The instant they hit sand, he took her hand in his. Farther out in the lake the wooden raft rocked, creaking and jangling against its metal chain and anchor. Together they walked to the water’s edge where he tugged her to a standstill. “Not so deep this time,” he instructed. “And not so fast.”
She nodded in agreement. Taking a deep breath, she waded in until the water hit her knees. Then she slowly stooped, allowing the water to wash upward over her body. He followed her down. Her fingers tightened in his and her breathing kicked up a notch.
Screwing her eyes closed, she muttered, “Just like a bath.” She settled onto the lake bottom, the water lapping around her chest. “That’s all I’m doing. Soaking in a nice deep bathtub.”
Constantine plastered himself behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He drew her back between his legs and pressed her rigid spine tight against his chest. “I’m thinking either Hawaii or Alaska.”
Gianna jerked in surprise at the non sequitur. “What?”
“For our honeymoon. Follow my reasoning here… Alaska requires a lot of clothes because even in the summer it can be chilly. But you have that unbelievable scenery and a lot of nakedness in front of a roaring fire.”
“Have you lost your mind?” She splashed water in his direction. “We’re not even engaged.”
“The benefits of Hawaii are the lack of clothes…so, more nakedness.”
“I’m beginning to sense a theme here,” she said drily.
“Well, it is our honeymoon. Nakedness will be involved.”
She held up her left hand and shook it in his face. “Please note. Bare finger. Bare finger equals no engagement. No engagement equals no honeymoon.”
Hmm. True. But had she noticed she wasn’t panicking? Might be too soon to point out that minor detail. He allowed his hand to drift upward from her waist to settle just beneath her breasts. Maybe it was the buoyancy of the water that caused his thumb to drift upward, as well. Or maybe he’d lost control over it and it went crazy all on its own. Somehow it swept across her breast. Repeatedly.
“We could always start with the honeymoon,” he suggested. “Get that out of the way first. Work on the engagement and wedding afterward.”
She shivered. “Honor and all that, remember?”
She sounded a bit desperate, as though she were reminding herself as well as him. The possibility made him grin. “Parts of me remember. Other parts…” he shook his head “I am forced to admit, not so much.”
“Maybe you should send a memo to those other parts.”
Taking a chance, he scooped her up and spun her around to face him. Her legs closed automatically around his waist. At the same time, her arms wrapped tight around his neck. She gazed into his eyes, a funny little smile catching at the corners of her mouth.
“You don’t think I know what you’re doing, but I do,” she informed him.
“And what am I doing?”
“Distracting me.” She tilted her head to one side. “What do you say I distract you instead?”
He didn’t have an opportunity to respond. She took his mouth in a deep, hungry kiss. Her lips parted, beckoning him inward. He didn’t need a second invitation. He sank into honeyed warmth, their tongues dueling briefly, mating slowly, pleasuring thoroughly.
Using extreme care, he eased them into deeper water, keeping her tight within his control. Then he slid one hand downward over her abdomen to the top of her leg where silky bathing suit met satiny skin. He drew a finger along the elastic edge, then slipped under.
Gianna buried her face against Constantine’s shoulder and released a sound that threatened his sanity. A helpless feminine plea. A soft siren’s call that spoke of blatant need. He had no choice but to respond, to try to give her what she desired. He found the hot core of her and stroked. She came apart in his arms, her sweet cry drifting across the lake.
It took her a long moment to recover her voice enough to speak. “I can’t stand it any longer, Constantine,” she managed to say.
“Neither can I.”
More than anything he wanted to keep his promise and not touch her until his ring was on her finger or they were married. But he’d reached the end of his rope. He couldn’t keep his hands off her a minute longer. Cradling her close, he waded toward shore.