My pierced eyebrow quirked up on its own accord. “Like I’ve told you before, clothing is optional around me. I prefer you naked.”

I reached through the water until my hands found her torso so I could yank her against my body. Even through the chilled water, I could feel my temperature rise. She just had that effect on me. My eyes peered down at her chest as the thought of Lane in a wet t-shirt crossed my mind.

“What’s that smirk all about?” she teased.

I bit my lip. “Just how fucking hot you’ll look when we get out of this water in that white tank-top.” I reached over and traced her bra strap with my fingertips. “If only you weren’t wearing this.”

Her smile turned wicked as she turned away from me while treading water. With some crazy-mad skill, she pulled her shirt up just high enough to reveal her bra hook and reached behind her and did a one handed flip to unclasp it. She faced me again once her shirt was down so that I could witness her masterfully removed her bra without taking off her shirt. It swirled around the air a few times in her hand before she chucked it up on the dock.

“That was impressive,” I laughed, fully enjoying her slight strip tease.

Lane threw her arms around my neck and leaned in and pressed her soft lips against mine. I would never get enough of her sweet taste. I plunged my tongue into her mouth and wished I could bury other parts of my body inside her.

It was difficult to get the closeness I craved while treading water, so I knew I needed to end this before I got so turned on I tried to fuck her right here in the lake. Sex in water was never my preference. I much preferred to slide into a woman with ease caused by her natural arousal.

I pushed away from Lane and grinned before I quickly placed my hand on top of her head and shoved her under for a mood shift. The thought alone of being inside Lane was enough to make my dick hard.

She resurfaced, fighting mad. “You’re such an asshole!”

I laughed as she splashed water in my face again. “So you keep telling me, but I know that’s just another way of you saying you love me.”

She rolled her eyes, and I knew I was right.

Chapter 5

I rolled over in the darkness and stretched my arm over a cold spot in the bed where Lane’s body should be. I sat up and looked around, still half asleep. There were no lights on around me, and I felt panic rip through me. I sat up and called out her name, but didn’t receive an answer.

There wasn’t any noise as my bare feet padded across the wooded floor towards the master bathroom. “Lane?” I tried again—still no answer.

I crept down the dark hall and flicked on the light and headed down the stairs. When I got into the great room, I froze at the sight of Lane curled up under a blanket on the leather sofa. Panic washed through me as the reasons she wasn’t sleeping in bed with me popped into my brain.

Just as I opened my mouth to wake her and ask what she was doing, she erupted into a coughing fit. Oh no. She was sick.

I tiptoed over to her and placed my hand on her forehead. “You’re burning up,” I said it more to myself then anything.

Leaving her fast asleep, I went into the bathroom to find a thermometer and ibuprofen. I rummaged through my medicine cabinet, slinging bottles out of the way until I found the pain reliever, but no thermometer. After cursing myself for not being better prepared for a situation like this, I went to the kitchen to retrieve a glass of water for Lane.

I returned to find her scrunched into a ball and shivering. I almost felt guilty for waking her, but I knew she needed medicine for the fever. “Lane?” I nudged her arm. “Lane, wake up. I brought you some medicine.”

She groaned and then opened her eyes. “I didn’t wake you, did I?”

I shook my head—silly girl. “No. I was just worried when you weren’t in bed, so I came to find you. Here.” I held out the glass for her. “This is ibuprofen.”

Both of her arms shook a little as she pushed her weight up off the couch and then took the glass and pills from me. “I don’t know what’s happened to me. I felt fine when we went to bed.”

A frown pulled on my lips as the thought crossed my mind that somehow I made her sick by throwing her in the water earlier today. My fingers raked through my hair.

“Don’t do that,” she said.

I stopped and tilted my head. “What?”

She swallowed the pills and chased it down with a gulp of water. “Blame yourself for this. I’m sick. It happens. I’m sure the virus was in my system long before you tried to drown me today.”

Her mind reading ability was uncanny. Sometimes it was easy to forget she knew me just as well as I knew her. “I’m calling a doctor in town first thing in the morning.”

Lane closed her eyes and shook her head. “No. I don’t want to go anywhere. Just let me sleep this off.”

“You won’t have to go anywhere. I’ll have him come here.”

Her fingers trembled as she rubbed her forehead. “Doctors don’t make house calls anymore, Noel.”

The look on her face told me she was in pain. Quickly, I readjusted the pillows. “Lay back down. You don’t look so good.”

Once I had her in a comfortable position, I went to the hall closet and grabbed another blanket for myself. I dimmed the lights from the stairway, and then made my way over to the over-sized recliner next to the couch.

“What are you doing?” she asked as I plopped down and then kicked my feet out.