“It was my job in another life.” The far right corner was tucked in the shade, so Alex guided her that way with his hand on her lower back. He spread the towel and said, “After you.”

Jenny moved carefully to settle on the ground, her legs protesting the movement.

“Still sore?” he asked as he settled next to her.

“Not like yesterday.”

“I feel bad about that.”

“You shouldn’t. It was fun.” She smiled, hoping to reassure him. “A lot of fun.”

“So much fun I’ve thought of little else since then.”

“Is that so?”

“Yep.” He poked his nose into the bag that was closest to him. “What’s for lunch?”

“I got turkey and chicken salad. I’ll eat either, so you can pick.”

“Half of each?”

“That sounds good.”

Jenny unwrapped the sandwiches, handed him half of the turkey, along with a Coke. She opened a bag of chips and put them close to him as she reached for the grapes while he devoured an entire sandwich before she’d had her first bite.

He guzzled a bottle of Coke as Jenny watched him, fascinated.

“Sorry, totally dehydrated from the heat,” he said. “Thank you for this.”

“My pleasure.”

“Um, no, it’s definitely my pleasure. My long, boring day just got a whole lot more interesting.”

He made her burn when he said things like that, but she couldn’t get so caught up in being with him that she forgot why she’d come.

“I have a bit of an ulterior motive.”

“Yes, I’ll do you right here in the garden. You didn’t have to bring me lunch to butter me up. I’m kinda easy where you’re concerned.”

Jenny laughed—hard. “You should’ve been spanked more as a child.”

“I’m happy to let you discipline me any time you’d like.”

“Alex. Stop.”

“Why? If I stop embarrassing you, I won’t get to see your sweet blush every time I say something outrageous.”

“I don’t blush.”

“Um, yeah, you do, and it’s fucking hot.”

Jenny blew out a deep breath. He was far too much for her, and yet he was just enough, too. “If you can be serious for a minute, I’d like to talk to you about something.”

“I can be serious, as long as you aren’t going to tell me all the reasons why we can’t possibly keep doing what we’ve been doing.”

“I’m not going to say that,” she said, touched by his concern.

“Oh good.” He popped a grape into his mouth and reclined on one elbow. “The time I’ve spent with you lately is directly related to my will to live.”

“No pressure or anything.”

He smiled widely at her. “None at all.”

Did he have any idea how sexy he was? And he wasn’t even trying to be.

“So what do you want to talk about?”