Tequila Rose by Willow Winters (any book recommendations .TXT) 📗

“You could find out easily, though. You really could find out everything.” Like something’s dawned on her.

“Find out what?”

“Anything really. The town likes to gossip and knows everything.” She gets her confidence back and grabs a drink from the cooler. It takes a moment, and all the while I can practically see the wheels turning in her head. “So what have you heard about me?”

I can feel Griffin watching us, as if he’s a lifeguard on duty and he just knows I’m going to drown out at the helm with her. “I don’t want to hear what the town’s got to say, to be honest.”

“So you haven’t heard anything?” she asks like she doesn’t believe me.

“Nope.”

“I feel like this isn’t second date talk.” Griffin interrupts us, taking up the space to my right, with Magnolia still to my left. I’m tempted to kick his ass overboard.

He continues, “What is second date talk is asking about friends. Like if your friend Renee is single and if she’d like to come sailing … or what her thing is?”

I’m so happy I brought a fifth wheel …

Magnolia laughs and it’s the sweetest sound. “I invited her but she had to decline unfortunately.”

“Ah well,” Griffin says, playing it off well, “maybe next time then.” It’s obvious as all hell that he’s giving us space when he heads to the bow of the ship, looking out over the water as if there’s something to see there. The shoreline does look gorgeous, I’ll give him that.

“You want kids?” Magnolia asks me out of nowhere.

I can’t help but to think about her daughter. I almost bring her up, but I bite my tongue instead and think of how to answer her. “I do. I want a big family.”

“How big?” she asks and Griffin’s comment about appropriate second date talk comes to mind, but this isn’t really our second date.

“That would depend on a lot of things, I think. I’m an only child and I know I want at least two, maybe three … maybe more.”

She only nods, sipping her beer and staring out at the water.

I would ask her how many she wants, but she scoots closer to me, close enough that her forearm touches mine and I’m too busy enjoying the moment to break it up with questions that won’t change a damn thing about what I want from her.

There’s something here and I just need to kiss her. She’ll feel it all too, as soon as she lets me kiss her.

Magnolia

“I’ve got a little burn, but it’ll tan over.”

Back at the pier, our legs dangle over the ledge. The trees behind us offer a bit of much-needed shade after half a day on the boat.

I need a nap after spending all day soaking in the sun. More than that, I need Brody to kiss me. All the little touches have added up. A girl can only take so much.

“Not as bad as Griffin’s,” Brody says with a smirk. His friend is going to be hurting, that’s for certain.

“Where’d he go?” I say, already turning around to see if I can spot him. The piña colada water ice drips out just slightly from the bottom of the paper cone in my hand, so I tilt it back as I search him out, gathering the last of the frozen treat.

“He’s heading out to get dinner with his family, I think.”

I’ve learned a number of things in the last few hours. More than half were about Griffin. The man can talk and Brody was more quiet than anything. Observing, scooting closer to me and then I did the same.

It’s probably a good thing Griffin was on that boat with us, to be honest.

“Now we’re all alone,” Brody practically hums, bumping his shoulder against mine and I have to laugh. There are about a dozen people behind us at the Ice Shack. Alone, we are not.

“You’re funny,” I say as I stand to chuck the paper cone in the nearby trash can.

“And you’re cute,” Brody calls out. He’s got a sun-kissed tan now that completes his charming good boy, yet blue-collar look. If his hair was longer and his body leaner, he could be a surfer. But with his ruggedness and broad shoulders, and his hair cropped back … he’s all man candy to me.

He’s handsome. My kind of handsome. The little flip my heart does tells me it agrees with me.

I keep the comment to myself but the smile on my face won’t quit, so I bite down on my bottom lip as I join him again, legs hanging over the water, even as I lean back to lie on the wooden posts of the pier.

I could stay here forever, staring up at his blue eyes as he peers down at me like he has something on his mind. He’s practically done it all day. Testing his words before he says them. He’s careful with me.

“Maybe you’re cute too,” I whisper, feeling the warmth over my body spread deeper and flow through every inch of me.

It’s a scary feeling, like playing with fire.

With his head thrown back, all I can do is watch the ripple of the muscles in his arms as he covers his face with both hands and groans.

“What?” I ask. His simple white T-shirt stretches over his shoulders as he faces me to confess, “You have no idea what I want to do to you right now.”

My breath leaves me in a single quick exhale. “Oh yeah?” I whisper and I don’t know how I can even talk right now. “What’s that?”

“I want to lean down and kiss you. Put my hand right on those curves of yours. And kiss you in front of all these