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Then, Wednesday, August 12, fourteen years ago

Kicking off her shoes on her namesake beach, Evie whipped her t-shirt over her head and dropped it on her towels, the novelty of Nick’s new boyfriend status (five days old and counting) setting off a ticker tape parade in her chest.

“Get ’em off, SaxyBoy!” She peeked coquettishly over her shoulder, the pink strap of her lacy bra matching the colorful tide rising across his cheeks.

“You sure about this?” Sidestepping tangles of kelp, Nick hugged his bowling shirt and peered out at Eynhallow Sound, its clear aquamarine waters relatively calm and deceptively inviting. “We could go for lunch and come back?”

“Or eat after? Gotta take advantage on such a beautiful day!” A rare heat wave had stalled over the Scottish isles, bringing breezy warmth in the high seventies, and Evie was determined to soak up every sunshiny second before school reeled her back in. She inhaled deeply, savoring the sea air as she popped the button on her jeans. “It hasn’t been this hot in ages.”

Nick swept his hair off his forehead, revealing a bewildered crease. “You call this hot?”

“Scorching!” Evie laughed. “Stay here if you want. I’m going in.” She peeled off her denim and skipped across the gritty, silvery sand, leaving Nick scratching his head and gawking at her panty-covered butt.

Slosh! Splash! The water’s prickling burn bit her toes. Stifling a yelp, she sucked in a sharp breath and sploshed joyfully through the freezing liquid like it was a toasty swimming pool. She didn’t dare shiver. Nick was already iffy about the whole Orkney swimming thing and didn’t need another reason to balk. On the drive over, he’d fidgeted in the passenger seat, mentioning their lack of swimsuits and how tracking sand into her mum’s car would be “messy and inconsiderate,” but Evie couldn’t be dissuaded. “Underwear is practically the same as a swimming costume, and sand can be cleaned up,” she’d said. “Plus, wild swimming is invigorating and a great way to experience nature. We might even see selkies!” Nick stared through the bug-splattered windshield, clearly not sold on seals or anything else.

The tide hadn’t reached its full height, but it was still high enough for a proper swim. Arms outstretched, Evie plunged forward, and the cold water whooshed over her shoulders and back, pebbling her skin with goosebumps as a pained squeal lodged in her throat. She glanced at the smaller islands of Rousay and Eynhallow across the Sound then held her breath and dove in, the frigid shock of her head going under for the first time catapulting her back up, breaking the surface all wide-eyed and sputtering. Jeeez! That’s c-c-cold! As water seeped through her hair, tingling her scalp, she ducked under again where the serene, underwater beauty of the sandy sea floor and waving seaweed, all blurry golds and greens, welcomed her home. She took several long, leisurely strokes then popped up for air, finding it showered with salty expletives.

“Oh! My! Fucking! Christ!” Water edging his crotch, Nick let out clipped gasps with each stiff arm flap and leggy leap. Spoiled by yearly family retreats to Greece and Italy where the Mediterranean warmed to eighty heavenly degrees, Nick wasn’t just out of his depth, he was mired in one f’ing belter of a freezing freakout. “Jesus!” He wobbled. “I’m losing feeling in my—FUCK!”

Belly-flopping the surface, Nick gawped, the searing sting stealing his ability to blink or speak.

Evie slicked back her hair. “That’s it. Just fall in.”

He hung in the water, lashes flittering and teeth chattering as a surprise wave slapped him in the face and his chin dipped below the surface.

“Nick?!” Evie’s voice trembled. “You okay?!” Launching forward, she grasped his slippery shoulders and he came alive, his body unfolding like an awakening starfish. He wrapped himself around her and pressed his forearms into her back, drawing her closer in the most heavenly hug. They were hip to hip, chest against breast, the eager thump of Nick’s heart mirroring Evie’s.

“Hi.” Nick’s mouth curled with a mischievous grin. “I’m more than all right—now!”

“You’re kneeling on the bottom, aren’t you?” Water droplets trickled down Evie’s face, their saltiness teasing the rising corners of her lips. “You faker!” She laughed, splashing him.

Her playful response made Nick tighten his embrace. “Aren’t you glad I’m okay?”

“Yes!” She looped her arms around his neck. “Want me to prove it?”

His sinful gaze flitted down to her mouth. “Go on, then.”

And that means…what? Evie had yet to learn Nick’s boyfriend shorthand—what turned him on, what didn’t, when a sassy remark was really an invite for a cheeky fumble, a grind of her hips…or a full-on fuck. And time was ticking. As a twenty-year-old, Nick had years of experience on her, and unlike Stuart, he was popular and worldly and probably didn’t wait a year for any of his girlfriends to sleep with him. Evie would have to move fast, be sexually available sooner rather than later to keep Nick happy.

She hooked her legs around his hips then pressed her lips to his neck, his skin ripe and salty for tender kisses and lingering sucks. Evie indulged blissfully, closing her eyes until Nick moaned and his mouth hungrily sought hers.

Meeting his tongue, she went deeper, teasing and taunting as Nick let out heated gasps and his fingers slipped under the waistband of her panties. His gentle squeeze of her ass unleashed a needy ache between her thighs followed by a whimper from her throat. He’s into this—so much! Evie kissed him harder, their sumptuous dance coaxing her hand down his chest and stomach, between their hips, and over his boxer shorts where…

Huh?!

Nothing was happening.

Evie’s stomach lurched. I-I messed up. When she withdrew her hand, Nick pulled back, breathless. He’s not into it! She scrunched her eyes, dreading his rejection. “I’m sorry! I should’ve asked first.”

“Oh, Tigs,” he groaned. “Please don’t think I’m not keen. I am! Really!”

She pried her lashes open, catching his downward glance.

“The water is so cold. Nothing’s getting hard down there. Like, ever!” Looking up, Nick’s mouth quirked into an apologetic grin. “It felt amazing, though. If we were on a couch or a bed…” He kissed Evie on the lips and rested his forehead against hers. “You would definitely have more to play with.”

Was that a promise? Evie smiled. “Something to look forward to.”

“But this is nice, right? Kissing and holding each other?”