She shifted toward him, and he pulled her down to a rock. She saw they were on the far side of the lake. They were still within earshot of the others, but just out of view.

Fog hovered on the water, drifting over them, smudging the night scenery like a glorious wet painting. With a sigh, Lily let it all surround her, the crickets singing, the branches brushing together in the light breeze.

Her own heartbeat.

Jared didn’t say a word, just sat next to her, taking in the magnificent night in utter silence. She looked at him, at his profile with his strong, masculine features and the mouth that she, quite shockingly, wanted on hers. “Jared.”

“I want to strip you out of your clothes and take you right here.”

“The others-”

“Can hear, I know. We’d be quiet.”

The sharp desire in his voice when contrasted to his easy posture, tugged a short laugh out of her. “Uh-”

He looked at her then, his glasses slipping just a little, a frown on his mouth. His stubble had filled in a little after two full days, and his hair had been finger-combed again. Overall impression:

Badass.

When had that happened? Looking at him, a little frisson of sheer desire zinged through her, beginning at her toes, traveling through every single erogenous zone she had, plus a few she’d forgotten about…Yeah, she’d definitely found her oblivion, her nirvana. “Jared.”

“I know it sounds crazy,” he said. “You could have-”

“Jared.”

“-any guy on the planet-”

Cupping his face, she gave him a little shake. “Jared.”

“Yeah?”

“I don’t want to talk,” she whispered.

“You don’t-”

She kissed him. He didn’t protest, and neither did the night. A breeze blew her hair across her face and she impatiently shoved it aside, shooting closer.

With a groan, he pulled her in. She sank into him, the scent of his skin better than any scent she could remember. Around them, the water hit the rocky shore with a rhythmic, almost hypnotic regularity, in tune to their heavy breathing as she strained to get even closer.

She could hear the murmurs of voices-Michelle’s and Jack’s, she thought. Or maybe Rose’s and Rock’s. There was something incredibly arousing about that, knowing they were within earshot, especially given what she wanted to do.

“Lily-”

“No. No talking.” To that end, she took his mouth again, dancing her tongue to his, absorbing his low groan of pleasure, loving how his arms tightened on her as he kissed her back, hot and deep.

“God, you taste so good,” he murmured, dragging kisses along her jaw to her ear. “So damned sweet. I can’t get enough.”

She couldn’t either. His kisses, his touches, were as quietly demanding as the man himself could be. He kissed her again and again, and leaning over her, urged her back on the rock, stretching her out, supporting himself with his hands on either side of her face.

Oh, yeah, now this was what she’d wanted. Desire. Hunger. More, please.

Lifting his head, he looked down at her sprawled out beneath him. “You look sweet, too.”

She let out a sound that was half laugh, half groan. He needed to shut up and kiss her some more.

“What, no one’s ever told you that before?”

“Not exactly.”

“Well they should have because you are. And hot. Did I mention you’re also hot? So damned hot. Lily-”

“No talking.”

“Can’t help myself.”

“Try harder.”

“Maybe if my mouth was busy-” In the interest of her wishes, he kissed the spot beneath her ear, then slowly exhaled, making her shiver wildly.

Good start.

“Mmm.” He shifted to her neck, dragging hot, wet open-mouthed kisses down the base of her throat, where she was certain her pulse had approached heart-attack speed.

“And you taste pretty damn hot, too,” he said with a smile, the one that seemed to melt her brain cells and her bones at the same time. “Sweet and hot.”

The night added to the intimacy. Around her she could hear the things that had always lulled her, soothed her; the crickets, a distant howl…her favorite sounds.

But now she had a new favorite sound-the quickening of Jared’s breath as he stared at her hungrily, and also with just a little of a befuddled surprise, as if he couldn’t quite believe his luck. Then he bent over her again, touching his mouth to hers, and she knew she’d been right. There was no better way to beat back the emptiness that had taken over than with this. Him. Sliding her hands into his short, silky hair, she held him to her.

“Lily-”

“Shh.” Beneath him, her body was coming alive, the loneliness and emptiness she’d felt only a short time before with Keith quickly being replaced by a heat that was working outward from everywhere Jared’s mouth touched. Then his warm hands slid beneath her T-shirt, skimming over her ribs, his fingertips just barely stroking the undersides of her breasts. Her nipples had long ago hardened, but they hardened further, into two tight, aching peaks.

“I could kiss you all night,” he whispered. “Tell me you feel the same.”

“Jared Skye, what does shh mean? No talking, that’s what!” With a huff of impatience, she sat up, pulled off her shirt and tossed it aside. There. She looked up at him, figuring that would finally get her message across.

His gaze took in her white lace bra, his eyes on fire. Rising up to his knees, he pulled off his shirt, too.

Finally. In reward, she ran her hands down his torso, but he backed away.

Huh?

Smiling, he stood up, then kicked off his shoes.

Okay, she liked where this was going. A lot.

And then he shucked his pants. Yeah, she really liked where this was going…

There he was standing beneath the meager starlight naked as the day he was born.

She licked her suddenly dry lips. “Okay, that works. Now-”

But she was talking to herself because he’d turned, and without a single word-which was just as she’d asked so what could she say?-he dived into the water in one clean, cat-like movement.

Sitting up, she stared in disbelief at the black ripples on the lake until he re-emerged and tossed the water from his wet hair.

Without a moon for light, she couldn’t be sure, but she thought maybe he was grinning.

“Come on,” he said, and lifted a hand.

“Skinny-dipping?”

“Why not?”

“Because…” Because I’d thought you’d be inside me by now. “It’s juvenile.”

“Actually…” He stood up so that the water lapped at his shins. His body gleamed by the meager starlight as water sluiced off him, down his shoulders, his arms, his chest, his belly…

Lower, and, oh yes, she looked. He was aroused, hugely so, and her mouth went dry. God, he was a beautiful man, so beautiful she wanted to lap him up one sip at a time.

“I don’t feel so juvenile,” he said very silkily.

Oh boy.

“You coming in?”

“I don’t know,” she murmured, still staring at him. She’d wanted mindless, wild, animal sex. Him inside, her wild, no thoughts allowed.

And yet everything he did, every time he touched her, or spoke, or even just looked at her, her thoughts raced. She was yearning and burning, all of her, not just her body but her heart and soul, and that scared her deep.

Damn it, she’d just wanted to have some mutually satisfying sex, that’s all. Why couldn’t he oblige?

As if reading her mind, he let out a slow, daring smile. “What’s wrong? Someone else took charge of the moment, and you lost your place?”

She opened her mouth. Then carefully closed it again. “No.”

But he laughed. “Yeah.”

“You’re pissing me off.”

“I know it.” He splashed her, just scooped his hand into the water and splashed her, wetting her from her roots to her toes and all the places in between, including her bra. Water dripped off her nose as she looked at him. “That was juvenile, as well.”

“Yeah? What are you going to do about it?”

“I’m sitting here without my shirt on, and you want to play?”

“Uh-huh.”

“You’re crazy.” But she toed off her shoes.

He smiled.

“I don’t want any strings between us,” she said, pointing at him. “Just this.” She unzipped her jeans. “Got it?”

“This being…”

“Us. Naked.” She unhooked her bra. “Can you handle that?”

He was still smiling. “What if you decide you want more?”

“I won’t.” She let her bra fall. “Can you handle it?” she asked again.

“I can sure as hell try.”

And then she slid her jeans and panties down in one fell swoop. His smile faltered, replaced by a fiery look of desire that stole her breath.

“Come here,” he said very softly, and held out his hand.

A light breeze blew over her and she shivered as she stepped into the water, reaching out for him. He pulled her in, tight, close, and just like that, at the feel of his wet, warm body against hers, he banished the chill.

He kissed her as he pulled them both down into the water, and as the water closed around their shoulders, lapping at their bodies, she tasted the inside of his mouth and found unbelievable comfort in the familiarity of him.

Comfort, even as she wanted him to make her explode. So, so unbelievable. But at least she wasn’t alone in this odd phenomenon. She could hear his ragged breathing, as well, feel the pounding of his heart as he nudged her even closer, wrapping one arm around her lower back, the other sliding into her hair to tug her face up to his. He felt it, too, whatever “it” was, and a little stunned, a little overwhelmed at it all, she touched his jaw.

“Lily,” he whispered, his longing making his voice thick and husky.

She was a strong swimmer, and yet he held her up in the water. It felt incredible, leaning on him, letting him do the work, knowing he wouldn’t let go. Her toes bumped his shins, their bare thighs slid together. His hard abs pressed into her softer ones, and without conscious thought she ran her hands up his chest and around his neck, pressing her mouth to his for more of his achingly slow, melting kisses.