Steeling myself, I squeezed my eyes shut and jumped.
With a splash, I cannonballed to the bottom. My toes hit the mud and I pushed back up. Sputtering at the surface, I blew out water and doggie paddled to the dock.
Rhythmic pounding startled me and my hand slipped off the slick wood. I submerged. Again, I rebounded off the bottom and cleared the surface.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
I almost lost my hold again. Flynn loomed over me, his green eyes flashing with fury. I looked from him to the cabin. Had he seriously run out here from his room that fast? It’d been less than thirty seconds since I’d made contact with the water.
“I’m playing in the lake.” I sounded defensive. I was defensive. What I’d done wasn’t a good idea, but what else was there to do but work?
He rested his hands on his lean hips. “By yourself?”
“It’s my vacation.”
“What would you have done i-i-if—dammit! Only you ever make me stutter again.” He shoved a hand through his hair and turned around, then spun back like he was afraid to take his eyes off me.
“I’m sorry?”
“Yeah. You should be.”
I drew back at his adamant tone. Oh, no he didn’t. I pulled myself along the dock until my feet touched. “You should be, too. If you want to work while you’re here, fine. I’m going out of my mind with boredom, and I’ve already put in a few hours of lesson planning. If I’d known I’d be sitting on my ass alone in the woods, I would’ve planned some things to do.”
Anger churned in his gaze, then died. “What would you plan?”
I blinked at his abrupt change in demeanor. “This. I was close enough to the dock. Hiking. I’ve always wanted to hike through nature. Maybe tomorrow I’ll run in and grab some brochures for nature trails close by. Then there’s fishing. I’ve never fished before.”
“Do you have a license?”
“I need a license?” My heart sank. I wanted to fish. “Do they cost money?”
“I’ll get you one.”
“Oh no. You’re already paying for this whole week.”
He cast me a droll look. “You paid for it.”
“Sort of, but you bought the food.”
He snorted. “Not nearly as much as you brought.” He glanced at the cabin and paused, his expression contemplative. “Look, I need to run into work tomorrow. We’ll cross one thing off your list today if you promise to stay out of the lake while I’m gone. Then Tuesday, we’ll do another. Think of one for each day.”
He’d be gone all day Monday? Disappointment soured my outlook. Oh well. I was used to being alone.
“Tilly? That sound okay?”
What could I say? You let me down in bed yesterday, you’ve ignored me all day, and now you’re not even going to be here all of Monday. “Sure. Where are the instructions for the hot tub? I can get it cleaned out tomorrow while you’re gone.”
A muscle jumped in his jaw as he stared at me. “Finish your swim and I’ll start on the hot tub when you’re done.”
I jumped up and down with excitement, in slo-mo, thanks to the water. His gaze dropped to where my breasts bounced in the water. I couldn’t help the big grin as I fell backward. Water closed over my head and I bobbed back to the surface.
“Don’t!” His hands fisted on his hips in frustration. “Fuck. Don’t do that to me.”
I wiped my eyes clear. “This is only, like, four feet deep right here.”
His expression clouded. “I don’t care, all right? Accidents happen.”
“Can you swim, Flynn?”
“Yes.”
“Then why are you so afraid for me?”
He ground his teeth. “Like I said, accidents happen.”
Everything in me went still. “Who did the accident happen to?”
He flinched and looked away. I didn’t think he’d answer, but he spoke low. “My sister.”
My mouth dropped open and I gasped. “I’m so sorry.” I moved as fast as I could to shore. I’d just given the poor man a heart attack, no clue he’d suffered such a tragedy.
“No. Please.” He followed along with me down the dock. “You don’t have to get out.”
I adopted my most reassuring expression. “I can’t relax and swim when I make you worry so much. Don’t worry. The lake will be here Tuesday. I’ll help you with the hot tub.”
“There’s not much you can help with. Why don’t you start dinner?”
“You’ll have to show me how to grill.”
He leveled me with a steady stare. “You think you’re man enough to learn?”
I barked a laugh and made my voice nasally. “I’ve got the chest hair to prove it, Puddin’.”
“Pud— Oh, your swimsuit.”
Delighted he got the reference, I exited the water and stepped gingerly over the rocks. “I should’ve gotten swim shoes instead of swimsuits.”
“No. The suits were, uh…a good choice.” He pivoted and walked back down the dock. A small smile crept over my mouth when he stooped to grab my things. The fluid way his body moved… Last night had to have been a fluke.
I waited for him as he retrieved my sandals. After I stepped into them, we walked to the cabin. He ran through instructions on the grill and we decided on bun-less burgers.
“What’s with you and carbs?” I’d never have believed it until now, but he could be…uptight.
“I don’t work out just to cover my muscles in a layer of fat.”
“You don’t enjoy working out?”
His expression shifted like he didn’t understand the question. “Does anyone?”
“I do. I mean, I’ve never belonged to a gym, but I go for walks, I run sometimes. The library has a nice collection of workout DVDs. It’s fun to try different ones.” I laughed at myself. “It made me come to terms with my coordination or lack of. Have you found something
