Ten first dates, p.27
Ten First Dates, page 27
And wish I were the kind of person who said yes to them.
If you enjoyed this prequel, you’ll love continuing reading about Hamish and Amy’s enemies-to-lovers romance in Shopping for a Turkey. Yes, it’s a weird name. Yes, it’s a romance novel. I swear.
Hamish and Amy have been featured as side characters for years in my Shopping for a Billionaire series, and now they have their own spinoff series, and two full novels! Start with Shopping for a Turkey (https://jkentauthor.com/books/shopping-for-a-highlander/), available in eBook, print, and audiobook (narrated by Shane East and Emma Wilder).
And after that, read Shopping for a Highlander!
You have so much ahead of you <3 .
ALSO BY JULIA KENT
If you enjoyed this prequel, you’ll love continuing reading about Hamish and Amy’s enemies-to-lovers romance in Shopping for a Turkey. Yes, it’s a weird name. Yes, it’s a romance novel. I swear.
Hamish and Amy have been featured as side characters for years in my Shopping for a Billionaire series, and now they have their own spinoff series, and two full novels! Start with Shopping for a Turkey, available in eBook, print, and audiobook (narrated by Shane East and Emma Wilder). And after that, read Shopping for a Highlander!
You have so much ahead of you <3 .
ABOUT JULIA KENT
Bestselling New York Times and USA Today author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. Since 2013, she has sold more than 1.5 million books, with 4 New York Times bestsellers and more than 16 appearances on the USA Today bestseller list. Her books have been translated into French and German, with more titles releasing in 2017.
From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men’s room toilet (and he isn’t a billionaire).
She lives in New England with her husband and three sons in a household where the toilet seat is never, ever, down.
AT FIRST GLANCE
ERIN MCCARTHY
Self-Made Millionaire
Ex Pro Football Player
My Brother’s Grumpy Best Friend
MacKay Lennox is all of the above.
I haven’t seen him since I was an awkward teen with braces who had a massive crush on him. So, when MacKay jumps in a pond to save me from drowning, nothing could be sexier.
Spoiler: I was never drowning. I was just swimming.
And it’s not my fault he doesn’t recognize me as Cash’s little sister even though I gave him my first name.
It’s a classic Meet Cute, and then it was all wet clothes coming off and a hot and steamy night under the stars… and I am not mad about any of it.
Too bad I can’t say the same about MacKay once he finds out who I am…
Copyright © 2022 by Erin McCarthy
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Also by Erin McCarthy
About Erin McCarthy
CHAPTER ONE
Faith
My mama always said trouble followed me everywhere. Trotting along beside me like your best hound dog, faithfully. No play on my name intended. I wasn’t named for religion, by the way, unless you want to call it the church of country music. But at any rate, my parents had named me hoping I would be a sweet, quiet daughter after a run of five sons.
They’d been wrong.
Along with Conway, my nearest brother in age, I had run wild through the countryside, mostly unchecked. I hadn’t been seeking trouble, that’s the honest truth. I just wanted to explore. I wanted an adventure. But trouble always seemed to find me.
Even though, now as an adult, I desperately wanted to live in the city, any city, I still had that carefree country girl in me. So on a hot July night, while my brother Cash’s wedding reception was in full swing outside of Nashville, I could not resist the lure of the cool water of the pond on his property. Unlike in Louisiana, where I grew up, I could guarantee it did not contain any gators or venomous snakes, and since there was no one around, I did the only sensible thing.
I peeled my dress off and slipped into the cool water in my bra and panties.
Some people might argue swimming alone at night was definitely not sensible, and they would probably be right, but I would put it under the category of “seemed like a good idea at the time.”
Basically, where all my impulsive ideas belonged.
But I was surprised there was no one around given the number of guests at the wedding and it had been just too tempting. The other side of the substantial pond had paddle boats and to be fair, I had started out paddling a swan boat alongside several other guests in their own boats. But they’d gotten bored of the effort required and had returned to the dock.
I left my dress on the decking of my swan and entered the water.
I was within arm’s length of the boat. I could have easily reached out and grabbed the swan’s neck if I had a leg cramp. I already knew from swimming with my new sister-in-law’s kids that the pond wasn’t deep at all. I could touch the bottom and the water still only came up to my chest, reassuring me I could enjoy the refreshing dip for a few minutes. I threw my arms up and went onto my back.
What I did not count on was one of Cash’s friends— the very good-looking and single ex-football player friend I had spent my entire teen years crushing on— to think I was drowning.
“Hang on, I’m coming in,” he said.
He peeled off his jacket and pants and was wading into the water before I could open my mouth to stop him.
What happened after that?
Nothing but trouble.
MacKay
What do you do if a woman is drowning?
You get your ass into that water and haul her out. That’s the only answer. It’s not a trick question.
Rip off the suit jacket, toe off your shoes, drop your pants, and get in there.
So that’s what I did.
I thought she was in trouble because she was alone, a paddleboat several feet away from her, and she had her arms in the air. I had been walking past the pond, hoping to walk off the pain in my foot from my old football injury, and then in a blink I was in the water, moving toward her with hard, steady strokes.
When I reached her, she suddenly moved from partially bobbing on her back to an upright position with a splash of water. The tangle of limbs and water in the eye momentarily disoriented me. I commanded, “Stay calm,” and put my arm around her waist, adrenaline pumping.
She didn’t stay calm.
She wasn’t hysterical or scared either though.
She started laughing.
Treading water, I shook my head back and tried to process her unexpected reaction. Yep. She was definitely laughing. And shoving at my arm, which was pressed under her armpits and up against the swell of her breasts.
“Stop, that tickles,” she said, breathless.
She was also standing. Not floating. Not sinking.
Standing.
I put my feet down. They hit mud at the bottom.
Well, hell. This pond was only four feet deep.
That would have been nice to know.
CHAPTER TWO
MacKay
The water was cold enough to be shocking, but I barely noticed that. What had me distracted was that she was gorgeous. Not cute. Not pretty. But full-blown sexy-as-hell gorgeous. The kind of gorgeous woman that men write songs about and move cross country for and do stupid things on the regular for her and because of her. She had bright humor-filled green eyes, blonde hair that was slicked back from the water, allowing her sharp cheekbones to be on full display, and full, cherry-colored lips.
In just a bra, there was a hell of a lot of creamy flesh pushing up and out of the satin fabric, making my mouth water. I ripped my gaze from her chest, suddenly aware I was lingering too long.
“You can let me go,” she prompted when I said nothing and did nothing but stare at her like an idiot.
I yanked my arm away. “I thought you were drowning.” Which was obvious, but I felt the need to explain my behavior.
“I figured as much. Thank you very much for your quick thinking and bravery, but I’m not drowning. I just wanted to cool off.”
There was nothing cool about me at the moment. “You’re welcome.” After a short pause, when she didn’t say anything else, I asked, “Why are you swimming by yourself? There’s a lot of people on the property who could keep you company.”
“I didn’t want company. People swim alone. It’s not unheard of.” The words seemed defensive but her tone wasn’t. She seemed more amused than anything else.
“It’s not necessarily safe either.” I swiped my hand over my face, wiping water droplets off my eyelashes and cheeks.
“People swim alone in pools all the time and no one freaks out. This is just like a pool. There’s no current. It’s a manmade pond.”
I wasn’t even sure what to say to that because she had a valid point. “Then I’ll leave you to your solo swim.”
If she didn’t want a lifeguard I couldn’t do much about it.
Other than sit on the dock and watch her to ensure her safety.
Which I was planning to do.
She was right. People swam alone all the time. But it made me uncomfortable to leave her until she was out of the water. It was the decent thing to do, and in spite of the fact that I made poor impulsive choices on a regular basis when it came to women, I was confident I was a man who always tried to do the right thing. Making sure she was safe was the right thing to do. I couldn’t just return to the wedding and not be concerned about what had happened to her.
I figured I had just as much right to sit on the dock by myself as she did to swim alone.
But then she surprised me by giving me a smile.
“You don’t want to stay with me?” she asked. “You’re already in the water. You should at least enjoy it for a minute or two. Then I won’t be alone. It’s a win-win for both of us.”
I eyed her. That invitation sounded flirtatious. Which meant I was staying in the water. Oh hell yeah, I was staying.
“Show me how I enjoy it. Because mostly right now I’m just feeling wet.” I was wearing my dress shirt, boxer briefs, and socks. Not exactly comfortable for a casual swim but might as well make the most of the situation.
“Like this.” She shifted onto her back and floated.
The movement basically popped her panties up into the air like a buoy. Pink panties that were barely covering the soft mound between her thighs. I swallowed hard. She didn’t seem aware of her lack of clothing, or how close her body was to mine.
It was just like wearing a bikini. It wasn’t a big deal.
Yet there was something so casual and carefree about her, coupled with the fact that she had a curvy, hourglass shape, that made me lose all control of any rational thought.
She kicked her feet and cold water doused me in the face.
Which was exactly what I needed.
Here’s the trick question.
Did I keep my shirt on or off?
Wrong. That wasn’t a trick question either.
I undid the buttons on my shirt and peeled it off. I tossed it onto the floor of the paddleboat. There was going to be no explaining that damp shirt once I returned to the reception but it was too late to worry about it.
When I turned back to her I saw she was staring at me. Like she liked what she saw without my shirt. That made me want to flex but I resisted the urge. Instead, I went onto my back as well, now confident that there was a mutual spark of attraction between us.
“How hot do you think it is?” she asked.
She was very hot. Beyond that I had no idea what she was talking about. “How hot is what?”
“This day. The temperature.”
Not where my head had been going at all which went to show you two things—it had been way too damn long since I’d had sex and she was so gorgeous I was struck dumb.
“It’s at least ninety.”
“That’s why this water feels so delicious.” She gave a happy sigh and stared up at the sky. “You must have been dying wearing a suit.”
“It wasn’t comfortable. I agree with you on that. One of my buddies wore shorts but I felt disrespectful doing that. Though I should have skipped the socks, because now they’re a pain in my ass.” I stuck a foot in the air and attempted to pull my sopping wet sock off. It was a hard maneuver in the water and I ended up sinking under the surface. I came back up, shaking my head like a dog.
The droplets hit her bare stomach and she gave a little shriek and laugh. “Hey.”
I flicked more on her, just to get a repeat reaction. Her voice had a great timbre, naturally midtone, and when she laughed it was lower, seductive. She laughed again and full-on splashed me, more aggressively than the little drops I’d landed on her.
I wiped my jaw and eyes off.
She stood back up, clearly ready to go to battle if I retaliated.
“Oh, it’s like that?” I asked with a small smile. “Be careful what you start because I have much bigger hands than you. I can douse you in water.”
Her teeth sank into her bottom lip. “I’m tougher than I look.”
“I don’t doubt it.” I made like I was going to float again, but instead I blasted her with a handful of water.
“Oh!” She sputtered, then she went full force with both hands splashing me.
Amused and half-blind from water in my eyes, I reached out and grabbed her wrists to stop the assault. She was laughing. But I miscalculated how little she would resist so I wound up pulling her right against my chest.
The mood changed instantly.
Suddenly we were both very aware of how close we were to each other. Her lips parted, her eyebrows rose. She licked her bottom lip. Her eyelashes fluttered. Goosebumps rose on her skin and I paused, wanting the moment to draw out. Wanting to remember this moment, when I met a woman in the pond who felt like she had the power to rock my world. Or at least my night.
“You do have big hands,” she said, sounding breathless and more than a little turned on.
“I’m a big man.” I glanced at her mouth. God, I wanted to kiss her. Had since my eyes had first landed on her.
“I noticed.” Her gaze dropped to my chest then lifted again. “What now?”
“I’m not sure. I’m debating strategy.” That was the honest truth.
She gently tugged, trying to extract herself from my hold. “You’re breaking the rules of the game. You can’t hold me forever.”
“If I let you go, are you going to be a good girl? Or are you going to splash me again?”
“A good girl?” The tip of her tongue slid across her bottom lip, distracting me. “I’m not sure anyone has ever called me that. I’m more like a country wild child.”
Which sounded hot as fuck.
And like I’d just been handed a hell of an opportunity. I hadn’t dated at all since my last relationship had gone up in flames at a Halloween party, in an absurd and very public fight over my girlfriend’s infidelity. I still had a few scars from that disaster of a relationship and hadn’t waded back into the dating pool yet again.
But this woman? This woman had me splashing in a literal pond. I could certainly see myself entering the dating pool for her.
“You didn’t actually answer the question, wild child.”
The corner of her mouth turned up. “All I can promise is that whatever I’m about to do we’ll both enjoy it.”
Damn.
Not even cold water could prevent me from getting hard at that statement. “I’m being conned, aren’t I? You’re going to splash the hell out of me.”
“There’s only one way to find out.”
“All right. Fine. I don’t even care if you’re playing me.” I let go of her hands.
She smiled slowly, and lifted her hands up as if she were surrendering. “I suddenly feel inspired to be a good girl.”
“Don’t turn over a new leaf on my account.” Her expression was at odds with her words. She looked like anything but a good girl. Which made me even harder.
The real trick question. Did I throw out a line and see if I could catch her?
“I don’t understand,” she said flirtatiously. “Do you want me to be good or not?”
Her eyes were filled with mischief. I wasn’t sure I’d ever met a woman like her.
“I think what’s important here is what you want,” I murmured, glancing at her mouth.
“I don’t think I want to splash you anymore.”
That worked for me. “You know what I want?”
“What?”
“To kiss you.”
Was I drunk? Nope. I’d only had a couple of beers.
Was I curious? Yep. I wanted to see what this mystery woman in hot pink panties in the pond would say.
“I want that too,” she said. “But I wanted you to say it first. I’m not sure why, but I got inexplicably shy.” She looked amused with herself.
