“Of course Shane knows her,” Laney mumbles.

“Pardon?” Hannah asks.

“You’re probably right,” Laney says, glossing over her comment. Hannah might not have heard her, but I sure did. “Greenfield is small, but I’m sure I don’t know everyone.”

“So, are you gonna swim? The water feels great. This is such a cool little spot.” Hannah giggles. She’s very enthusiastic. And bubbly. And she makes my head feel like it’s about to explode. I’m about thirty seconds from excusing myself to go jump in said water and not come back out until she’s gone.

“No, I didn’t bring a suit. This was an . . . impromptu trip.”

“No worries. I can loan you something. When I heard this was a swimming hole, I brought a suit and some shorts, too. Just in case. I mean, you never know. You’re welcome to the shorts.”

“No, thank you. I’ll just—”

I perk up at her offer, even if Laney doesn’t. “Oh, come on, Laney. Didn’t you hear? The water’s great. And everyone needs to ride the swing at least once,” I add, glad that I didn’t leave the girls to their conversation and miss this turn of events. Laney. In shorts. Wet. This is definitely heading in the right direction.

“I’d really better not.”

“Today’s about fun, remember? And I’m not in the habit of taking no for an answer.”

She wants to argue. I can tell. But she’s too polite. Southern girl all the way to the bone.

I turn to Hannah. “Go get them. I’ll talk her into it.”

Hannah grins, happy to be a part of the pile-on. “I’ve got an even better idea. Come with me, Laney. You can change in my car.”

The smile Laney gives her is almost as tight as her ass. “Okay.”

“Here,” I say before she walks off, pushing her refilled cup into her hand. “Seems like you need it.”

She gives me a frosty glare and stalks off with Hannah.

The only reason I’m letting Jake talk me into any of this is because I need it. As much as I hate to admit it, I know I do.

It’s out of character for me to be going to parties and drinking purple people eaters and jumping off things, but that’s what I want most right now—not to be the same old Laney. I don’t want to be the boring, predictable, good girl anymore. That got me nothing but heartache. At least I know I don’t have to worry about that with Jake. Trust isn’t really an option. I know who and what he is. He makes no bones about it. And I have no more intention of getting deeply involved with him than he does with me. That’s part of what makes this so perfect. It’s fleeting. And dangerous. Two things I’ve never before craved or pursued in my life. And two things I know I could never settle for in the end.

But there’s no reason I can’t lose the old me in this person for a while. Just a little while. If only I could learn to embrace her . . .

Hannah’s chattering stops, making me realize that I have been lost in thought and completely ignoring whatever it is she’s been talking about. “Is that okay?” she asks.

I have no clue what she’s referring to. “Sure.”

She gives me a bright smile and hits the keyless entry for a bright purple two-door car. “Great.”

She opens the door and disappears inside for a few seconds before reemerging with a couple of scraps of clothing. I look at her in question and she smiles again. “I’ll keep an eye out.”

With that, she turns her back to me, crosses her arms over her chest, and assumes the stance of a sentry, leaving me to climb into the passenger side of her car and change clothes.

After some creative maneuvering, I’m sitting in Hannah’s front seat, staring down at my bare stomach and a whole lot of bare leg. When Hannah said “shorts,” I made the very erroneous assumption that she meant real shorts, not these teeny tiny cut-off denim . . . things. And the T-shirt that goes with them? A scrap of cotton that might fit a doll.

Might.

I take a deep breath, reminding myself that I’m easy, breezy, and fun girl right now, not uptight Laney. I spy my glass of grape drink sitting in the cup holder. Impulsively, I drain the entire cup.

Liquid courage.

A burp bubbles up and surprises me. With a gasp, I clamp my hand over my mouth, hoping Hannah didn’t hear. I look out the window at her, but she hasn’t budged. I imagine that, if she’d heard, she’d be the type to mention it. So, figuring my embarrassing gastric mishap is still a secret, I grab my clothes, open the door, and exit.

Hannah turns around to size me up. Her eyes round. “Damn, look what you’ve been hiding under those clothes, Laney! You look hot!”

I feel my cheeks sting and resist the urge to cover myself with the skirt and blouse I’m holding.

“Thank you.”

Hannah reaches for my hand, taking the empty cup from my fingers, crumpling it up and tossing it into the bed of a truck as we pass. “Come on. Let’s drop your clothes off and then go show you off.”

After telling her which vehicle I arrived in, Hannah puts my clothes in Jake’s Jeep and then we make our way back to the party. We stop by the cooler for Hannah to refill her drink.

“You want another one?”

I know I should say no, but I’m feeling lighter by the minute. Happier. More carefree. Like my smile just might be permanent. And the drink really is good . . .

It takes me all of three seconds to consent.

“Sure.”

After she hands me a cup as well, we head toward the beach.

The sun is glistening on the water and laughter can be heard from every direction, even over the music the guys from Saltwater Creek are playing. The smell of grilled hot dogs hangs in the air, and my head is as light and fluffy as the few clouds overhead.

Feeling bold and brazen for some reason, I stop and scan the crowd until I see Jake. He’s talking to a couple of guys that look vaguely familiar. They’re both laughing at something. That’s the only attention I pay them before turning my gaze back to Jake. He’s the one I’m most interested in. And getting more so by the second.

Jake changed his clothes, too. He’s wearing black swim trunks. And nothing else. I scan him from head to toe. I notice two things. Number one, he makes my stomach quiver. Number two, his smooth chest and rippling abs seem to be begging for me to touch them. Then maybe kiss them.

As if sensing my eyes on him, Jake looks up from his place near the water and his gaze collides with mine. His mouth drops open a fraction as his eyes cruise every inch of my exposed skin. I tingle everywhere they touch—my throat, my stomach, my legs.

The song the band is playing brings a smile to my lips. It’s an old Warrant song called “Cherry Pie.” It makes me feel sexy and wanted and . . . daring as I step off the grass and into the sand to make my way to Jake.

The cool grains tickle my toes as I walk and a pleasant warmth suffuses my entire body. I’m not sure if it’s from the drink or from Jake, but, at the moment, I couldn’t care less.

He backs away from the other guys as I approach. I stop in front of him, pleased to see the heated glow in his eyes. “You’re gonna make me regret your change of clothes, aren’t you?”

“Why would you regret it?”

Jake takes a step forward, bringing his body to within an inch of mine. “Because I promised I wouldn’t be kissing you again until you asked me to. And this,” he says, reaching down to drag the backs of his fingers over the skin of my bare stomach, “isn’t going to make it easy.”

I’m trapped in the caramel pools of his eyes, in the low rumble of his voice, in the delicious web of this unfamiliar desire. The part of me that would normally resist him is curiously absent, leaving only the part of me that is fascinated by him and what he makes me feel.

I sway toward him. “Maybe I don’t want it to be easy.”

One inky black brow shoots up. “Are you teasing me, beautiful?”