wasn't—it looked like he had some type of tattoo wrapped around his shoulder.
Jake had spread the blanket out on the ground and dropped his shirt on it by the time I stopped gaping at his ink.
“Well?” His voice broke my attention, dragging my gaze away from his body art and up, up to where he looked back at me, a smug look etching those lips.
Behind him, the dark water held a pin light of moon dancing on it. He held his hands out to the side as if calming a colt about to sprint. My whole body was locked in place, tense. I was sure he could see it from across the clearing. Especially when his whole demeanor softened.
“Bridget, it's okay if you don't want to. I'll stop giving you a rough time.” He reached over and picked up his shirt.
Even him being nice felt like a dare. He was there, already stripping his clothes off, and telling me he'd understand if I was too chicken to keep up.
And I was doing everything I could not to take him up on that ‘out.’
“What if…what if you go first and then turn around and I'll…”
Jake cocked an eyebrow. “You'll what?”
“I'll...” Oh dear Lord. I couldn't even say it.
“You'll get naked?”
“Yes.” I waved my hand before he could start that grinning thing again. “You'll turn around and let me get in the water without looking.”
“I think you're missing about ninety-nine percent of the reason guys bring a girl skinny-dipping.”
It shouldn't have—really, really, really shouldn't have—but the idea that Jake might want to see me naked felt good. Darn good.
Tanner hadn't ever pushed for anything sans clothes, though it looked like he had been getting awfully comfortable naked with my best friend.
Ex-best friend.
“Jake, this is my list, and we'll do it my way.”
My mama always said, fake it ‘til you make it. I was hoping that worked with bravery, too.
“All right. We'll do it your way.”
He tossed his shirt back on the ground, toed off his sneakers, and tossed his socks next to them.
He undid the button of his jeans, his hands pausing there, holding the top just a bit apart.
“Bridget, you plan on getting an eyeful?”
The blood rushed to my head so fast I thought I was going to pass out. I whirled around, pretty sure he wouldn't have cared if I didn't. To be honest, I didn't need my first experience with a naked man to be an uncomfortable striptease from some guy I’d met while hiding almost underneath his truck.
I mean, he was still going to be naked in the water, but water was one step away from clothes in this situation.
I heard him chuckle followed by the sound of denim crumpling in a heap. Then, before I could begin to wonder what was going on behind me, a loud whoop followed by a splash broke the silence and sent the heat ratcheting up my neck again.
“Okay, you can turn around.”
A part of me was afraid to, like he might be playing a joke on me and I was going to have that first naked guy moment anyway.
Taking my chances, I peeked over my shoulder to catch him standing about ten feet from the shore, the water lapping halfway up his chest.
Jake pushed the dark, wet hair back from his eyes with one hand. “Alright, darlin'. Your turn.”
It suddenly dawned on me why bad boys were such a draw. He was hot. Very hot. Probably very dangerous. And of course, way out of my league…which negated the dangerous, most likely.
Guys that dangerous didn't walk on the sunny side of the street with law-abiding good girls.
I forced myself over to the blanket. He watched me untie my tennies and stuff my socks inside them.
Then I reached back and unzipped the dress, keeping the straps on my shoulders, waiting for him to turn around. I wondered how long I'd stay daring as I slipped the strap off my t-shirt covered shoulder.
Yup. That's about how long.
“Jake.”
“Can't blame a guy for trying.” He dove under, his rear-end flashing white against the water's dark blanket, and then breaking the surface farther out facing the
Jake had spread the blanket out on the ground and dropped his shirt on it by the time I stopped gaping at his ink.
“Well?” His voice broke my attention, dragging my gaze away from his body art and up, up to where he looked back at me, a smug look etching those lips.
Behind him, the dark water held a pin light of moon dancing on it. He held his hands out to the side as if calming a colt about to sprint. My whole body was locked in place, tense. I was sure he could see it from across the clearing. Especially when his whole demeanor softened.
“Bridget, it's okay if you don't want to. I'll stop giving you a rough time.” He reached over and picked up his shirt.
Even him being nice felt like a dare. He was there, already stripping his clothes off, and telling me he'd understand if I was too chicken to keep up.
And I was doing everything I could not to take him up on that ‘out.’
“What if…what if you go first and then turn around and I'll…”
Jake cocked an eyebrow. “You'll what?”
“I'll...” Oh dear Lord. I couldn't even say it.
“You'll get naked?”
“Yes.” I waved my hand before he could start that grinning thing again. “You'll turn around and let me get in the water without looking.”
“I think you're missing about ninety-nine percent of the reason guys bring a girl skinny-dipping.”
It shouldn't have—really, really, really shouldn't have—but the idea that Jake might want to see me naked felt good. Darn good.
Tanner hadn't ever pushed for anything sans clothes, though it looked like he had been getting awfully comfortable naked with my best friend.
Ex-best friend.
“Jake, this is my list, and we'll do it my way.”
My mama always said, fake it ‘til you make it. I was hoping that worked with bravery, too.
“All right. We'll do it your way.”
He tossed his shirt back on the ground, toed off his sneakers, and tossed his socks next to them.
He undid the button of his jeans, his hands pausing there, holding the top just a bit apart.
“Bridget, you plan on getting an eyeful?”
The blood rushed to my head so fast I thought I was going to pass out. I whirled around, pretty sure he wouldn't have cared if I didn't. To be honest, I didn't need my first experience with a naked man to be an uncomfortable striptease from some guy I’d met while hiding almost underneath his truck.
I mean, he was still going to be naked in the water, but water was one step away from clothes in this situation.
I heard him chuckle followed by the sound of denim crumpling in a heap. Then, before I could begin to wonder what was going on behind me, a loud whoop followed by a splash broke the silence and sent the heat ratcheting up my neck again.
“Okay, you can turn around.”
A part of me was afraid to, like he might be playing a joke on me and I was going to have that first naked guy moment anyway.
Taking my chances, I peeked over my shoulder to catch him standing about ten feet from the shore, the water lapping halfway up his chest.
Jake pushed the dark, wet hair back from his eyes with one hand. “Alright, darlin'. Your turn.”
It suddenly dawned on me why bad boys were such a draw. He was hot. Very hot. Probably very dangerous. And of course, way out of my league…which negated the dangerous, most likely.
Guys that dangerous didn't walk on the sunny side of the street with law-abiding good girls.
I forced myself over to the blanket. He watched me untie my tennies and stuff my socks inside them.
Then I reached back and unzipped the dress, keeping the straps on my shoulders, waiting for him to turn around. I wondered how long I'd stay daring as I slipped the strap off my t-shirt covered shoulder.
Yup. That's about how long.
“Jake.”
“Can't blame a guy for trying.” He dove under, his rear-end flashing white against the water's dark blanket, and then breaking the surface farther out facing the
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