Page 106 of Johnny

I splash him. “Asshole.”

“You’re not scared of the water, right? You can’t be. This sea is your backyard.”

“No,” I say, too defensively. “But no one likes to be startled.”

“Did I startle you?” he asks, half-heartedly splashing me back.

“I just don’t know how well you can swim. The ocean is always dangerous. Especially at night. I

wouldn’t want you to drown.”

“Shit.” He laughs, spinning away from me so that his face is lit up with moonlight. “You don’t need

to worry about me.”

“Because you’re some kind of stealthy Navy SEAL?”

“Could be,” he says, spinning back. Wild, wide grin on his face. “It would be a mistake to

underestimate me, Megan.”

“I wouldn’t dream of underestimating you, Johnny.”

“No?” he asks, swimming towards me. Then he’s there. Just inches away. His hands find my hips,

pulling me towards him, and I let out a small, startled squeak as he wraps my legs around his thighs.

“Relax,” he says. “I’m not going to hurt you. I promise.”

I squirm, trying to break free. “I don’t think you’re going to hurt me.”

He just grins. Doesn’t let me go. And suddenly I realize I don’t know this man. I don’t know him at

all.

“Can I kiss you?”

We lock eyes when these words come out. I’m not that sheltered. I’m not some innocent prude. But… “I’m sorry. Did you just ask to kiss me?”

“Mmm-hmm,” he hums, blue eyes glistening with night water. “I told you I was a gentleman.”

“OK.” I laugh. Awkwardly. Which kind of pisses me off. The awkwardness, that is. Because he’s

totally in control right now and I’m not sure how that happened.

I’m the one in control, right?

“We don’t have to,” he says, releasing my legs and turning his back to swim off. He creates a short

empty space between us before he turns back. “We can skip that part if you want.”

“Uh…” OK, what is he doing? Skip that part? As in, skip the kissing and everything that comes

after? Or skip the kissing and get right to fucking?

I’m confused. And I don’t like it.

So I take a deep breath and say, “Hungry for a one-night stand tonight, Mr. Boston?”