On A Night Like This (Callaways #1)

blue pool surrounded by rocks and boulders, the tall trees framing the sweetest picture she'd ever seen.
    She turned to him with excitement in her brown eyes. "It's beautiful, Aiden—a secret pool, a secret waterfall. I love it. It's magical."
    She was magical, he thought. Because she was stirring up feelings in him that he hadn't thought existed.
    "With the sun streaming through the trees, it's like a beacon from heaven pointing right here," she added. "Is the waterfall singing or is it an angel?"
    He grinned. "You don’t sound much like a hard-headed lawyer now."
    She smiled back at him with joy in her gaze. "How can I be cynical in a place like this?" She knelt down and ran her hand through the water. "It's not as cold as I thought."
    "It's pretty shallow. The sun warms it up," he replied, adding, "I'm glad you don't think it's too cold." He kicked off his shoes and slid off his socks, putting them on a nearby rock.
    "What are you doing?" she asked warily as he pulled his t-shirt over his head.
    "Going swimming."
    "It's November," she said, standing up.
    "It's California and it's warm. Why don't you join me for a swim?"
    "I didn't bring a suit."
    He took off his jeans. "So?"
    "Oh," she said, a lot of yearning and excitement in that small word.
    "If you're going to be in nature, you might as well go native."
    "Really, Aiden?" She glanced over her shoulder. "What if someone comes by?"
    "We're all alone, Sara."
    "You say that now, but I'm afraid I'll strip down and some park ranger is going to show up. That is usually the way my luck goes."
    He laughed. "That won't happen, but if it did, you'd have a good story to tell."
    "That's true. I've never really had a good story to tell. A couple of weeks ago I was at a bar with some girlfriends and everyone told their most daring, risqué story. I had nothing to add. It was sad."
    "Skinny dipping in broad daylight might be a good start to a story." He stepped out of his boxers and set them on the rock.
    She stared at him with lustful appreciation, and his body responded in kind; time for a dip in the cold water.
    He jumped into the pool. It was cold but refreshing. "Come on in, the water is fine," he drawled.
    "Isn't that what the spider said to the fly?" she asked, hovering on the edge of the pool.
    "I have no idea, but I can tell that you want to join me."
    "You're such a bad influence."
    "Bad or maybe good," he suggested. "Come on, Sara. It's not like I haven't seen everything. And believe me I have liked everything I've seen."
    Even from several yards away, he could see the delightful red flush her cheeks.
    "Okay," she said, finally giving in to temptation. "But don't watch me."
    "Sorry, can't agree to that." He enjoyed watching her strip and was even more pleased when she took off her bra and panties. He'd thought she might have left them on.
    She waded into the pool, squealing from the cold, her arms wrapped around her breasts. "It's not as warm as I thought."
    "Just keep going. It gets better." He paddled across the pool and wrapped his arms around her as they sunk down in the water. "Let me warm you up." He lowered his head and kissed her, loving her little sigh of delight, the way she melted into his arms. He was fast becoming addicted to her. The pleasure of holding her was unfortunately followed by a terrifying fear that he might be falling for her. But this wasn't the time for thinking. They were living in the moment. And today in this beautiful pool with the sun shining brightly on his head, he was determined to make the most of this moment.

    * * *
    "This is a first for me," Sara said, lying on the soft grass next to the pool, her head on Aiden's chest, her leg over his, the heat of the sun toasting her skin, making her feel warmer than she had in years. It wasn't just the sunshine heating her blood; it was Aiden. He'd chipped away the layer of ice that had surrounded her heart for a very long time, so long she couldn't remember when the freeze had begun.
    Maybe when she was a little girl. Maybe when she first realized that her father didn't like her, much less love her. Maybe it was when Aiden had rejected her.
    She raised her head to look at him.
    His eyes were closed, and his expression was happy, peaceful. She'd given him that much, she thought. He might not want love from her, but he wouldn't go away empty-handed.
    "You're staring at me," he said.
    She was staring. She could look at him forever, but she knew that forever wasn't going to happen, so she