With a roll of her eyes, she said, “Move.”
He did but then kept pace alongside her. “Why don’t you wait for Logan?”
“I don’t like him very much right now, that’s why.”
“Okay, fine. Then—”
“I don’t like either of you all that much, either.”
“What did I do?” Dash asked with comical affront. He had a look similar to Logan’s, but his disposition couldn’t have been more different.
Reese made a sound of impatience. “It’s not all that safe to—”
“Sure it is. I know how to swim, and I don’t need anyone’s supervision or help.” She looked back and caught Dash staring at her butt. He gave her a rascal’s grin that she dismissed. “Just so you both know, I’ll be skinny-dipping, so you can keep your peepers up here and out of my business.”
They both went mute, which worked for her.
As soon as she opened the patio doors, they were both with her again.
“Swimming at night is a lousy idea.” Dash spoke loudly—no doubt hoping Logan would hear. “There are snakes in the water.”
She laughed. “Is that your attempt to scare a girl? Get real. The only pets I ever had growing up were rodents and snakes, so try again.”
“Seriously?” Dash stepped in front of her once more. “That’s…well, really sad.”
With a loud snarl, Reese took a position next to Dash. “Be reasonable, Pepper. This is a bad idea.”
“Screw you.” She made to shove past him, but he blocked her. Pepper leveled an evil gaze on him. “I would suggest you get out of my way.”
“It’s all right, Reese.”
Logan. Pepper didn’t look back at him. She’d have rather been in the water before he returned, but she was nothing if not adaptable. With her life, she’d had to be in order to survive.
Reese made a great fanfare of moving aside, and Pepper stepped around Dash to continue on down the hill toward the water. Beneath her feet, the grass was cool and dewy. She knew Logan was behind her. She’d felt Dash’s stare, but it was nothing like this. When Logan watched her, she more than felt it.
She experienced it.
“You might want to stay on the path,” he said from right behind her. “There are twigs and rocks everywhere that can cut your feet.”
The “path” wasn’t all that defined in the dark, but she navigated carefully, each step measured.
“The dock is sturdy, but the floodlights don’t reach all the way.” He didn’t quite touch her, but she knew he was right there. “When we fish, we usually bring down a lantern.”
“I’ve been swimming off sunken stumps, often in the middle of the night, since I was three. I think I can handle it.”
“All right.”
His calm tone and reasonable manner irked her. She walked out on the wooden dock, stopped and pulled her top off over her head. “You gonna skin out of your clothes and swim with me?” Refusing to show any modesty, she pushed down her panties.
Palpable expectation throbbed in the damp evening air. “If you want me to.”
Most definitely, but she wouldn’t admit that to him. “Suit yourself.”
“Then I will.”
Her heart rapped against her ribs. Stars glittered overhead, and the wash of moonlight left murky, blue-tinged shadows everywhere. “My shirt and panties are on the dock. Don’t kick them in.”
“I saw.”
She felt him getting nearer. He could see? More than the faint outlines that she detected?
“There’s a ladder off the front right side of the dock. Don’t dive in until you judge the depth. It can get pretty low in dry seasons.”
“You think?” She heard the quiet hiss of his zipper being lowered, and it left her far too warm. “Until Rowdy and I had to take off, I spent more of my summers in the water than out.”
“You mean before your parents died?”
No, she wouldn’t discuss this with him. Moving away from him, she stared through the inky darkness until she found the top of the ladder jutting above the dock. Little by little, her eyes adjusted.
She looked out at the lake. Starry diamonds sprinkled the black velvet water, disturbed only by the occasional ripple of a fish. She went down the flat rungs until the water lapped at her waist.
“Cold?” Logan stood over her.
Her face was probably even with his knees. Could he see her? She wished she could better see him.
“Not bad.” She pushed back and into the water, submerging her head and coming up several feet away. If she dunked herself a foot or so, she could touch bottom. Not deep at all.
Something bumped her foot, and she knew it was Logan. He tread water near her. Sticking close. Being protective.
Being male.
A frog began croaking somewhere along the shore. She loved the sound, just as she loved the water. “You have a boat?”
“Rowboat, and a little fishing boat with a trolling motor. Nothing fancy.”
“Dash said you’re rich.”
He went under, then came up a few feet away. It felt so intimate, being here with him like this. The moon played peekaboo with his dark, wet hair, sometimes shining down on him, sometimes concealing him. The night sky surrounded them, cozy, sort of sexy.
Other than the undulation of the water, Logan stayed still and quiet.
She wouldn’t ask again. If he didn’t want to talk, then fine. She’d bathe in silence.