Swept Away (15 page)

She stormed out of the bathroom, choking back tears.

Damn him. He was the most difficult man she’d ever known. Brian had been selfish and controlling. Her father had been weak and passive. Carson was just infuriating in his inability to admit that he had needs. And despite her relative inexperience with men, she had a pretty good idea of what he needed from her. If only he’d let her.

She barreled right into Cody as she headed back toward the store.

“Hey, Lily. Where are you off to in such a hurry?”

“Oh, sorry.” Lily stepped back, shook her head, and let out a heavy sigh. She’d been a million miles away, not looking where she was going, and Cody was the last person she wanted to deal with right now.

“Hey, you okay?” he asked.

“Yeah. Fine. I was just on my way home. Now that everyone is back, safe and sound.”

“Hey, I invited a bunch of people over for a party at our place tonight. We’ll throw some meat on the grill, knock back some brew.”

“I don’t think so. It’s been a long day.”

“Oh, come on,” Cody pleaded. He flashed his most dimpled grin. “Please? It won’t be any fun if you’re not there.”

“Right.” Lily cracked a smile. She wasn’t totally immune to his charm. “Like you need me to have a good time.”

“I need you to keep me in line.” Cody dropped his voice so she would have to stay close to hear him. “You have no idea what kind of trouble I might get into otherwise.”

“Oh, I can imagine.” Lily laughed.

“Please say you’ll come.” Cody was practically begging. “That way Carson won’t have to worry about me.”

She bit her lower lip at the mention of Carson’s name. She wanted him. But he wouldn’t let her get close.

“I’ll think about it.” Lily backed down the porch steps toward the parking lot. “Maybe I’ll bring a salad.”

“Make it a big one.” Cody grinned. “It’s going to be some party.”

* * * *

Carson was at the counter buying Nate a whole new wardrobe. Hat, shirt, shorts, and sandals. He considered it a business expense, since word would spread fast, and chances were the story would grow by the end of the week. So would their business. Who wouldn’t want to come down the river with a hero?

“Hey, bro.” Cody nodded, then shook his head after getting a good look at him. Man, he must be a mess. Probably looked like he’d tried to break up a cat fight. Between seven or eight cats. And most of his cuts were shining with ointment.

Lily.

Didn’t she know how much harder she was making this? How the more she cared for him, the more he wanted her? The more he wanted to stay?

“So I invited Lily to the party tonight.” Cody seemed oblivious to the turmoil Carson was going through. “Who knows, maybe she’ll finally realize what she’s missing. I think I’ve waited long enough.”

“Hey, Nate, why don’t you go grab yourself a Gatorade or something?” Carson ignored him completely. “Then you should probably catch up with your friends.”

“Yeah, okay.” Nate grinned up at Carson, all traces of fear gone from his expression. “Hey, next time I’m coming with you guys.”

“Sure, we’d be happy to have you.” Carson gave the kid a pat on the shoulder. “See you soon.”

Carson told the clerk to put anything else the boy wanted on his tab and then headed back to the office. Cody followed.

“So what’s your deal?” he asked. “You’re not speaking to me for some reason?”

“Are you really that needy?” Carson asked. “If you’re not the center of attention, you think something’s wrong.”

“No, I just don’t know why you hate me all of a sudden.” Cody crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against Lily’s desk.

“I don’t hate you.” Carson opened a filing cabinet and went rifling through the drawer. He needed to get his head on straight. Stop thinking about Lily and all the things she made him feel.

“If it’s because of Lily, don’t worry,” Cody said. “I’m not going to use her. I think… I think I’m falling for her.”

Carson slammed the metal drawer shut, cursing under his breath.

“I know I joke around and all, but…” Cody let out an exaggerated sigh. “She’s really special. I think she could be the real thing.”

“Good for you.” Carson brushed past him, leaving Cody alone in the office.
Maybe Lily would be good for Cody. Maybe she’d instill the kinds of feelings in his brother that she’d stirred in him. Longing for something more. Something real.

Lily almost hadn’t come to the party. What if Carson blew her off again? She didn’t think she would recover. But then she thought of Cody. How he kept coming back for more. Rejection didn’t stop him. He was like that cartoon coyote. Maybe he could offer some pointers. Teach her how it was done.

Speaking of tutors. Fisher hurried down the stairs of Carson and Cody’s house. Had she come from Cody’s room?

“Hey, Fisher.” Lily approached her to see if she’d made any progress on the Cody front. They’d talked about letting him know how Fisher felt about him. A party would provide a great opportunity to take action.

“Oh, hi.” Fisher’s eyes were red around the rims, mascara smeared down her cheeks. “Sorry, I didn’t know you were here.”

“What’s wrong? Did something happen between you and Cody?” Lily put a protective arm around her waist, leading her to the back deck.

“Oh, yes. And no.” Fisher wiped her eyes then stared at the back of her hand. The black marks were foreign to a woman who rarely wore makeup.

“Let’s get a drink and talk about it.” Lily reached into the beer cooler and pulled out two bottles.

“Thanks. But I’d rather not.” Fisher grabbed the beer and downed a long swig. “Talk about it, that is. The beer, I could use.”

“So I heard you were the one to rescue the raft from that flip this afternoon.”

“Thanks for changing the subject.” Fisher gave an appreciative smile. “But tell me about you and Carson. Any progress there?”

Lily took a long pull on her beer. She didn’t quite know how to answer that.

“I get the impression he’s more interested in his freedom.” A sigh escaped; she couldn’t hold it back.

“What is it about men and freedom? They think they need it and… Oh, listen to me, I’m going to start singing “Desperado” here pretty soon. And trust me,
no one
wants to hear me sing.”

It nearly broke her heart to see Fisher so downhearted. All dressed up, wearing makeup and everything. It was almost enough to make Lily want to find Cody and knock some sense into him. But she wasn’t here to find Cody.

“Have you seen Carson?” Time to get on with it.

“Not recently.” Fisher shook her head. “If he isn’t around, you could try down by the river. There’s a path around back. I’ll bet you find him skipping rocks or something.”

“Thanks for the tip.”

“Anytime.” Fisher finished her beer and tossed it in the recycling bin. “See ya.”

Lily waved to her friend and went to look for Carson. He hadn’t been inside, as far as she could see. He didn’t appear to be out on the deck, either. There were plenty of people there, most of them talking about the rescue, and it was clear that Carson held the respect of most of his friends and neighbors.

Lily didn’t want to hear about how great he was. She wanted to see for herself. She smoothed her skirt, clutched her purse to her side, and marched toward the river.

A clever little path wound its way to the water. Large stones had been set here and there, where a step was needed to make the journey safer. Carson would have done that. Funny, for a guy who was so intent on leaving, he’d sure put a lot of himself into the place. The house belonged to both of them, but it felt more like Carson. The kitchen especially. It had a warm, open feeling. Functional and inviting with its smooth stone surfaces, sleek stainless steel appliances, and warm maple cabinets. The homey feel spoke of Carson more than Cody. Not that she expected Cody to decorate the place like a college dorm room or fraternity house, but she couldn’t see him putting so much thought into the selection of materials.

The sand volleyball court down by the water, now, that had Cody written all over it. He’d see any excuse to spend time with girls in bikinis as a solid investment. Still, it was an interesting touch. Lily removed her sandals so she could walk across the sand. It was almost like being at the beach. They must have trucked the sand in, and she wondered why it didn’t extend all the way down to the water. It would be much more comfortable to walk on than the granite stones and broken slate lining the banks.

Lily stopped when she saw Carson at the river’s edge. He stooped to pick up a small stone, and examined it carefully before skipping it across the water. It skittered across the smooth surface several times before sinking into the river’s depths. He bent down and picked up another stone. Then another and another and another. The tension in his broad shoulders, the tightness in his long legs, and the fact that he hadn’t noticed her standing there just a few feet behind him made Lily believe this was serious business. Those weren’t just stones he gathered and tossed out into the blackness of the river. They were burdens.

The money Heather had attempted to steal.
Plip, plip, plip, plink
. The passengers on the upcoming trips.
Plip, plip, plip, plink
. The guides, the store clerks, and campground workers.
Plip, plip, plip, plink
. His brother.
Plip, plip, plip, plip, plip, plink
. The death of his mother. His grandparents. Maybe a pet he’d had as a child.
Plip, plip, plip, plink. Plip, plip, plip, plink
.

Lily realized that if she approached him, she would only add to his pile of rocks. It wasn’t the thought of being cast away that bothered her, but rather the idea that he would feel obligated to pick her up in the first place.

She should turn away. Go back to the party. Maybe find Fisher and commiserate with her about the misery of wanting the one man they shouldn’t want. But she couldn’t leave him there. She watched him gather stone after stone after stone. It was almost as if he felt the need to clear the beach of every last bit of granite, slate, or quartz. Carson took care of everyone. But who would take care of Carson?

Lily dropped her purse to the ground. She kicked off her shoes and began to unbutton her blouse. She shimmied out of her skirt and slipped off her bra and panties. There was no way he could ignore her once she stepped naked into the river.

* * * *

Carson skipped yet another rock. If he kept this up much longer, he’d change the course of the river. But he didn’t feel like being part of the crowd. He didn’t feel like replaying the events of the day. Everyone wanted to know about how he rescued the kid. They wanted to treat him like a hero. He wasn’t a hero. Just someone who happened to look in the right direction.

He bent down, grabbed a smooth flat piece of slate. He cocked his arm, ready to fling it across the water, but he stopped himself just in time to avoid hitting Lily.

She’d waded into the river, the moon highlighting the fact that she was completely naked.

Maybe she hadn’t noticed him there. She was skinny dipping, and he should leave her alone. He started to leave, but he couldn’t tear himself away.

“Lily.” He stepped forward, catching her attention. “You really shouldn’t be out there. Anyone could see you.”

“What are you going to do about it?” She stood her ground. A goddess standing waist deep in the river.

“Lily, I…” He started to protest. To give her all the reasons he shouldn’t. Wouldn’t.

Oh hell. Who was he kidding? The only thing he couldn’t do was resist. He couldn’t just leave her there. Alone in the river. He tugged his shirt over his head, slipped off his shorts, and entered the water. If he was going to go under, he was going to go all the way.

“Carson.” Lily shivered. He’d just have to warm her up. The best way to do that would be skin to skin. Wrap his arms around her and do his best to provide enough body heat.

They came together. Two bodies colliding with the force of nature. Gravity, erosion, the water cycle. All of those seemed minor compared to the power of their attraction to each other.

Lily wrapped her arms around his neck. She buried her head in his chest and he seemed to gain strength with each breath they took together.

Closer. He wanted her to get closer. Needed her to get closer. The only way to do that was to let go. All the way. To just surrender in every way.

He started with a kiss. Tentative, shaky, and oh so desperate. But she welcomed him. Consumed him. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and then started to slide lower, to the point of no return.

“Lily, wait.” His voice sounded foreign. A traitor. “We could be swept away.”

“Would that be so bad?”

“If we end up naked on the shores of Folsom Lake, yeah.” Carson struggled for control. For sanity. “Besides, we don’t have any protection.”

“In my purse,” Lily whispered, and it took every ounce of control to pull away from her.

“Are you sure?” It was a little late, but he still had to ask.

“Yes.” He followed Lily to the shore.

Lily gathered her clothing and fumbled with the zipper on her beaded handbag. Thankfully, she was more prepared than he was.

She held up the square packet with a triumphant grin. He had just enough brain cells working to grab his T-shirt and lead her to the soft, sandy volleyball court. He spread his shirt on the ground so she wouldn’t get sand where it didn’t belong.

Lowering her to the ground, he asked one more time, “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.” Lily pulled him on top of her. “Don’t worry, Carson. I’m not going to fall in love with you.”

If she meant to lighten the mood, her comment had the opposite effect. Somehow, it felt more significant. He hesitated, like he wasn’t sure where to begin.

“Touch me, Carson,” she whispered. “Touch me everywhere.”

She guided his hand to her breast and moaned. He followed with his mouth. He circled her perfect breast with his tongue. She shuddered as he drew her nipple between his teeth. Finally. He’d wanted her like this since he first met her. Since he first touched her.

Carson moved down her body, trailing soft kisses across her smooth skin. She tasted like the river. Like Lily. Like heaven. He watched and listened and sensed. She let him know when to slow down, speed up, use more or less pressure. He read her body like he’d read a current. He’d never felt so in tune with a river, though. He’d never felt so in command and out of control at the same time. And it had never felt so vital that he make sure they arrived at their destination at the same time.