He slid one hand over the soft curve of her waist. Breaking their full-body contact, he lifted his hand, keeping his palm flat, brushing it back and forth against her breast. He was tempted to draw her shirt and bra away, touch her bare flesh. But first, he needed to get them to the cabin.
She pulled back, turning to the boat, offering him a heated look. “And you might be surprised what I’ve learned.”
The lower half of his body responded to her words, standing at attention, ready and waiting for a demonstration.
“Get in the boat, Katie,” he said, his voice a low growl. “Let’s see how fast we can get this ship to the other side of the lake.”
Once she’d climbed in, Liam released the ropes and turned on the engine. He stood behind the wheel, guiding the motorboat into the reservoir.
“The water level is lower than I thought,” he said. He’d already counted four stumps below the surface. Turning the wheel to avoid another, he tried to focus on getting to the other side with the boat in one piece. But with Katie seated behind him, her words and the feel of her lips, her skin, and her breasts fresh in his mind, it was a freaking battle.
The quiet, apart from the sound of the motor, allowed his mind to wander. Instead of watching for tree stumps, he pictured Katie’s shirt rising up, revealing her breasts. His hand tightened around the steering wheel.
“I’m surprised your friend let you take the boat out,” she said.
“I didn’t give him much choice,” Liam admitted. He’d told Marvin that he’d cover the damages if the boat crashed, and clean up the trees on his property. Given that Marvin owned thirty acres of forest that hadn’t been limbed in years, it was a helluva bargain.
“If only Georgia knew how committed you are to planning her bachelorette party,” Katie murmured.
He glanced over his shoulder as they crossed through the center of the lake. Her green eyes sparkled with mischief.
“You didn’t need to stay overnight to check this place out,” he said.
“No, I didn’t.”
She ran her tongue over her lips as she reached up, drawing her long, straight hair into a ponytail. Her gaze never wavered from his. That look—it was wicked and so damn enticing his balls ached. He was tempted to cut the engine and anchor here, in the middle of the water. But making love for the first time in years in a small, run-down, and barely seaworthy craft wasn’t much better than the backseat of a car.
“I wouldn’t have booked an overnight if you hadn’t offered to keep me company,” she added.
Knowing she was here for him gave him hope that the hot and wild need he felt for her ran both ways.
The boat lurched, shifting to the right. Liam turned her attention to the water, holding tight to wheel. Behind him, Katie tried to hold on, but ended up sliding down the bench as the boat stopped. Liam waited for them to move forward, drift with the tide. But the vessel remained still, stuck at the awkward angle.
Liam peered over the edge and spotted the stum
p resting beneath the right side of the boat. “Shit. I guess the water level was too low.”
And he’d been distracted, looking at Katie when he should have been keeping careful watch for stumps. Liam studied the shore. It wasn’t far to the dock. And the water wasn’t deep here.
“Looks like we’re going to get wet,” he said.
“We’re swimming to the cabin?” She joined him at edge, peering over.
“Walking. Unless I can push it loose.” He swung one leg over the side, sinking into the cold water. Drawing his other leg over, he hit the muddy lake floor. Waves lapped at his waist.
He pressed against the raised side near the stump, feeling the burn in his arms. But it didn’t budge.
With one hand on the edge of the damaged boat—he was going to owe Marvin big-time, no way around that—Liam held out the other to Katie. “Coming?”
She stared at the murky water. “What’s down there? Fish? Snakes?”
“Might be some of both, but I bet they’re long gone. The boat probably scared them away.”
Katie didn’t take his hand. She remained frozen, her feet planted to the floor of the lopsided boat. “I don’t like not knowing what I’m walking through.”
He didn’t either, but they couldn’t stay here.
“I could carry you on my shoulders,” he offered. “You’ll never touch the water.”