Free Picture Perfect (Butler Island) by Nikki Rittenberry

one large step back…
    Grant complied with her last request,
so mesmerized by how beautiful she looked in those tiny cut-off denim shorts
that he hadn’t noticed how close he’d been to the water’s edge. He’d taken a
large step back and had ended up in the ocean, the chilly gulf water saturating
his denim jeans midway up his lower legs.
    “Whoops!” she called out
sarcastically.
    Grant glanced at his submerged feet
and then focused his attention back on Olivia, who was guilt lessly smiling back at him. “Oh, you think that’s funny, do you?”
    “Uh-huh”, she finally answered, biting
her bottom lip to suppress her mischievous grin.
    “Oh—you’re gonna pay for that one!”
he shouted as he lunged toward her.
    A playful squeal escaped as she tried
to dodge him, but he was too quick. He grabbed her by the waist, pulling the
back of her fleeing body against the hard plane of his chest and then lifted
her feet off the ground as though she weighed nothing. She struggled to set
herself free, but his grip was firm and she was weak from laughter.
    Walking toward the shore, Grant waded
in the chilly water while Olivia playfully squirmed in his arms, the sound of
her laughter provoking his. He quickly repositioned her in his arms so that he
was supporting her upper body and the back of her legs.
    “Grant!” she cried. “Put me down!”
    With the waves gently colliding
against his knees, he met her gaze, mirroring the mischievous grin she’d given
him moments earlier.
    “Oh, no! Wait— ”
    But it was too late. He’d loosened
his grip, carefully tossing her into the frigid gulf as though he was freeing a
fish he’d caught. A high-pitched scream escaped her lips, followed by a loud
gasp as her body sunk beneath the surface.
     “You made me all wet!” she shouted
breathlessly.
    Smiling seductively, he offered her
his hand. “Ah, the words every man longs to hear…”
    “Okay, first you torture me with a
Ferris wheel ride and now you throw me in the ocean—the very cold ocean.
I think I’m finally beginnin’ to understand why you’re still single!”
    After accepting his hand, he helped
her up. “Boys always pick on the girls they like, you know.”
    “Is that so?” she asked as she walked
behind him, her fingertips trailing up his tattooed arm, over his broad
shoulder, and eventually gliding down his muscular back.
    Grant closed his eyes, relishing the
sensation. “Uh-huh”, he finally managed.
    Satisfied that he was distracted, her
fingers continued exploring his back. “Are you ready, Grant?” she asked, her
voice filled with desire.
    Hell yeah, he was ready; ready to use
his fingers on her—in her.
    “Ready for what?” he questioned,
deciphering whether or not they were on the same page.
    Olivia brushed her lips along his
back. “Ready to fall for me”, she mumbled.
     Finally in a position to seek
revenge, she swiftly shoved her foot along the back of his knee, causing his
six-foot muscular frame to collapse into the shivery water; “falling” as
she’d intended for him to do.
    “Damn, that’s
cold!” he cried. His quick reflexes landed him promptly back on his feet
again; pivoting, he met her gaze. “Alright, I guess we’re even now.”
    “Y-yeah, I think s-so”, she managed
as she hugged herself for warmth. She watched in amazement as rivulets of
frigid salt water descended down his powerful chest and rippled torso. Good
heavens—the man was built like a Greek God!
    Grant took a step toward her, placing
his large callused hands on her upper arms. “We need to get you warm. C’mon,
I’ll make a pot of coffee and get you a towel.”
    Wading through the water toward the
shore, they gathered her equipment and then shuffled their bare feet through
the velvety sand. After reaching the beach house, they rinsed their feet and
then quickly covered themselves with two extra-large beach towels.
    “Take off your clothes”, he demanded.
    “Excuse me?” She asked in