Excerpt of Clear As Day by Babette James

"Kay!" That male voice was not her imagination.

"Oh, shit!" She twisted and dropped into the water, sinking neck-deep.

Mother always said, among other things, that a lady never goes skinny-dipping and must always wear a proper hat. Kay was only half skinnydipping, but she fervently wished she'd worn something a bit more substantial than a baseball cap and the bottom half of the quintessential teenyweenie yellow polka-dot bikini.

Shit, oh, shit, oh, shit. She so hated when Mother was right.

She wiped water from her face, sucked in a breath against her pounding heart, and peeked around.

Nate. She must be sun-dazed. Nate? With a beard? Hair curling over his ears? No way.

Just because a familiar slouchy fishing hat topped those unruly, sun-bleached blond curls and just because this guy possessed the same deep-water tan and footloose taste in clothes as Nate with his electric blue Hawaiian shirt, bright orange swim trunks, and beat-up deck shoes didn't mean—

"Hey, babe. Now that I've finally caught your attention, how about a hug from my girl?" He opened his arms. "Am I coming in after you or are you coming out?" Only Nate's voice held that mellow

timbre like chocolate for her ears.

"Nate! What..." Giddy delight flushed over Kay, clearing her shock. She dashed from the water and into strong arms, a wonderful hug, and a better kiss that launched her mind into a blissed-out whirl of oh, yes and why? The oh, yes won out until the need to breathe forced them apart.

Nate gave her a long look, his usually easy gray eyes holding a new, simmering heat.

Wow. Whoa.