The pool’s water isn’t cold, but I’m startled when dunked into it. Holding my breath, I grip Cap’s broad shoulders when he lowers us in a quick motion. My eyes remain open in the water, finding his black eyes watching me. I ought to be angry. I think a part of me is, but I’m mostly refreshed.

We emerge from the water with his arms wrapped around me while my hands still grip his shoulders. I don’t move away or test his obedience. I only swipe back my wet, wild hair. My other hand pushes his dark bangs from his eyes.

“I could hurt you so easily,” I whisper, kicking my legs gently between his legs.

“Is that a threat against my balls or my heart, Pipsqueak?”

“Doesn’t matter because I’m not going to hurt you.”

“Ever?”

Grinning at his tender tone, I wonder how often this massive, rough man pulls the sweet routine to get one over on the ladies. His question works like a charm on me too. I ought to be busting his balls for dunking me. I can’t, though. Not with him wearing that sexy smirk.

“Forever is a long damn time. Why don’t we see if I can keep from hurting you tonight?”

“Deal,” he whispers as his arms release me in a smooth move.

Cap easily stands in the deep end of the pool, but I need to kick harder to keep from going under. He stands away from me and extends a hand.

“I shouldn’t have dunked you,” he says, not meaning a damn word of his apology.

Taking his hand, I relax as he pulls my body against his. “Hard to get isn’t a good look on you, Farmer Ted.”

“What’s with the farmer stuff?”

“Haven’t you ever seen ‘Sixteen Candles’?”

“No.”

“My sisters and I watched it a ton when we were younger. The movie was one of Mom and Aunt Tawny’s favorites. There’s a nerd character the other kids call ‘Farmer Ted.’ Lily used to tease Colton that he was our Farmer Ted because he had scrawny arms and a big head with floppy blond hair. That became a common insult in our family, even after Colton’s arms got buff and his body caught up to the size of his giant head. Now he doesn’t look like a nerd, but my sisters and I still call him Farmer Ted when he pisses us off.”

“So when you call me Farmer Ted, are you saying I’m like your brother or that I’m a scrawny nerd?”

“Does it matter?” I ask while struggling to hold onto him without wrapping my body around his. “An insult is an insult. Could be worse. I could call you a ‘swamp hag’ like Rando dubs every other person.”

“I think I could live with the swamp-hag insult,” he says as his hand wraps around my hip to keep me from going under the water.

“You’re getting pretty familiar there.”

“I could let go, but neither of us wants that,” he says, holding my gaze and daring me to ask him to let go.

“We just met. We’ll survive just fine if you let go.”

“Speak for yourself. After knowing you less than twelve hours, I already worry I won’t survive once you return to Ellsberg.”

“You’ll do fine.”

“Or my heart will fucking shrivel up and die. Is that what you want?” he asks, cocking an eyebrow.

“You don’t really think I’d move here to hang with you, do you?”

“Why not? The Twat Twins left Ellsberg. You live at home with your obnoxious siblings. Seems like you could use a fresh start in a place where the locals are prime for your brand of scary.”

Grinning, I can’t deny he paints a seductive picture. “I have a part-time job in Ellsberg. Here, I wouldn’t have anything. No way would Pop pay for me to get set up in this place.”

“You never know. You could sell him on the idea that you're a spy.”

Laughing, I shake my head. “My pop isn’t a dumb shit.”

“He might want you to get out of Ellsberg. Possibly, having so many grown kids in his house is cramping his sex life. That’d be the case with my parents if they weren’t completely indifferent to my suffering. Mom says if I don’t want to hear their loud sex sounds then I should sleep with earphones.”

“Your mom sounds like a peach.”

“She’s a mighty fine woman to have tamed a man like Angus Hayes and then give birth to an angel like me.”

Unable to help myself, I caress his lips with my thumb. Instinctively, I lick my lips, thinking of our earlier kiss.

“Cap, I like you and the way I feel when I’m with you. All my tension washes away like dirt on a car in the rain. That doesn’t mean I’m ready to change my address to see how this plays out.”

“No, you probably won’t make that leap tonight,” he says, shaking his head sadly. “Not even for an amazing catch like me. Fortunately, I have tomorrow to seal the deal.”

Smiling at his confidence, I whisper, “I look forward to whatever you have in store for me.”

“And I look forward to you enjoying everyone in my life. I wonder if there’s time tomorrow for you to meet everyone.”

“Stop planning my entire future.”

“Stop playing the passive victim. You’re an active participant on this crazy ride.”

“I don’t like when you stand up to me,” I say, sounding more confident than I feel.

“And I don’t like how badly you lie, but here we are.”

“Bullshit. You fucking love how badly I lie.”

“Of course, I do,” he says, revealing a wide grin. “What man wouldn’t?”

Wrapping my too-short legs around his too-hard, wide waist, I wish I felt as sexy as I’m pretending. “These are the moments where I think you and I don’t make a lick of fucking sense.”

“Is it because I look so damn good wet and your hair is a mess? If so, that mess is giving me the most painful hard-on.”

His words send every nerve in my body into overdrive, and I nearly jump away from him.

“No, Farmer Ted,” I stammer, thinking of his erection I’m now certain I feel. “It’s not my hair, but thanks for making me self-conscious about it.”

“Yes, now every time your hair is messy, you’ll know my dick approves.”

“Shut up,” I say and dip the back of my head into the water to try and tame my hair. “Jerk.”

“You lash out when you’re embarrassed. I dig that about you. I’m unable to handle tears, so I much prefer insults.”

I wipe the water from my eyes and give him a scowl. “I’ll need to cry next time then.”

“You’ll try and fail. Tears aren’t your thing, Pip.”

“Yes, I am a pipsqueak. I’m small, and you’re too damn big.”

“Petite, baby. They call small divas ‘petite’ because it sounds sexier.”

“We don’t fit.”

“We’re not LEGOs, Audrey,” he says, rolling his dark eyes and wrenching me off him. He walks closer to the side to allow me to grab on. Then he steps back and leans into the pool’s corner. “We don’t need to fit that way.”

“For sex, we do.”

“Uh, you need to watch more porn because your logistics are all wrong. My parts and your parts will fit just fine without the length of our legs matching.”

“Whatever.”

“You deflect when embarrassed too. I prefer the insults.”

“Peanuthead.”

“That’s the stuff.”

As much as I hate giggling, my natural laughter always possesses a rolling, silly element to it. Cap’s enjoyment of my insults sends me into a laughing frenzy. Before I can get control of myself, he laughs too, and my giggles worsen until I’m choking.

Of course, my laughter is mostly a defense against the fury of emotions Cap inspires inside me. This giant, handsome man has me drowning in wild lust, and I’m unsure if I even want to be saved.