and dragged over there, where it’s more secluded.
The perpetrator wouldn’t have wanted his remains to be found.
A mound of dirt attracts attention. Also, there’s evidence to back up your theory. ”
“What evidence?”
He touched the tree trunk beside her. “Carving makes sap come out.”
“Oh my God,” she said. “We just solved the case.”
His low chuckle rumbled in her ears. “We’ve made excellent progress toward identifying the victim, but I still have no suspects, no motive, no wrongful death determination, and no murder weapon.”
Meredith refused to be deflated. “Maybe the rock is here, in the swimming hole.”
“Maybe.”
He didn’t seem motivated to continue the search, which flattered her more than any compliment would have.
She knew how ambitious he was, how tireless in the pursuit of justice.
His desire to lie here with her, above all other things, was a testament to his feelings for her. It surprised and scared her.
She rose to her feet, nervous. He didn’t comment on her eagerness to get back to work.
When she entered the sun-dappled pool, he followed her.
Neither of them looked for rocks, however.
She sank into the waist-deep water until she was fully submerged.
Then she stood, aware that her tank top and skirt clung to her body.
She could feel him behind her, edging closer, and she didn’t evade the contact.
One glance over her shoulder was all the encouragement he needed.
He slid his arm around her waist and held her against him.
She covered his hand with hers. His lips touched her neck with aching tenderness.
She could feel the heat of his body, the hardness of his chest, and the surge of emotion between them. She was trembling, but not from cold.
She turned to kiss him.