Boondocks

Chapter 20: Midnight Swim

WILLOW

I loved being outside at night. The cool air and the quiet. The peace. As a child, growing up alone in a world full of strangers, I'd found comfort in thinking they were all asleep. Croc and I were the same in that way. I may not have been in solitude, but I'd always been alone. I breathed in the air, surrounded by family. The kids munched at their candy, taking bites out of everything before dropping them back unwrapped into the bucket. I didn't bother correcting them. The night was too perfect to ruin with rules.

When we made it back, they flopped onto their bed.

Julia unzipped her tent. "I see Merle isn't back yet," she said.

I bit back a laugh. "Guess he knows what's good for him."

She glared at me. "I liked that shirt. I'm going to bed. Goodnight."

I grinned. "Goodnight."

I peeked inside our tent. Croc sat cross-legged on the floor between our beds, staring at the children. They'd passed out at awkward angles, still in their costumes and covered in chocolate from face to fingers.

I smiled. "They had fun, didn't they?"

"They did." He climbed onto his knees and pulled our blankets back. "You get some rest. I'll pick up all this candy and clean them up."

I didn't want to lay down. For the first time in weeks, I didn't feel tired. The night was perfect, and I didn't want it to end. "I've got them." I ducked in, then pried the half-eaten sucker out of Eric's fist and began picking up the rest.

Croc left and returned a moment later with a wet rag. He gently wiped their faces and hands. They were out so cold, they barely reacted at all. He lifted Eve to the pillow, and I did the same to Eric.

Croc covered them with the blanket, then rubbed his big hand over each of their heads. My chest swelled. He'd never looked more attractive than he did in that moment. I imagined a baby in his arms, his beaming smile. He would make an amazing dad. It was the one thing I knew for certain. The only thing I could guarantee.

"There," Croc whispered. He turned back to me. "Your turn."

"Not yet."

His brow furrowed. "Not yet?"

I took his hand and tugged. "Not yet."

He climbed to his feet, and I led him from the tent. It was almost atmospheric, the way things changed when we were alone. The temperature rose; the air thickened. I dragged him down the path, and the further we got, the more the tension grew.

When the river came into view, I released his hand and sprinted ahead.

"Be careful," Croc called, as if I were racing toward a cliff.

I stopped at the water's edge and spun, throwing a hand out in front of me. "Stop right there."

He did, though I could sense his confusion.

I bit back a grin and slowly undressed down to my underwear.

He seemed so much larger in the dark. So much less innocent. He crept closer, a silent hunter. He wasn't touching me, but it felt like he was. Like he could with his eyes alone. They were bright in the moonlight, searing me with their intensity. He reached out as he drew near and slid his palm across my stomach. "Is it safe?"

I smiled up at him. "I might be pregnant, Croc. That doesn't mean I'm made of glass."

A quite rumble rattled within his chest—a carnal sound. He bent his head, breathing me in.