August

Lake Wawaatesi

Grady knew there was a solid chance she’d slam the door in his face.

He was not wrong.

Prina took one look at him and let go of the wood frame with a healthy amount of hell-no enthusiasm.

Unfortunately for her, it was just a screen door and he could still see her.

“You cut your hair,” he said gruffly.

She crossed her arms and glowered at him.

“It looks great. You look great.” He meant it. It had been nearly a year since he’d seen her in person. He watched her on TV every chance he got, though.

And they’d had that phone call.

He regularly enjoyed a mental replay of that.

“I bet you’re wondering what I’m doing here,” he said, giving her a winning smile.

“Not in the least,” she said frostily, pulling the door open again. But instead of letting him enter her—their—cabin, she came out to stand on the porch. “You’re camp alumni. I bet you’ll come back every year to relive your glory days.”

That wasn’t the reason at all, and she knew it. “I’m here for you.”

She laughed. “Nice try, Grady.”

And she walked away.

Oh, hell no.

But Grady’s internal protest didn’t stop him from checking her out as she stormed off.

She really did look great.

* * *

Prina’s heart pounded in her chest as she marched down the path toward the main lodge.

No, seriously, what was he doing here? She’d double-checked with Tegan that…

She slowed to a stop, then twisted around, jabbing her index finger into Grady’s hard, unyielding chest. Of course he was right behind her.

She jerked her chin up and glared at him. “You set this up.”

“I’m afraid so.”

“I’m going to kill her.”

“Nah, don’t do that. I’ll sleep on the porch if you insist.”

“The por— Grady, tell me you have your own bunk in a boys’ cabin somewhere.”

“Camp’s full up, I’m afraid.” He grinned. “But I hear you’ve got a cabin all to yourself this week. What’s that all about?”

“None of your business.”

“Mental health break?”

More like a physical health break. “I’m on vacation.”

“And you came back to where we met.”

She laughed. “Also known as a fun resort where I had a good time with two of my girlfriends last year.”

“And an even better time with a certain sexy sailor…” He flashed her a rakish smile. He wasn’t wrong. Their secret hook-up had been spectacular. But it had also been a mistake, one she had no intention of making again.

“I remember splinters?” She screwed up her face in thought. “And it was over pretty fast, too.”

“I made you whimper my name for hours,” he said, lowering his voice.

She ignored the thrill that danced through her at the private tone. “Minutes. And it was more of a giving instructions situation.”

“Like, ‘more, Grady, yes, Grady, oh my god—‘“

“Grady!” She clapped her hand over his mouth.

He licked her.

She squealed and pulled her hand back.

“Yeah, I remember that sound, too.” He leaned right in. Not touching her, but…close. “And I want to hear it again.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s been a year. And that’s too long. So…no.” Unexpected heat prickled behind her eyelids and she spun around again. Nope. Not crying over a one-night-stand that wouldn’t be repeated.

Did phone sex count as a repeat? Okay, a one-night-stand and a follow-up-phone-call, neither of which would be repeated.

“I missed you,” he said from behind her. “I know that’s not enough, but—”

She nodded definitively, feeling his eyes boring into the back of her head. “It’s not. So…I don’t know what you and Tegan thought would happen, but I’m going in search of a Lake Waawaatesi Iced Tea, and I’d prefer you not follow me.”

She didn’t get far before he called out to her. “You didn’t tell her about us.”

Tegan? No, she hadn’t told her best friend that Tegan wasn’t the only person to hook-up with a Navy SEAL last summer. Because Tegan’s fling had turned into the real deal and Prina’s had fizzled before it had really gotten started.

“It wasn’t any of her business,” she tossed back over her shoulder.

“I’m not following you,” he hollered, his voice getting louder as she put distance between them. “But I’ll be sitting on the porch when you get back. Bring me a drink.”