He sighed again, this time with a hint of amusement, as the melody of Lovefool by The Cardigans filled the car. I couldn’t help myself; the moment was too perfect. I began to sing along.

“Love me, love me, say that you love me…”

Blake rolled his eyes but couldn’t hide the small smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth.

“Pretend that you love me…” I turned toward him fully, my voice growing louder and more dramatic.

“You really don’t have to do this, B.”

“Shut up,” I shot back. “You love my voice! Just admit it.”

He shook his head. “I really don’t,” he said, his lips pressing together in a weak attempt to suppress a grin.

He was trying so hard to keep up the act.

“You do.” I stretched out the word, pointing an accusing finger at him. “You’re smiling.”

“I’m not⁠—”

“Admit it,” I teased. “You’re obsessed with me.”

The moment those words escaped my lips, he finally turned to me, a flicker of something deeper crossing his face that sent a thrill through me. “Obsessed is a strong word.”

“But accurate,” I murmured, holding his gaze, my pulse quickening as I tried to decipher his expression.

His lips parted, as if he was about to fire back with a clever retort, but something stopped him. Instead, he just shook his head, exhaling a deep sigh.

“See?” I grinned, just a little bit smug. “You can’t even argue.”

His fingers drummed against the steering wheel as he kept his eyes glued to the road. “You’re something, that’s for sure.”

“You’d miss me if I were gone.”

His eyes found mine again, looking me up and down with a mix of amusement and something else that made my heart race. “Is that right?”

“Yeah.” I nodded confidently, leaning back in my seat. “Don’t even pretend that you wouldn’t.”

His silence was telling enough.

By the time we pulled up to the beach, my pulse was thrumming with anticipation. The water stretched out in front of us, dark and endless, the moon casting a silver path across its surface. “Are you sure you still want to do this?” Blake asked.

“Obviously.” I didn’t hesitate, tugging off my pajama shirt and tossing it aside, followed quickly by my shorts and shoes. I stood there in my underwear, the thrill of the moment drowning out the chill of the night on my bare skin.

Blake sighed, shaking his head as if he couldn’t believe me, but there was a glimmer of admiration in his eyes. As he began to unbutton his jeans, I quickly looked away.

“Beverly Price,” he mused. “You getting shy on me now?”

I shot him a glare, ignoring the warmth creeping up my neck. “Just get in the water.”