Jennifer tried to break his grasp.

She felt him teeter and catch himself in the water, pushing her gently against the side of the large rock they had been sitting on. He wrapped her thighs around him, grinning. Jennifer sighed. “Handcuffs might be interesting,” she said, her lips grazing his.

Steve made love to her against the rock in the water, kissing her and whispering her name in her ear. He squeezed her to him as every fiber in his body shook with his release. “Jesus,” he whispered. His body relaxed again and he glanced over his shoulder at the dock. “Think you can make it?”

Jennifer nodded and untangled herself from him. She shoved off with long slow strides.

Steve watched her cut through the water and shook his head. He just overly complicated his life and his job. She’s worth it, he thought and pushed off, catching up with her easily. He slowed his stride until they reached the dock where he hopped up on the wood and retrieved his shorts, dressing self-consciously. He picked up the clothes littered on the dock and approached the edge, reaching down and yanking her from the water. He handed her the damp pile.

Jennifer shuffled through what he gave her and looked around.

“What’s wrong?”

“My underwear’s not here.”

Steve surveyed the dock and shrugged. He glanced at the water along the shore and began to laugh. “I think they are about to disappear around the edge of the cove.” He pointed to the hint of lace in the water. “Do you really need them?”

She watched them disappear from view and sighed. “I guess not.” She slipped on her clothes while he discretely surveyed the lake. She looked back in the direction of where the underwear disappeared. “Is that Paradise Cove?”

“Yes,” Steve answered. “Why?”

“Tracy told me about the legend.”

“Legend?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Yes,” she said, feeling stupid. “I thought your grandfather would have told you about it.”

Steve laughed. “Paradise Cove has the best bass in the lake.”

“You’ve been there?” She asked, her eyes going wide.

“More times than I can count. My grandfather used to bring me down fishing. There’s a path through the woods right there.” He pointed to a hint of an overgrown path. “I’ll show you sometime when you have sneakers or hiking shoes on.”

Jennifer stood staring from him to the path and back. “But…” Tracy’s words echoed in her ear. That part of the lake is practically impossible to get to. She shook her head and began to chuckle. “Tracy really got me.” A chill in the air grazed her spine and she shivered.

“Do you want a towel?”

Jennifer nodded and followed him into the cottage. She waited as he slipped into the bathroom, returning with two white towels. He tossed one to her and wrapped the other around his shoulders.

“It’s not as hot out today as it was yesterday,” he said.

“Oh, it was plenty hot out there,” Jennifer said, catching his attention.

He grinned. “Tell me about this so-called legend.” He locked the door and escorted her to the car, opening the door for her. She slid inside after wrapping the towel around her body.

“Tracy said it has something to do with the Abinaqui Indians. I guess there’s a certain rock in Paradise Cove. It’s big and flat and in the shape of a clover. They say if you sit on the rock shaped like a clover and look into the water, you can see your future. She also said there’s a reef blocking it and that it’s nearly impossible to get to by land.”

“There is some truth in what she was saying. There is a rock like that in the cove and there is a row of rocks blocking any water entrance. I’ve seen a few drunken idiots tear up their boats trying. The only land access I’m aware of is the path in my yard. The other side is thick woods and pretty nasty underbrush. But in all the time I’ve sat on that rock with my grandfather, I have never seen my future in the water.”

Jennifer shrugged. “She freaked me out. She said that if you touch the water while it’s showing you the future, you see your own death.”

Steve chuckled.

“Stop laughing at me,” she said, her mouth curling at the edges. “She also said the lake calls you. If you just go without being called, whatever’s below the surface gets you.”

“What’s below the surface?” An amused smile still played on his lips.

“I don’t know.” Jennifer softly hit his arm. “She did say people have disappeared. She also said sometimes they’re found mutilated beyond recognition.”

His intuition prickled. “I never heard that story before. I think if there was any grain of truth to it my grandfather would have said something.”

“Tracy said everyone in town knows about it.”

“And how would Tracy know that?”

“Her father grew up in Brooksfield.”

Steve mulled this over, feeling as if he had just struck gold.

“Did you ever take Peg there?”

Steve shook his head. “But she may have gone on her own a couple times.” He looked at her sideways. “We weren’t here very long before…” He started the car as he looked at the cottage and the woods beyond. The information he got in the last ten minutes was more of a lead than he’d gotten in the three months he’d been in Brooksfield.

He turned the car around. “Where to?”

Jennifer lifted her finger as she rifled through her pocketbook for her phone. “Turn off the car a second.” He obliged. She pressed the speed dial. “Hi Tracy. Where are you? I’m on campus. Think you can come pick me up? Thanks. See you in a few.” She flipped the phone closed and smiled. “The apartment please.”

He chuckled and started the car. “You are evil.” He navigated the dirt driveway back to the main road.

“Just a wee bit.” She held her forefinger and thumb slightly apart. Dropping her hand, she continued, “I’m not sure I’ll be able to pull it off the next time we’re face to face with them.” She paused and let her eyes graze over his magnificent body. “How can I act mad when all I want to do is rip your clothing off?”

“Has there been anyone since Tom?” Steve asked, bracing himself for the answer.

“No.”

He glanced at her.

“No one before and no one after, ‘til you.”

His eyebrows went up and he swiveled his eyes back to the road.

“You?”

He let out a little laugh. “You don’t want to know.”

She stared at him.

“Let’s just say I got around.” He glanced at her. “But no one had my attention like you do.” He looked back at the road. “Not even Peggy.”

A shadow passed over her face. “Should I be worried?”

He glanced quickly at her, his brow creased.

“We didn’t use any protection.”

Steve tilted his head and glanced sideways at her. “I’m clean,” he said. “I was always very careful, until today.” He took a deep breath. “Should I be worried?” He glanced at her.

Jennifer shrugged. “Tom was always careful as well.” She bit her lower lip. “But I’m not on birth control.”

He pulled over to the side of the road and threw the car into neutral. He went to say something. He’d just assumed. He shut his mouth after the third attempt at forming words failed.

Jennifer watched with amusement peppered with anger.

He slowly pulled the car out again without saying anything. Very different emotions battered his senses, none of which was regret.

“Are you sorry?” she asked, watching the scenery.

“God, no!” He took the turn into the apartment complex, parked and leaned back in the seat, closing his eyes and drawing a deep breath. “Not in the least.” He turned and gave her a soft kiss. “What I told you today has to stay between us. Seriously.”

“I know. You’re just a criminal law student at Brooksfield University that I can’t stand.” She smiled and pecked him on the cheek before she got out and headed inside.

“I’ll see you later,” he called after her, watching her walk into the building and wave to him as the elevator doors closed.