Strip Search (Tap That)

“I think it’s sixty-eight degrees, so yeah, that’s a little cold for August. Do you want a sweatshirt? I have one below.”

“Maybe I should.”

Axl went and retrieved his sweatshirt for her. Leighton peeled off her sweater, something he wasn’t expecting her to do. She had on a tank top underneath but it clung tight to her curves. He went for her. But she was on to him and she darted out of the way.

“No touching!” she said, laughing. “We’re in broad daylight and there are a half dozen people here at this marina. Behave yourself, Officer Hottie.”

“That’s boring.” He went for her again but she dragged his sweatshirt over her head and everything good in the world disappeared beneath blue cotton. Damn it.

She ignored that comment. “Sadie thinks we should do a video post.”

The real world intruded and he did not like that. “For what?”

“For the show.” She anxiously chewed her fingernail.

“Sure.” He liked the idea of having something concrete. A captured moment of him and Leighton. One, for him to see whenever he wanted. Two, to show the world that even if it was fake, there was something real there too. A connection. A friendship, sexual chemistry.

“Ugh, you’re supposed to say no.”

He laughed. “What? Why?”

“I hate doing videos or taking photos. Everyone has these amazing Instagram shots and I’m over here stuttering and squinting.”

“Leighton.”

“What?”

“You’re bananas.” He used one of her catch phrases. “Give me your phone and we’ll do a video and everyone will think we’re fucking adorable and you know why?”

She shook her head. “Why?”

“Because we are adorable.”

Leighton pulled her phone out of her shorts pocket and smoothed her hair back. She handed it to him without a word.

“Come here beside me with the water in the background,” he said.

She obediently stood next to her. He had them on her phone screen.

“So here we are out on Lake Superior on this sunny Minnesota day. It’s three days until our wedding, so we’re super excited. Aren’t we?”

Leighton nodded. “Yes.”

Axl glanced over at her, amused. “Don’t sound so excited.”

“I’ve very excited.” She sounded stilted and nervous.

He looked back at her phone. “She’s cold. Minnesota is rough on a California girl.”

He could see on the screen she still looked uncomfortable. So he kissed the side of her face. “I’m happy to have Leighton out on the lake with me.” That was true.

“Ack!” she said, wrinkling her nose and pulling away.

That made him laugh. “No sugar for me?”

She turned and stared up at him. What he saw there, in her eyes, made his laughter cut off. “Of course there’s sugar for you.”

He forgot about the camera. All he saw was her and something that damn near made his heart skip a beat. She opened her mouth to speak.