She’d changed into black form-fitting yoga pants and a snug gray long-sleeved t-shirt. Every curve was delineated to perfection and Hardy’s body came alive with desire. He forced himself to look away before the situation got embarrassing, mostly for him.

“So, why the change of clothes?”

“I’d really rather not get a tick if we’re gonna be scrounging around looking for bugs to take pictures of,” she said, wrinkling her nose in disgust as she breezed past him.

“Why not?” Hardy asked as he followed Miracle back down the hall. “A little Lyme disease never hurt anybody. Oh, wait…”

Miracle looked back at him and grinned. “Yeah, who doesn’t want a rash, flu-like symptoms and overall misery with the possibility of paralysis? No summer would be complete without it.”

“See? So why don’t we just strip those clothes right off you and take our chances?”

They’d reached the door and Miracle stopped to look back at him. Hardy immediately regretted his teasing. He panicked, his brain scrambling for something to say to smooth things over in case he offended her.

“I didn’t…I just…I was just…” he stammered.

Miracle took a step closer and looked up at him. There was something smoky and hot in her eyes that gave Hardy pause. “Would you like that?” she asked softly, her voice little more than a whisper. “For me to strip, right here in front of you?”

Hardy felt his jaw go slack and his heart began to race inside his chest like a runaway stallion. “Wh-what?” He stood perfectly still and watched her as she reached for the hem of her shirt. He didn’t know what to say or do; he was paralyzed and spellbound. Unfortunately, his body knew exactly what to do. It got hard and began to throb with need.

Then Miracle laughed, winking mischievously at Hardy. “I’m just kidding, too,” she said, turning back to open the door. She stepped through it and stopped, tilting her face up to the sun that was pouring onto the stoop. Hardy stayed inside for a few extra seconds, taking deep breaths and trying to calm his body. He knew right then that if things ever got to the physical point with Miracle, it would be the most amazing experience of his life. He knew it as certainly as he knew the sun would rise in the morning.

Finally, Miracle turned to him and smiled again. “You ready?”

“Yep,” Hardy replied, hoping for a lightness in his tone that he didn’t yet feel. He was still quelling the urge to carry Miracle back to her bedroom, peel off her clothes and kiss every square inch of her perfectly formed body.

Silently, Hardy followed Miracle across her back yard, through a field and into a small patch of woods that lay between her subdivision and the river Hardy knew ran behind it. He had to purposely push thoughts of the river out of his mind, because that made him think of swimming with Miracle, which made him think of her in a bathing suit, which made him think of her without a bathing suit. It didn’t lead to a comfortable place for him, so he determined to avoid it altogether.

“So,” Miracle said, stopping a little ways into the forest. “Where would be the best place to find bugs in the woods?”

“Let’s look for a fallen tree or an old stump. I’d say those type places would be as good as any for a bunch of bugs to hide out.”

Miracle nodded once. “Fallen trees. Old stumps. Gotcha.”

With that, Hardy and Miracle began to walk slowly across the bracken-strewn ground, side by side, in search of the perfect safe haven for insects.

“Over there!” Miracle called several minutes later, pointing out to her right. She took off in that direction and Hardy followed her. Sure enough, there was a fallen tree and, at its base, the stump it had likely been separated from some time ago. Miracle placed one tennis-shoe shod foot against the tree and pushed. It didn’t move at all. Didn’t even rock, so she moved to the stump and squatted down to examine the dirt surrounding it.

Hardy pushed on the fallen tree as well and got it to move a little. Refusing to consider that his motivation might include showing off for Miracle, he squatted down in front of the felled tree and put his hands against it, pushing with all his might. He managed to move the tree enough to unsettle it from its trench, exposing to light and air and inspection a variety of critters that wiggled and squirmed.

“Here’s some,” Hardy said matter-of-factly, brushing off his hands.

Miracle looked up. “Nice,” she admired, making Hardy puff up in pride. She left the stump and dropped to her knees in front of the deep groove the tree had left. Hardy fully expected her to squeal or act squeamish over the fast-moving bugs, but Miracle surprised him yet again.

“Come here, you,” she said, reaching for a millipede as it slithered by looking for a new home. Miracle gently picked up the bug, letting it crawl over the back of first one hand, then the other. She smiled at it as she worked her hands to keep the arthropod from getting away. She let it slither up her arm a ways before she caught it on the backs of her fingers and brought it back down again. She even giggled once when it crawled across her palm. “That tickles.” When she looked up at Hardy, he figured his face must’ve shown his surprise. “What?”

Hardy shook his head. “I just never expected that you might be comfortable with bugs.”

“Why is that?”

Hardy shrugged. “I don’t know. Most girls I know would’ve screamed if that thing got anywhere near them, much less on them.”

It was Miracle’s turn to shrug. “I used to be afraid of them. Terrified even, but then I decided not to be.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that.”

Hardy figured that’s exactly how it happened, amazingly. It was obvious that Miracle had decided to live her life, really live it, to the best of her ability and nothing was going to stand in her way, not even the fear of nature’s creepiest crawlers.

Miracle returned her attention to the millipede and continued to play with it, so Hardy got out his camera and started taking photos. Even through the lens, she was captivating. And Hardy was captivated. More and more with every minute he spent in her company.

With a crooked grin in place, Miracle looked up at Hardy. “You aren’t afraid of this little guy, are you?”

“No. Why?”

Hardy could tell by her expression that she was up to no good. When she stood to her feet, he knew he was right.

“Then give me your hand.”

“I’m holding the camera. Maybe later.”

“Then put the camera down.”

“One of us has to go back with some pictures or—”

“Oh, no! No excuses. Put the camera down or he’s going down your shirt.”

When he didn’t immediately comply, Miracle lunged at Hardy and, reflexively, Hardy jerked away.

Miracle giggled in delight. “Ohmigod! You are! You’re afraid of bugs.”

“No, I’m not,” Hardy defended. “Just those things. All those legs…they’re nasty.” He shuddered involuntarily, which just sent Miracle into more giggles.

She waved her hand in front of him and he leaned as far away as he could. After teasing him for another minute, she sobered. “Seriously, they’re not that bad.” Hardy was still eyeing the millipede skeptically. “Do you trust me?”

Hardy’s eyes flickered up to Miracle’s. The humorous light had faded from her eyes. He could see that she really wanted to know.

“Yes,” he answered. And he did. For some reason, he knew he could trust her with his life. Maybe more than he could trust anyone else he knew.

“Then give me the camera and lay down.”

“What? You’re cra—”

“You said you trusted me.”

Hardy looked down into the mesmerizing emerald pools of Miracle’s eyes. There was seriousness in them, but also something else, something that burned there and warmed him from the inside out. Without a word, he handed her the camera, dropped into a squat then stretched out in the leaves right at her feet.

He watched her as she knelt near his right elbow, struggling to keep the millipede from getting away as she juggled the camera. When she settled back on her haunches, she leaned over Hardy.

“Close your eyes.”

With a dramatically loud sigh, Hardy complied, but he wasn’t worried. No, if anything he felt excited at the prospect of being at her mercy such as he was.

First, he felt her touch his hand, turning it over, palm up, and running her fingers along his. He shivered. Then Hardy felt the millipede. When his heart increased its pace, Hardy knew it wasn’t the legs she let crawl over his skin that did it. Not, it was the feel of Miracle touching him that excited him.

Her fingers skated up his arm and stopped at the inside of his elbow, herding the millipede. Then she ran it back to his palm. His breath caught in his chest when she raised the hem of his shirt just enough to expose his belly. He felt her fingers skim lightly over his abs, causing them to contract. He thought he could feel the tickle of the millipede, but he couldn’t be sure. All his senses were trained on Miracle—her fingers, her scent, her breathing, her warmth.

Hardy heard the clicking of the camera, but he paid it little attention. He felt Miracle’s fingers back on his arm and then up around his neck. They drifted across his forehead, followed by the scampering legs of the millipede, but still Hardy didn’t care. He didn’t care what else was happening around him, as long as Miracle didn’t stop touching him.

When the arthropod took off down the other side of his neck, Hardy felt Miracle lean over him, chasing the millipede with her fingers as it ran down his other arm. He opened his eyes and saw Miracle’s br**sts near his face, her stomach pressed to his. Instantly, he was rigid.

Miracle chased the millipede down his other arm to his hand, where it rested on his stomach. As she worked her fingers around the bug, Hardy saw her eyes stop somewhere in the vicinity of his zipper and she paused. Color bloomed in her cheeks and Hardy knew she’d noticed his current state of arousal. Although he knew he should feel sheepish, he couldn’t bring himself to feel anything but desire.

Miracle wanted him, too. And now he knew it.

Though nearly imperceptible, Hardy was watching Miracle closely enough to detect her reaction— the way she caught her breath, the slight widening of her eyes, the way they flickered several times to his crotch, the parting of her lips, her shallow breathing. She was practically panting, as was he.

Finally, she looked up at him and he knew. He was right. She wanted him. Maybe even as much as he wanted her.

Miracle’s pupils were dilated. She said nothing, just continued to watch him, her hand resting on his stomach, perfectly still. Hardy had no idea where the millipede had gotten off to and he really didn’t care. His focus was on Miracle and the moment they were sharing. Nothing else mattered.

Until he felt it crawling across his ribs up under his shirt.

With a yelp, Hardy rolled onto his side and then to his feet, pulling his shirt away from his body and brushing his hand over his skin. Finally, the millipede dropped out.

When he looked down at Miracle, he could tell she was trying not to laugh. Although she had her hand over her mouth, he didn’t need to see her lips to know she was smiling. The corners of her eyes were crinkled and the bright green orbs sparkled with barely-contained mirth.

Hardy put his hands on his hips. “Go ahead.”

Keeping her hand pressed tightly to her lips, Miracle shook her head.

“Seriously, go ahead.”

Hardy saw her eyes water and she squeezed them shut, shaking her head again.

“Fine. I’ll help you then.”

And then he fell on her, wrestling her over and tickling her sides mercilessly. She pulled her hand away from her mouth to fight him off, giggling uncontrollably and writhing to get away from him.

“Laugh at me, will ya?” Hardy said, working his fingers up and down her sides. He didn’t notice that her shirt was coming up as he did so, exposing her skin to his touch.

But she did.

Miracle’s laughter died off and she quieted, pushing gently at Hardy’s hands so that she could lower her shirt. Hardy glanced down just in time to see her cover the scar.

When she’d righted her clothes, Miracle stood to her feet and dusted the forest floor debris from her pants. “Well, I’d say we got plenty of pictures for this assignment. I guess we’d better head back.”

Without a word, she swiped up Hardy’s camera and walked to pick up the bag off the ground, tucking the camera safely inside as she walked away. With or without him, she was heading back.

Hardy didn’t know what to say, or if he should say anything. He got the feeling she was more embarrassed than anything, in which case drawing more attention to it with an apology would only make things worse. With that in mind, he followed Miracle back to her house and let her say her stilted goodbyes. Then, much as he loathed doing it, he left her in peace without saying another word.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

The next day, Miracle avoided Hardy. She wasn’t rude about it or so blatant that it was hurtful, but he could tell she was avoiding him. She showed up late for Chem Lab and squeezed into a seat right near the door, far from Hardy. She left as soon as the bell rang.

Hardy’s one saving grace would’ve been their shared photography class, but Mr. Gault made individual assignments. Hardy’s was in the field. Miracle’s was in the gymnasium, where afternoon sun poured in through all the windows. She wasn’t the only one assigned the gym either, so there was no chance Hardy could catch her in there alone and talk to her. He didn’t really fret, though, thinking he’d have a chance the next day to test the waters with her.