When I told her the mile marker number, she relayed it to the local tow company.
“An hour wait!” she told me with wide eyes.
I nodded. “That’ll do.”
“We’ll die!” She started to fan herself after hanging up.
I just grinned. “We’ll be fine. They don’t have heat in New York?”
She sighed. “Not like this on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere! You just jump into a bodega and cool off.”
“A what?” I frowned at her, confused.
She grinned. “You’re cute.”
My stomach clenched and my gaze hooded.
“I mean … what you said was cute—”
“No no.” I held up a finger. “You can’t take it back. You think I’m cute.”
She rolled her eyes and then crossed her arms. “Please tell me you have a secret ice chest or something hiding in the back of your truck.”
I looked up at the blaring sun and then out toward Cumberland River, just beyond the trees.
After her phone call, she started to pull at her nice dress, fanning herself to get some air. I’d have to think up something to cool us off or we might be in trouble.
“I’m too young to die,” she declared, causing me to grin.
Reaching in to the cab, I popped on the hazards and grabbed the box of cupcakes along with her purse and my bottle of water.
“Come on,” I called out, and started to cross the street into the tall grass.
“Hey!” She ran after me in her red high heels. “Where are you going with those cupcakes?”
She was crazy if she thought I wasn’t going to eat every last one of these.
Chapter 11
Millie
“Umm, hello!” I ran after Ashton as I eyed the desolate stretch of land and envisioned my impending death. “Where are you going!?”
He stepped into the woods and started to eat my cupcakes!
“Those are for your Gran!” I called out as a wave of dizziness crashed over me. I could handle a little heat, but heat with humidity was like a death combo. I felt like I couldn’t breathe, like I was breathing in other people’s sweat. It was disgusting.
“Come on, you don’t want to be alone with the snakes do ya?” he called out, and I yelped.
Snakes? I was terrified of snakes. I once saw a snake and immediately broke out in hives. I barely remembered running home; it was like I blacked out.
Clambering in my heels to catch up with him, I reached out and grabbed his arm as the terrain got rocky.
“I’m going to break my ankle, slow down!” I snapped.
He paused and looked down at my heels sunken into the grass, which was tall enough to tickle my knees. “Want me to carry you?” he asked, dead serious, and I suddenly took in his swollen tattooed biceps, envisioning just how yummy being carried by him might be.
Nervous laughter escaped me. “No, I’m fine.” We walked arm in arm, me struggling to find my footing, and I was just about to ask him why we were traipsing through the snake-infested jungle when I heard it.
Water.
“Is there a river up here?” Excitement colored my voice. I would give anything to go swimming right now. I was so desperate to cool off, I’d even jump in fully clothed.
He nodded, handing me a cupcake. “Offshoot of Cumberland River.”
I took the cupcake, realizing we were hours away from lunch, and tasted it.
Hmm, not bad, but the buttercream was slightly grainy.
We reached the river and Ashton set the cupcakes down and started to unbuckle his pants.
“Uhhh.” My eyes widened.
He looked over at me and grinned. “Don’t worry, Princess, I’m wearing underwear.”
Yeah, that’s what I was afraid of. Seeing his sexy body in boxers.
I gulped. “I’m just gonna keep my dress on.”
He shrugged, as if he didn’t care. “Suit yourself, but the tow truck guy might not let you sit on his seat sopping wet.”
With that he dove into the murky water and I winced.
“It’s all brown,” I told him when his head peeked above water. I didn’t grow up in the city, but I also didn’t grow up swimming in rivers. This one wasn’t what I imagined. It looked muddy, and God knows what was swimming around under there.
“It’s amazing.” He grinned, and started to float on his back, his black cotton boxers clinging to his package.
Oh Lord.
Without thinking it over too much, I grabbed the hem of my dress and pulled it up over my head. I didn’t even remember what kind of bra or undies I’d put on, so now I stared down at my body and cursed myself.
Pink sheer bra and white cotton panties.
Pink. Sheer. My fucking nipples were exposed.
My cheeks reddened in horror. Too late to back out now, I was already half naked. Ashton looked up at me and his entire face went slack as he gulped hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing before he averted his eyes quickly. I kicked off my heels and dove into the water before I exposed myself any longer, putting out the burning fire on my skin.
“Sweet relief!” I sighed, and waded over to where he floated, staring at me. His package was back underwater, thank God, but now I had a full view of his chest, with rolling beads of water running down it.
Breathe, Millie.
The river was deep, I had to actively paddle because I couldn’t feel the ground.
Ashton was watching me with a hooded gaze and I couldn’t read him; he’d shut down in the car when I asked him the personal questions and now the walls were higher than ever.
“I’ve never swam in a river before,” I confessed.
He smirked. “Not surprised.”
I scowled at him. “Whatever, farm boy.”
He swam closer to me and my stomach dropped. “Whatever, Princess.”
His dark hair was slicked back with water and the tip of his scar peeked out from the water. I couldn’t help but stare at it.
Colin’s heart. The love of my life’s heart was beating between that ribcage. So close I could touch it.
“Go on. Just ask,” Ashton said, and I realized he’d caught me staring.
“What?” I flicked my gaze
