We pulled up at a clearing beside Mason’s point, just around the corner from my house. I waited while Roman gathered our things, laying them out on the hood of the car.
The lake was so peaceful—not so much as a ripple across the smooth surface. It almost looked like a layer of glass. Tall, jagged rocks surrounded the clearing, making it not the safest spot to swim. Not that that stopped the thrill-seekers who liked to climb to the top of the point and dive into the water.
“Beth.” I turned to see Roman gesturing to me. “This is a potato cannon.” He sounded so proud as he held up what looked like a few bits of pipe glued together.
“Wow, looks great,” I offered brightly.
He narrowed his eyes at me. “Don’t patronize me, Ms. Masters,” he warned, reaching for a potato. “It’s not impressive yet, but watch this.” He loaded the potato down the end of the pipe and aimed it out over the lake.
I jumped as it fired, sending a flaming potato flying through the air. Holy shit! That had to have gone two hundred yards.
“Oh, I’m so giving that a try,” I said, practically jumping up and down.
He laughed and handed it to me. I aimed the pipe into the air and pressed the release, just like he’d done. I squealed as the potato fired out of the pipe in a ball of flames, dropping the cannon onto the sand. Roman doubled over with laughter, only stopping when I scowled at him.
Still chuckling, he leaned down to retrieve it. “So, you now know a hundred percent more about me than you did an hour ago,” he announced with a cheeky grin.
“Right, but a hundred percent of nothing still isn’t that much,” I pointed out.
“True.” He thought for a moment. “Okay, how about this? See that island out there?" He pointed to a narrow sand bunker about two hundred and fifty yards from the shore. "We each have a shot. If you
get it over the island, then you can ask me a question. But if you don't you need to answer one."
"And if I don't want to answer the question?" I asked nervously. I could just imagine what he'd ask me: things I didn't want to answer—things I wasn't ready to answer.
He smiled mischievously. "That's where the fun begins. If you don't want to answer, no problems. You just have to complete a dare."
"A dare?" I repeated, laughing. I couldn't remember the last time I’d played a game of Truth or Dare. Okay. “You're on." He handed the spud gun back to me. Trying not to show my nerves, I aimed it carefully and fired. I watched as a potato bounded through the air. "Come on, come on. Yes!" I threw my arms up and started cheering, dancing circles around him.
He shook his head and laughed. "Nice shot."
"I bet you thought you were pretty safe, huh?" I grinned.
"No. I was pretty sure you could handle your way around a piece of pipe this long."
I glowered at him and he laughed harder.
"So, ask your question," he managed to say.
“Okay,” I began. “How do you know Scarlett? And why did you want to watch us?” I asked him, blushing.
He grinned, pulling his eyebrows together. Maybe he hadn’t been expecting that. “What man wouldn’t want to watch two women? Scarlett is an old friend.”
“An old friend?” I said suspiciously. “She looks younger than me.”
He laughed, but didn’t respond.
“What else do you want with me? I mean, why are you here?”
“Honestly, Beth? There are so many things I want to do with you and to you and watch have done to you, but I’m hesitant about scaring you off.”
Watch done to me? What did that mean? The mere thought stirred an aching between my legs.
“Do I seem like the kind of girl who is easily scared away?”
“No, but you do seem lost. I don’t know what’s gone on in your past, but I feel like you’re running from something.”
Oh, God. Here we go again. He wanted to save me. Fuck, I knew how to pick them.