She looked down. “It’s just that I like you, Rodney, but I want to like all of you, with open eyes. Not chase after some fantasy based solely on physical appearance.”
His breath caught. “I like you, too.”
“We’re hopeless.”
“No, we’re not.” He adjusted the bill of his cap. “I think we’re both open-minded.”
She swatted a mosquito. “My parents taught me we should try to fix society instead of sitting around and watching it deteriorate.”
“I admire that about you, and them.”
Oh, hell. He was really starting to like this lady. Not good. Not good at all…
“Well, hey,” he said. “We’ve brought up some good issues and explored them pretty thoroughly. It’s more than a lot of people bother to do.”
She jumped so suddenly, the boat wobbled.
“Did you catch something?” he asked.
“No, I wish I’d recorded all our debates.”
He didn’t. Talk about a PR nightmare. “Why?”
“Because other people need to hear it. We thoroughly explored both sides.” She slapped her pole against the side of the boat as if it were a gavel. “Racial education is needed.”
“You could write a book,” he suggested.
“Maybe I will.”
They were both silent for a few moments.
“Are you having a good time?” he asked.
She nodded. “I never figured I’d be in the middle of a swamp, but it’s cool.”
“By the way, you passed my test.”
“Oh? What test is that?” she asked with an adorable grin.
“You haven’t once complained about the heat or humidity.”
“It’s all good,” she said, laughing as she adjusted her sunglasses. “I grew up without electricity, so air conditioning is optional.”
He reached into the cooler, pulled out a can of beer, and popped the top. “You want one?”
“No, thanks, but I’ll take some more bug spray.”
Was alcohol another difference between them? He reminded himself it didn’t matter. This was just a weekend, not a marriage. Lately, he’d been cutting back, though, because it caused more trouble than it was worth. Was there some unwritten rule saying rock stars had to be party animals?
“Here you go,” he said, handing her the bottle. “Like I said, the mosquitoes here are vicious, but the ones in Louisiana are in a class by themselves.”
“I guess you’ve been to a lot of places,” she said.
He nodded. “Do you like to travel?”
“Some.”
Which meant the touring lifestyle wouldn’t work for her. A person had to really love travel to hack it. He didn’t even love it. Not as much as Jack.
“Now that we’ve calmed down, what’s say we try to catch a fish?”
She stared at her pole and shrugged. “You’re the expert.”
“Let’s meet in the middle.” He pointed to the center seat. “On the count of three, let’s sit there.”
They managed to make the move without upsetting the boat. Her hip brushed his, reminding him some differences could be good.
“Miss Dobson, I believe you need some hands-on instruction.”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
A huge smile pulled his attention to her lush lips. The clear gloss on them begged to be tasted. He spread his legs slightly and pulled her back-first onto his lap. Then he handed her one of the fishing poles and covered her arms and hands with his. Finally, he rested the side of his head against hers.
They slumped into the seat as tension released inside both of them.
“Be as still as you can,” he whispered in her ear, “and the fish will come.”
The rosy scent of her hair mixed with the rich vegetation around them, making him imagine he was in a flower garden. Her skin was the smoothest thing he’d ever felt. It took every bit of self-control he had not to lay her in the bottom of the boat and undress her.
She leaned back in his arms, a serene smile on her lips. “It’s so peaceful here.”
“It’s also my favorite place.” He gazed up at the moss hanging from the trees. “When I die, my spirit will probably hang around in the swamp.”
She shivered, vibrating the boat. He felt it, too. A sudden chill, even though the air felt just as hot and heavy as it had a minute ago.
“Dee,” he whispered. Her lips were so close. Kiss her already. Hadn’t he done that and more to too many groupies to count?
“I’ve got one!”
He felt it, too. The rod quivered in their hands, making every muscle in his body vibrate along with it.
“We’ll bring it in together,” he whispered.
He guided her hands through every movement until the fish flopped on the bottom of the boat. The peace had been broken. Poles clattered and fell with a crash, water droplets splashed in their faces, and the boat dipped dangerously low to one side.
“It’s a channel catfish,” he said.
“What are we going to do with it?” she squealed.
A serious feeling settled over him. “Send it back.”
“Oh, okay.” When she reached for it, he stopped her.
“We have to do it gently, to minimize its stress.”
He snatched an old rag from the side of the boat and used it to grasp the fish. Once he had it, he lowered it close to the surface of the water before releasing it. Then he held his breath as some bubbles rose to the surface.
“Did he make it?” she asked, anxiously peering over the side.
“I think so. Otherwise, he’d be floating.”
“That was fun,” she said.
“You made it fun.” He pulled her onto his lap again. Then he slid her sunglasses off to see her beautiful eyes.
“Rodney, I know you’re a Southern gentleman and all, but if you don’t kiss me soon, I’m going to lose my mind.”
He yanked off their hats and threw them somewhere into the boat. “Part of being a gentleman is knowing the right time and place.”
And knowing when a private moment should be grabbed, because there may never be another.
“Is this it?” she asked.
He tilted her chin with his index finger and ran the tip of his tongue over her bottom lip. She squirmed in his lap, exhaling a moan before he locked his arms around her and claimed the rest of her mouth.
“You tell me.”
Chapter Six
By the
