"So, where are we going?" Hyde asked, tearing his eyes away from her.

"I don't care-just drive," she snapped.

He half-smiled, now that sounded like his Jackie. So he drove several miles out of town and down an old gravel road. He put the Camaro into park and cut the engine. The sun was just stating to set across

the lake. Pink and gold rays of light reflected off the clear blue water. It was beautiful, but not nearly as beautiful as the girl getting out of the car and walking towards the pier several yards away.

He got out to follow her then noticed the bottle of champagne she'd brought along. "What the hell," he thought and grabbed it.

She was standing at the edge of the old wooden pier, staring at her reflection in the still water. He opened his mouth to tell her how beautiful she was, although it wasn't something he had ever done often. Maybe he should have but before he could get the words out, she was raising her arms and pulling the pins out of her hair. It fell in a sleek dark wave down her bare back. God, that dress was amazing. It hugged her ass perfectly. He was so busy staring at it that he barely registered her carefully taking the diamond tiara off-and hurling it into the lake. His mouth fell open.

Then she was tugging almost frantically at her dress, unzipping it and stepping out of the white satin until she stood in only her high heels and a pair of tiny silk panties. His mouth dropped open even more

and a bug promptly flew in, choking him. Gasping for air he popped open the champagne and took a long swallow. That's what he need-that and a camera so he could capture the unbelievable sight in front of him. Who the Hell was he kidding? The sight of a near naked Jackie framed against a glorious setting sun was not something he would ever forget.

He took another drink of the luke warm champagne and just stared at her. She hadn't looked at him at all. She kicked off her shoes then turned towards him. He swallowed hard at the sight of her perfect

breasts, taut stomach and firm thighs. Suddenly she took a few steps towards him then spun around and ran back along the pier. Arms raised she dove into the lake with barely a splash.

"Holy shit," he ran to the end of the pier, searching for her frantically with eyes wide behind his aviators. He was glad he was wearing them because the sun was shining so brightly off the water it made it hard to see. He heard the splash before he saw her, rising out of the water like some kind of freakin'

water nymph, jet black hair trailing over her shoulders and down her back. Her wet panties were

sheer now and clinging to her like a second skin. God, she was incredible. Jake Bradley was a fucking

fool.

"Can I have some of that or were you planning on drinking it all yourself?" She stood before him now, holding out her hand for the champagne bottle. He handed it to her. She raised it to her lips and tilted

her head back, taking a long swallow. There was his opening, just like that day under the bleachers so long ago. Her long neck exposed to his gaze, he wanted so badly to kiss her but he couldn't move.

She lowered the bottle and went to sit at the edge of the pier, swinging her slender legs over the edge.

"Stare much?" her voice floated back to him. He made himself move to join her.

"Christ, Jackie. Can you blame me? You jumped in the lake. You're all wet and naked-and amazing."

She shot him a look over her shoulder. "I am amazing but I'm not naked. Not quite anyway."

Damn, was she flirting with him? It was hard to tell sometimes with her, it was so ingrained in her personality. Some people were born flirts and Jackie Burkhardt was one of them. He had once told her she probably came out of the womb batting her eyelashes at the doctor who delivered her.

They sat in silence for awhile-she in only her panties and he in serious pain from the erection pressing against his thigh-passing the champagne back and forth between them.

Just when he thought he couldn't take it anymore she sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Do you remember the first time we came here together?" she asked.

"Of course I do. Veteran's Day-our first date," he smiled. They had come back here many times, usually to make out but that November Day when they had shared their first kiss-slow, gentle- was the one that came to mind. It hadn't necessarily been when they began but it was when he realized that the pretty little loudmouthed cheerleader was something special.

"Hey," he nudged her and she looked up at him. He didn't know why it seemed important now but he

wanted her to know. "I lied that night-you know-when we kissed. I did feel something."

"I know," her smile was soft.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh, yeah? How do you know?"

"Because I lied too," she whispered. and pulled his arm around her shoulders, like she did that night.

The difference now was that his fingers brushed her naked skin and there was a lot of history between them. Some of it bad but most of it pretty fucking fantastic. He had never loved a girl as much as he had loved her.

And there it was-he loved her. He didn't feel the panic that used to claw at him back then, just a strange kind of peace. He had fought it and denied it but the truth was-he still loved her.