Both dogs immediately leaped in after him.
Matt did not.
Swimming out a ways, he blew off energy, then stroked through the water on his way back. He made a point of not looking, but still he knew that Matt remained right there, dressed only in crisp, rolled-up chinos, propped on his elbows beneath the blistering sun.
On Dare’s dock—where he shouldn’t have been.
Chris reached the ladder, and still didn’t know what to say or do. A shadow fell over him and he looked up.
Matt stared down at him, his expression somber. “Should I leave?”
Chris released the ladder and fell back into the water again. “You shouldn’t have come here in the first place. You weren’t invited this time. Not even by Priss.”
“Got it.” He started to go.
Chris cursed low. “Wait.”
Matt did—with his back to him.
“You’re already here, so you might as well swim.”
“I don’t have trunks with me.” He started off again.
Contradictory needs exploded. “Damn it, don’t be a bitch.”
Sucking in a sharp breath, Matt froze, and then rounded on him. Eyes narrowed, shoulders bunched, he pointed at Chris, but he had no words. His mouth opened, but nothing came out.
And Chris couldn’t help it. The situation was so absurd that he snickered.
That pushed Matt over the edge and he jumped in. Laughing, Chris went under the water and came up several feet away. He saw Matt searching for him, all but steaming the water with his anger.
Chris splashed him.
Matt jerked around so fast he almost drowned himself.
“Take a breath,” Chris told him.
“Fuck you. It was a mistake to come here.”
Wading closer, Chris agreed. “It was. I explained that to you, remember? You cannot just drop in. Ever.” He got within an arm’s length of Matt, and added, “But I’m sorry I overreacted. I shouldn’t have called you a…” He snickered again.
“A bitch.” Matt slapped water into his face. “Forget it. You can’t even apologize without laughing at me!”
No, he hadn’t meant to hurt Matt’s feelings. Not ever. “I’m sorry.” Hand to his heart, still smiling, he said, “I swear. I wasn’t laughing at you. Truth is, I was laughing mostly at myself.”
Suspicious and unappeased, Matt kept his distance. “Why?”
“I never lose my cool.” Chris glanced up the hill, but for once it didn’t appear that anyone watched them. “I shouldn’t have lost it this time either. But I’m serious here, Matt. You can’t drop in unannounced.”
Matt considered that. “If I’d told you I wanted to visit, would you have invited me?”
“Honestly, I don’t know.” Sargie brought her floating ball to Chris and he tossed it. The dog swam away after it. Tai gave up on both men and climbed out onto the dock, where she shook hard, then stretched out in the sun.
Matt ignored the dogs. “That’s the problem. I can’t seem to stay away.” Their feet bumped when he got closer. “If you don’t want me around, say so. But make up your mind one way or the other.”
Chris disliked being put on the spot almost as much as he hated surprise visits that then had to be explained to Dare. “It’s not that easy.” Which actually meant, It’s impossible.
“It could be.” Slowly, Matt moved closer still until he had to put one hand on Chris’s shoulder to stay afloat. “I want it to be.”
And just that, a simple touch—on his shoulder—made his thighs and abdomen tighten, weakening his resolve. Chris wasn’t a saint, and he wasn’t inexperienced. He’d known sexual chemistry before.
But never like this. Never this powerful or consuming.
Add that to the emotional punch, the intent way Matt looked at him, his gaze on Chris’s mouth, and damn, it was tempting to just forget all the precautions.
But he couldn’t. He might be blasé, but he wasn’t stupid or irresponsible. With regret, he said, “Don’t push, okay?”
In a rush, Matt again turned away. He’d reached the ladder and was halfway up when Chris grabbed for him.
He got hold of Matt’s pants—and now, with them wet and baggy, they…came down.
Matt screeched.
And damned if that didn’t get Chris laughing again.
Matt fell into the water, driven more by modesty than unsure footing, with a great splash.
When he surfaced, Chris grabbed him, kissed him hard—because damn it, not kissing him wasn’t an option—and he smiled. “You’re already here, so you might as well stay.”
It took Matt a second. “Not if I’m not wanted.”
“I never said that.”
Matt started to speak again, but paused instead. “I swear, Chris, you are the most fickle, bewildering—”
“Stay.” For good measure, he added, “I know Priss invited you, but…” He fought against himself—and lost. “Now I’m asking, too.”
“For the night?”
Ruefully, Chris shook his head. “Just for dinner this time. I have a ton of stuff to get done afterward. It’s going to be a late night for me.”
Matt considered it, his expression suspicious. “That’s not just an excuse?”
“I don’t make excuses.” But he was grateful for the reason to utilize common sense instead of dragging out the inevitable. “If I wanted you to go, I’d say so.”