“I suppose you think you’re funny.”

“You screamed like a girl.”

“Did not.”

“Oh, yeah, you did,” Jack yelled helpfully from the shore.

Rock, grinning, nodded.

“Our fearless leader,” Jared laughed, and snagged her close. “Squealing for her life.”

“I did not squeal.”

“Want to bet?” His eyes turned daring. “Anything. You name it.”

She wouldn’t take that bet. She never took sucker bets.

The water was cool, but Jared’s body against hers brought a warmth that couldn’t entirely be attributed to sheer physics.

He grinned, waiting her out.

Oh boy. There was chemistry involved here, plenty, and for a long moment she let her body bump up against his, belly to belly, thigh to thigh…and everything in between.

Either he was carrying something in his pocket, or he’d gotten hard. And even as she thought it, his grin slowly faded, his eyes heated. Flamed.

An answering shiver came from deep inside her. It’d been so long since she’d experienced the feeling, it took a moment to recognize.

Sheer, sensual, earthy, sexual anticipation.

His hands went to her hips as he treaded water, keeping them both afloat with an ease that startled her. Where was her beta-electronic-city-boy geek? She needed him to make an appearance, damn it, so that she could come to her senses.

But he was nowhere to be found. In his place was a confident, strong, easygoing alpha male whom she was finding harder and harder to resist. And speaking of hard…she nudged up against him for the sheer pleasure of feeling him again. Oh boy. “Who are you?” she whispered.

“Just a guy, Lily. A guy who’s looking at you. Seeing you.”

“Jared.”

“Wanting you.”

“Please,” she whispered.

“Too much, too soon?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm. Well, that I can fix.” With a flashing grin that should have been her warning, he let go of her, put a hand on her head, and dunked her.

Okay, that was it, she thought, sputtering as he just cracked up. He was dead.

And thus began the wildest, most fun water fight she’d ever had.

By the time it was over, they were all in the water-well, except for Michelle, who’d remained sunning on her rock-all of them having the time of their lives.

Mission accomplished, Lily thought with a pleased weariness.

And finally they dragged themselves out of the lake and onto the shore, lying there gasping for breath, happily exhausted as two monarch butterflies fluttered through the air over them, alighting on the rocks, fanning their bright orange wings.

“Ah,” Rose said. “This is the life.”

Jared smiled at Lily, his eyes agreeing.

Lily herself had to admit, it was nice, very nice.

And then, far above, a head appeared over the ridge, and an arm waved.

Lily sat up. Their first drop of supplies had arrived, which had been expected.

What hadn’t been expected…it was Keith handling the delivery.

9

“YOU’RE LOOKING good.”

Lily looked up. Keith stood a few feet away. He’d helped her cook dinner-stir fry-charming the guests in his easy way, snubbing her idea of regular chocolate chip cookies for dessert, instead brandishing what he’d brought them…black forest mousse.

Everyone had dived right on that, and he’d sent Lily a knowing smile. He loved making his people happy, and he did consider the group his.

Including, she had the feeling, herself. He made sure to touch her, a lot. He followed her to the water when she went to clean the dishes, then took over the task himself, squatting his leanly muscled frame down, scrubbing a pan with ease.

Watching him, it all came back to her. Being eighteen and inexperienced, knowing only that she’d never been given a chance to please her father, and wanting desperately to please her first employer.

Keith had loved that need in her.

She’d come here lost, looking for herself, wondering if she could go back to that woman she’d been, and possibly pick up where they’d left off.

But she was coming to realize how much she’d changed. She was no longer a young, needy girl but her own woman, a woman who rarely, if ever, let anyone else run her world.

She knew now that it couldn’t work between her and Keith. What she felt for him was firmly rooted in her past, and much as she’d thought she’d wanted to, she couldn’t go back.

From where he hunkered at the water’s edge, he smiled up at her, that same smile that had once been her entire world. “Your back okay? You need me to stick around?”

“No. I’m…fine.”

His smile remained but she felt his disappointment. He finished the pan and stood close. His sun-kissed hair was slightly disheveled, which only added to the fact that he was gorgeous. Once upon a time she’d spent hours just looking at him. Days.

Months.

“Seriously,” he said softly. “You’re looking good.”

She knew damn well her hair was a wreck, her jeans were dirty, and that, overall, especially when compared to him, she looked like something the cat had dragged in.

She also knew he genuinely didn’t care about any of that. “Thanks.” She took the pans from him. Unlike at last night’s camp, she was in plain sight of the tents and campfire, where the rest of the campers lounged and relaxed. Or where Rose was lounging and relaxing. Rock was doing pull-ups on a tree branch and trying not to take peeks at Rose. Michelle was giving herself a pedicure, sitting on her yellow rainjacket to keep herself off the ground and presumably spider-free. Jack and Jared had gone into the woods to get some fuel for the fire.

Jared. He hadn’t said one word about Keith appearing with the supplies. She wondered if he thought she’d invited him here.

Not that it mattered what he thought.

“Being out here really agrees with you,” Keith said, bringing her attention back to him as he moved close. Smiling into her face, he ran a finger over her cheekbone. “Getting some color back on you.”

Used to be, his touch had melted her. Now she just wanted him to go because she hated the confusing mix of past and present. “Can I ask you something, Keith?”

“Sure.”

“Do you ever think about us?”

“A lot, since you’ve called.” He took the pans back from her. “I was thinking you had some ideas about starting up with me again.”

“I did,” she admitted softly. “But now I’m thinking that was stupid.”

“Still say whatever comes into your head, I see.” He didn’t seem insulted, but amused. “I thought maybe you’d outgrow that.”

“Apparently not.”

“Actually, it’s refreshing. There’s no subterfuge with you, Lil. No guessing. It’s all out there in the open for anyone to see.” He laughed softly. “I wasn’t mature enough to appreciate that the first time around. I hope to rectify that.”

She looked into his eyes. Back then, she’d loved looking into his dark, unwavering eyes, loved guessing at his thoughts. She’d always had to guess, since he hadn’t ever been good at revealing himself. “How?”

He answered with a smile and a wicked gleam.

“Do you really think it’s a good idea for me to jump back into your bed?”

“Or yours. I’m not picky.”

She laughed at his audacity and smooth confidence, then her smile faded. “Keith…”

His smile faded, too. “I’m not going to like this, am I?”

She took his hand. “I took the job because I was lonely and hurting and afraid I’d lost myself.”

“You don’t look lost to me.”

“That’s because being here reminds me of the woman I was back then: strong, confident, ready to take on the world.”

“You were-are, an amazing woman.”

“Keith…”

He took in her expression. “Ah, hell. I hate the truth.”

“I’m not that same woman. And maybe the sooner I face that, the better.”

“Maybe that’s true. Maybe you’re not that woman anymore, maybe you’re better.”

She let out a low laugh. “Better? Uh, no.”

His gaze went on a slow tour of her, from head to toe, and back again, stopping at each spot in between. “You’re looking just as fine as always.” He looked her in the eyes, then leaned in and kissed her cheek. “And I hope you end up seeing that.” With a sigh, he tipped his head back to the gorgeous night sky, lit up with the glow of a million stars. “It never gets old, that view, does it?”

“No.” On this one thing at least, they were in complete agreement. “It doesn’t.”

“We were here once together, near this exact spot actually, beneath a night just like this.” He flashed a grin. “Remember?”

Her second expedition, as a matter of fact. He’d set her up in a tent that they’d never used. Instead they’d spread out a blanket and lain beneath a sky just like this one. He’d pointed out all the constellations, telling her stories about each one, and her eighteen-year-old heart had sighed.

She’d fallen hard. “I remember.”

“We were good together, Lily.”

“Were.”

“Ah.” He nodded. “It’s someone else you’re thinking of now.”

Jared. God, it was true. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, Lil.” His gaze went to a spot over her shoulder, and then, reaching out, he put a finger over her mouth, ran it over her lower lip in a caress. “One more then, for old time’s sake.” He kept his eyes locked onto hers as he slowly leaned in and kissed her.

Her first thought-he felt warm and comfortable, nothing more. Her second, and far more unsettling thought-that she could think at all meant she wasn’t feeling anything close to what she’d felt when Jared had kissed her. It was shockingly simple. For Keith, she felt a mix of affection and youth, all of it firmly past tense.

In the present, right here, right now, she felt…nothing, and she pulled back. “Keith, I-”

His gaze was drifting over her shoulder, and she found that just odd enough to turn and see what it was that he kept looking at.