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“Absolutely not”

The water laps against the shore just a few feet away The trees tower over the water, shading us as we drift closer to the bank

“This is way better than anything we could’ve done in the gyfun Isn’t that what you really wanted?”

His eyes search mine in a way that takes my breath away That is what I wanted, and the fact that he listened, that he heard that in whatever I rambled on about yesterday makes my insides warm

“Well, yes,” I say “But I do also want to get into shape”

“First, I pro in your shoulders tomorrow”

“We barely did it”

He grins “Trustin shape doesn’t etting in shapetheaze returns tohealthy and feeling powerful—which is so in shape—doesn’t only have to take place in the gym, Kaylee”

“Good Because I hate it there”

He chuckles “So you’ve said”

I raisedroplets run offthis part of it either”

“I don’t think that’s true”

“Oh, hello,” I say, drawing a circle in the air around my face “My mascara is smeared, I’m sure My hair is plastered to oing to look all sucked against et out of here”

His eyes narrow briefly—so briefly, in fact, that I think I would’veat him as intently as I am

I norety in situations like this If I would’ve fallen out of a kayak with Derrick, I would’ve been so embarrassed And I never, ever would’ve made him fall out of it on purpose

Yet, I’ when he looks at htfully like he is now, but it’s not crawl-inside- I don’t expect judgment

It’s a wild sensation that I need time to process

He smiles at me

I’ll need time away from him to process all of this

“Can I be honest with you?” he asks me

I gulp “Sure”

“Your mascara is smeared”

I rub ertips below my eyes as he watches me

“Your hair is kind of stuck to your head,” he says, his lips twitching “And your clothes will undoubtedly be stuck to your body e get to shore”

Shit

“But,” he says, floating the tiniest bit closer to eous”

My lips part in a eous

My legs stopas if they, too, are shocked into a standstill

Is Dane joking?