"I'm not sleeping with you. You have a million women.” I yelped again as he tugged me toward him, his body pressing flush against mine. Desire raced through me in thick waves as I reached out and rested my hands to his shoulders.
His strong hands wrapped around my waist and pulled me in tight. "Hush."
"What? Where is this coming from?" I turned my head a little as my heart worked to beat its way out of my chest. I'd slept with plenty of guys over the years, and yet this guy left me feeling like a virgin all over again.
"It's the buildup of a long week of thinking about nothing but you. I fucked up. Badly." He moved back and pulled at my hand. "Come on. Swim over to this alcove with me."
"Brody. You know this isn't good for either of us." I let him pull me along, not really wanting to dive back into whatever was starting between us, and yet not able to deny him. I was interested and wanted to see where it would go, even if it ended with one of us hurt. It was even harder to fight against myself naked in the water with him beckoning me.
"That's why we should just go with it." He released my hand and moved into an open area where the moonlight bathed the water. "I said I was sorry for the other night. I fucked up because I was trying so damn hard to be someone I wasn't."
"The good guy?" I kept my chest under the water and moved toward him.
"No, Cora. That was me at dinner, but by the time we'd gotten to the beach, I'd talked myself out of trying to seduce you. I didn't want you to look at me like everyone else does. I'm a dick, yeah, great, but there's more to me than that. At least, I think there is. I want there to be."
I moved closer to him, unable to help myself. His thick shoulders bobbed above the water's edge, and the wicked smile on his lips left my thoughts diving into depravity.
"So you turning me down wasn't about me not being good enough to take to bed?" I stood up, letting the curve of my breasts touch the top of the water. "I mean, you've taken everyone else to bed from what I hear. Why not me?"
He offered his hand. "Is that a joke? You're the hottest girl on this fucking lake, and I've not slept with everyone on the lake. Almost, but I'm not quite there yet. You showing up kinda thwarted my plans."
"Whore," I whispered as I took his hand and let him pull me toward him.
"Help me change that?" He slid his hands over my hips and up my back, surprising me a little. I half assume he would cop-a-feel the minute he got a chance.
"Something tells me I would only add to-”
"There you guys are!" Emily's voice pulled me from the moment, stunning me a little. I moved back and turned from Brody, almost grateful for the break. I was ready to forgo my promises to keep away from the sexy bastard and just dive in deep, if even for a night.
"Now who's being shy?" Derek laughed and moved through the water with the rest of the group in tow.
"I was hoping to show Cora a different side of my personality. That I'm not just all heat and tension, muscle and manliness." Brody moved up beside me, still keeping his hands to himself.
"Yeah right. We've heard all your lines before buddy." Clay moved to my left and pulled Emily to rest against his side as he glanced up at the sky. "It's beautiful out here. How did we get so lucky?"
"I don't know, but someone must be doing something right." Daniel's voice was nothing more than a whisper.
I reached out and brushed my hand down Brody's arm until I found his palm. I wrapped my hand around his and moved closer as I gazed up. I wanted what everyone else had, I just was choosing the wrong man to have it with. On one hand, it was a good thing, seeing that I wouldn't be breaking tradition, but on the other hand...could I survive a guy like him?
He squeezed my hand under the water and cleared his throat. "What's the plan for tomorrow night? Are we going to the big bash in town or doing something together, just the eight of us?"
"Let's do both." Cindy wrapped her arms around Derek's neck and pressed herself to his back. He growled softly, causing all of us too chuckle.
"I agree. Both sounds fun." Dedra turned to Daniel and smiled. "I'll race you to the dock across the lake?"
"I'm a good swimmer. You sure about that?" He smiled, looking incredibly handsome without his glasses.
"Can you see a fucking thing?" Brody asked, smirking.
"Nope, but there's no need to when I'm swimming, you ass." Daniel moved toward Dedra. "Winner gets to choose where we eat tomorrow night."
"You're on." They took off as we all watched in anticipation of Dedra smoking him.
"Why did he offer something like dinner, and you offered-” I started, but Brody cut me off.
"Because he's a really, really nice guy. I'm just a nice guy." He turned to face me a smiled. "Let's find some place we can talk. Just us."
"And, by talk he means” Clay started, but Emily cut him off.