There was a tug on his fishing line, and he reeled it in a little, pulled back on the rod, then reeled it again. “That’s not going backward. That’s finding your footing until your next muse comes along.”
“Whatever. It is what it is. Do you have a fish on the line?” she asked excitedly.
“Feels like it. Give me your rod. You can reel mine in.” He took her rod and handed her his.
“No! I can’t. I’ve never done it before.”
He put her hand on the rod and said, “You can.”
“What if I drop it?” she asked nervously, clutching the rod like a lifeline.
“You won’t.” He set her rod on the floor of the boat. “Just let the fish guide you. When it tugs, you pull back a little and reel it in slowly.”
Her heart raced as she concentrated, pulling and reeling as he’d described.
“That’s it. Keep going.”
His encouragement, and the way he was watching her, like he was as excited as she was, made it even more fun. “I hope I don’t lose it. What if I do?”
“Then we’ll starve,” he teased. “You’re doing great. You’re going to reel that fish in, and I bet your writing isn’t as horrible as you think, either. I have some work to do this weekend. How about we hit the coffee shop tomorrow with our laptops for a working date and see if we can stir up some inspiration?”
She was having such a good time, it was hard to remember why she hadn’t wanted to accept his offer for a date in the first place. “I have to unpack the rest of my things and get organized this weekend or I’m going to lose my mind. I have a meeting with my boss at the newspaper on Monday and some other things to take care of Tuesday and Wednesday. But I’d really like to fit it in at some point.”
“Then we’ll find the time.” He reached over and felt her line. “Good job, Harp. Reel it in all the way. You’ve got this.”
She did as he said, squealing with delight as a big flapping fish broke the surface. “I did it! I got one! What do I do now?”
He grabbed the line and said, “I think you mean what do I do, unless you want to get the hook out of its mouth?”
“Ew!”
“I’ve got it. But first…” He dug his phone out of his pocket and took a picture of her holding the line with the fish dangling from it. He put his phone in the tackle box. As he removed the hook he said, “It’s a small-mouthed bass, about sixteen inches. Nice job, Harp.”
“It was your fish. I just reeled it in.”
“You reeled it in all right…”
He held her gaze, and her pulse sprinted at the innuendo in his eyes. Maybe he was right and she was giving too much weight to the combination of the bad dates and the show being canceled. Maybe she should trust her instincts.
Lord knew she wanted to.
They continued fishing and talking, and after catching two more, Gavin said, “Ready to go clean the fish and cook them for dinner?”
“Sure. This has been so much fun. Thank you for not letting me hide away in my cottage.”
“If I have it my way,” he said as they reeled in their lines, “you’ll never want to hide away again.”
He looked casual with a pole in his hand and the breeze lifting his hair. But his gaze wasn’t casual at all, the way it bored into her soul, imploring her to hear the meaningful words he said.
Her pole bent, snapping her from her Gavin-induced trance. “I’ve got one!” The front of her rod bent so far over she was afraid it would snap. She stood up to get a better grip and said, “I need help. Take it. It’s really strong.”
“Not a chance, sweetheart. This is your big catch. You’ve got it.”
“I don’t know about that,” she said, leaning back as she reeled it in.
“Trust yourself. That’s the theme of tonight, right?”
She looked at him at the same moment her line pitched forward. She lost her footing and screamed as she tumbled over the edge of the boat and into the frigid, black water. She couldn’t see a thing as she swam toward what she hoped was the surface, clinging to the rod with one hand. She felt a whoosh beside her and struggled to hold the air in her lungs as an arm circled her belly, dragging her in the opposite direction.
She broke the surface and gulped for air.
“I’ve got you, Harp,” Gavin panted out. He had one arm belted around her middle, using his legs and his other arm to tread water. “It’s okay. You’re okay, babe. I’ve got you.”
She was clinging to him with one arm around his neck and her legs around his waist and realized she was crying. For some reason that made her laugh, which made him laugh.
“You okay?” he said.
“Yes. Scared, embarrassed, but…” She lifted the rod from the water, proud to have never let go, and they both laughed.
“My little fisherwoman.” He tossed the fishing rod into the boat with one hand, still holding onto her.
His eyes found hers again, and she became aware of his muscles moving hard and insistent to keep them both afloat, the seriousness of his gaze, the feel of his strong hand on her skin, and the romantic moonlight raining down on them.
“How can you doubt yourself about anything, Harper? Those guys don’t know what they missed by screwing you over. If you were mine, I’d never make that mistake.”
She didn’t think, didn’t hesitate, as she crushed her lips to his warm, soft mouth. Even with his legs pumping and water splashing their faces, kissing Gavin was just as sensual and thrilling as she remembered. He held her tighter, deepening the kiss as they bobbed in the water, and sweet Lord, how she’d missed him.
When their lips parted, her head was spinning. “Sorry. No. I’m not sorry. I liked it. But—”
His deep laughter stopped her ramblings.
“You trusted your instincts, Harp. That’s a good thing.”
“Uh-huh,” she said. “But my life is still a mess. I can’t be with you like that until I have my own head on straight. I like you, Gavin. I really like you, and I don’t want to mess this up, but I’m sure to if my life is in a state of chaos.”
“I get it. You’re not ready. We’ll chalk that kiss up to how irresistible I am. But just so you know, you can trust your instincts with me anytime you’d like.”
God, he was so cocky and cute, she wanted to kiss him again!
“Come on, you’re shivering. Let’s get back to my place and warm you up.” He helped her into the boat, and as he climbed in after her, he said, “Who knows, you might have other instincts you want to follow.”
She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering despite the way her insides were still vibrating from that incredible kiss.
His eyes flamed, and he said, “I’m always available. Lips, hands, and other body parts, too…”
She reached over the side and splashed him, but it was she who needed the dose of cold water, because she was already fantasizing about those other body parts…
BY THE TIME they climbed out of the boat, Harper’s teeth were chattering. Gavin lent her a sweatshirt to wear with her sweatpants and suggested she take a hot shower while he rinsed off and then prepared dinner. Trying not to think about her naked in his guest bathroom while he rinsed off was impossible. He had visions of that sexy sunflower—and what kissing it did to her. He forced himself to think about algebra, an instant boner killer, and rushed through his shower to start dinner.