Lake Redstone

by Hollyfield, J. D.

  “Hmmm…your eyes tell me you’re hungry for one thing, and your stomach another. What’s it gonna be?”

  I start the counting in my head. I need to make it seem as if I’m pondering a decision I made the second he offered it. “Well…if forced, I guess I’d be okay with feeding the appetite you see in my eyes, and if you impress me, we can move on to feeding me in another way.”

  His brows curve up, a pleased smirk across his face. His hands smack together, rubbing back and forth. “Well, well, well, my beautiful disaster, let Chef Jim-Bob-Bob-Jim take care of that hunger for ya.”

  Another loud yelp falls from my lips as he goes in for the kill, his hands and mouth everywhere I hoped they’d be as he feeds my starved appetite.

  Jim/Bob

  Pre-breakfast took a bit longer than expected, so by the time we make our way downstairs, the house is already alive and active. If I had to admit, I think I was more starved than she was. My fingers still vibrate at the feel of each part of her smooth skin under my touch. Don’t get me started on her pliable little body that succumbed to my every demand. I’ve had some experiences with chicks, but none of them compare to the way Casey creates this hunger inside me. The sweet taste of her still lingers on my tongue as we make our way downstairs. It’s a battle not to throw her over my shoulder and take her back upstairs and have her for lunch and dinner.

  Mick and Jason are on the pickleball court having a one-on-one match. The sun gleams off Mick’s chest, and I make a mental note to get out in the sun more. Maybe do more push-ups. My hands brush through my ruffled hair, debating asking him who his barber is too.

  “Well, that was the longest change of clothes, if I say so,” Katie says from the kitchen counter, sipping on a cup of coffee. Casey’s cheeks flush, and I love that it’s due to her dirty little mind going back to a visual of last night—and this morning—twice.

  Poppy smacks her, placing a plate of bacon on the counter. “Morning. Missed you guys last night.”

  “Not really. It was like you were with us all since we heard you all night—ouch!” Katie throws daggers at Poppy for hitting her. I can’t help but chuckle. My girl sure does make some animated sounds when she’s being pleasured.

  “You two want some breakfast? Bacon’s ready. Got a casserole coming out soon.” Needless to say, I think after our morning, we’re both starved in a completely different way.

  “Just in time too, I was telling Katie about the call I got his morning from the local sheriff. If you can believe this, when they went to check it out, they said there was nothing amiss! I explained again how crazy they were, but they couldn’t do anything.”

  “Get out. Those people are psychopaths. They wanted to eat our brains for dinner!”

  Poppy rolls her eyes. “Not sure it went that far, but yeah. Kinda disturbing. And for a koozie? I’ve seen and heard some crazy stuff on the job, but this may take the cake. Either way, they said to stay clear of the area and notify us if any new information comes to light,” she finishes, handing her a fresh poured cup of coffee.

  Curious what my new buds are up to, I grab for Casey’s free hand and thread my fingers through hers. Bringing her hand to my mouth, I press a kiss to the inside of her wrist. Our eyes meet, and the electricity that flows between us has me tugging her into me. My head dips, and I kiss her still swollen lips. “Gonna go say morning to the guys.” I kiss her again, since she seems to be stuck in the moment, which makes my chest swell with gratification. She doesn’t answer, but finally composes herself enough to nod. I hear Katie’s low chuckle and another grunt, assuming when I let my girl’s hand go to walk outside, something went flying at Katie’s head.

  A shit-eating grin on my face, I snag a water from the cooler and head outside to where Jerry is laying in a lawn chair, his sunglasses covering his eyes, watching the two battle it out on the court. “What’s up, ya stallion?” he asks, and I laugh as I take up the chair next to him. Cracking the bottle open, I throw back a huge swig. “Gonna have to take a few lessons from you. Maybe Katie won’t be so crabby with me all the time.”

  “Not sure what I can teach ya, bud. Just comes naturally. The stallion inside me releases and they come falling at my feet.” I throw my back against the chair, letting the sun hit my face.

  “Well, shit.” He simmers on my comment while I close my eyes and enjoy the warmth of the rays, visualizing every part of Casey’s body. The curve between her hip and pelvic bone I couldn’t keep my mouth off of. Her plump breasts that fit like a glove in my palm. Her perfect nipples I could spend a lifetime sucking and feasting on. Each little sound from her soft, plump lips I earned as I indulged on every single spec of her body.

  Realizing I accidently gave myself a huge boner, I quickly dump the cold bottle of water over my head.

  “Yeah. Already a hot one out here.”

  “Yep.” I nod. Hell, I need to do something about controlling that guy. Now that I’ve had a taste, it’s going to be even harder keeping him down the rest of the time we’re here. Mick whacks the ball, and Jason dives, but misses, losing the game.

  “That’s right! Pickleball Champion!” Mick hollers, giving us a perfected Hulk Hogan muscle flex. Man, I wonder if he takes supplements. “Oh, look who’s alive. Thought you two killed each other up there,” he says, wiping sweat off his brow and throwing the paddle on the picnic table. He walks up to me and sticks his fist out for some bromance knuckles. “Morning, bro.” He throws himself in the chair next to me. “Man, I remember those days,” he starts, staring out onto the lake. “You ever been cuffed? Marry a cop and shit gets interesting. Dominant role struggle, though. That woman sure likes control.” He shakes his head, lost in thought, a goofy smile on his face. “Anywho, water’s gonna be calm today. Perfect for wakeboarding. Who’s in?”

  There’s such a freeing feeling circling around me. It’s been a lifetime since I’ve worn such a carefree smile. Laughter and shouting from inside float outside, and I hear Katie yell something about a moaning hyena followed up with a grunt.

  “Sounds like the girls are getting at it. Hopefully they don’t mess up that casserole. Poppy makes a mean breakfast dish. Better go get those women in check.” He gets up and walks inside as June makes an exit outside. Jason guns it straight for his girl, grabbing her in his arms and laying a kiss on her temple.

  “They had me at food. This hangover’s kicking my ass.” Jerry gets up and drags himself inside. Jason tells June he’s gonna jump in the shower. Another swift kiss, and he’s gone, leaving only June and I on the back patio. With her coffee mug in hand, she takes the vacant chair next to me. We both stare out into the calmness of the lake, until she breaks the silence.

  “You two both seem different this morning.”

  “Hmmm?” I give her my quick attention before bringing my eyes back to the lake.

  “Something’s different.”

  I offer her a hasty glance. “How so?”

  “Don’t get me wrong. Not in a bad way. It’s just…Casey’s not as…uptight—nervous.”

  “Hmmm…” I really need to come up with a different response.

  “Yeah, you two…you’re acting like you’ve just had your first date. Not two people who’ve been in a relationship for…wait, how long have you been together? I forgot what Casey told me.”

  Shit, June’s going to be the death of me. “You know, June, you can’t really put a timeframe on love.”

  “Hmmm…”

  God, why does her “hmmm” sound scarier? “Hmmm…sure does feel like forever.” I smile at her, but there’s no doubt she catches my unease.

  “How long?”

  Dammit! “Yeah…I’m not good with dates—”

  “Jim-Bob.”

  “Two years.” I plunge into my own suicide. “About two wonderful years.” I watch her facial expression morph into satisfaction. Or is it sabotage? I stare back off into the lake instead. June might be the sweet one, but she’s the scariest. Those silent, but deadly eyes. I sneak a peek at he
r sipping her coffee. I want to blurt out and ask if I got the answer right. Not sure if it’s from the morning sun or my nerves, a pebble of sweat forms on my forehead. I swipe away the perspiration, feeling the intense stare next to me. She hasn’t said another word, but the silent interrogation is real. Do I come clean? Fess up? The pressure to blow our cover thickens. I start to panic. Man, I’d be horrible in jail. I’d fess up in a heartbeat and get shanked by my enemies. Dammit, I’m fessing up. They all deserve the truth. What’s wrong with admitting how we unconventionally met? Along the way, the ruse turned into something real. I like June. She scares the hell out of me, but I like her. Shit, would Mick understand? I feel like he’s a reasonable guy. Here it goes.

  “You see—”

  “Breakfast’s ready!”

  I blow out a breath of saved by the breakfast casserole. Hallelujah! Before I commit any further verbal suicide, I bounce up from my chair. “Well, better get in line. Heard I’m in for a mean casserole,” I say, then sprint inside before June can say another word.

  “Okay, you hold on here. When you’re ready, use all your stomach strength to push up, throwing your feet up. The board will guide you. But if your balance is off, you’re gonna go down before you even get up—and hard.” Jason’s trying to explain the rules of wakeboarding to me. I’ve never done any sort of water sports before, but how hard can it be?

  “Got it.”

  Jason slaps me on the shoulder and hands me the reins. “All right, bro, jump in. Good luck.”

  I search out Casey, who’s staring at me curiously. “Babe, if I don’t return, it’s always been you, okay?” Her quick intake of breath gives me the encouragement I need. I lean into her and slap a quick kiss to her lips. The hunger in her eyes has me guaranteeing I’ll be back just so I can kiss that sexy gaze right off her.

  “Make sure you kiss me like that when it’s your turn,” Poppy yells toward the driver seat of the eight-person luxury speed boat we opted for today.

  “There’s more where that came from.” I wink at Casey. Poppy and Katie laugh. June simply carries a soft smile on her lips. Dammit. Sweet, but scary.

  Back to the matter at hand, I adjust myself toward the water, jump in, and plunge under before I pop back up. I wipe the excess water off my face, and peer up to Jason giving me the thumbs up. I return the gesture, then reach out as he tosses me the wakeboard. “Remember, tighten stomach and push up. First thirty seconds when you get your balance is key,” he shouts, giving me another thumbs up. I wave him off and adjust myself on the board. “Lastly, whoever stays on the board the shortest plays on Jerry’s team for pickleball when we get back.” He smiles and salutes me. Determination revels inside me at the mere thought of breaking my pickleball winning streak. Mick and I are champions. I take a few breaths. The propellers activate, shooting small waves at my chest. My grip tightens, and before I know it, Mick’s hitting the acceleration and speeding off across the lake. My adrenaline is spiking, small nervous tremors, but a bigger blast of excitement. I’ve never been huge into water sports, but it’s always been something I’ve wanted to do. I’ve stage dived more times than I can count, but that’s about as adventurous as I come. To be honest, I wasn’t even planning on getting on this thing. I was just fine staying on the boat with Casey nestled on my lap. She was helping me cover up my semi boner caused by her cute little white bikini with fringe hanging from her top. But then the girls had to start making bets. And then everyone’s manhood was on the line. I’d hoped Casey would beg me to stay on the boat with her and not risk my life for such a silly competition, but then I heard it: “My money’s on Jim. He’s got a grip like a bull.” Holding onto her sexy hips while she rides me is one thing. Holding onto the grab while skiing across water at thirty miles an hour? I was tempted to fake a similar groin injury, but when my eyes met hers, there was no turning back. I saw such pride in them, I’d sacrifice my life to savor the way she was looking at me.

  So, here we are, the sun bright as a ball of fire in the sky, the lake calm, besides the spreading waves caused by the accelerating boat, and me, about to first-handedly see if I have what it takes to wakeboard. My grip is tight, and I start counting down from thirty. Mick picks up speed, and I clench my muscles, readying myself to pop up. Faint hollering strums my eardrums, coaching me on as I hit my fifteen second timeframe. My legs are wobbly at first, and for a split second, I bob to the side, thinking I’m going down. Tightening my stance, I straighten out my form, slightly bend my knees, and before I know it, I’m doing it. Hell yeah! I’m doing it! I howl to the sky in excitement as the fresh smell of the lake hits me in the face and I glide across the water’s surface. Mick does circles around the lake, my abs tightening as my body moves with the waves. After a long stretch, my arms begin to burn, and one small twitch has me releasing the grab and plummeting into the water. When I resurface, the boat is already turning around. I spot Casey first. She’s standing with her hands in the air, cheering. Man, it’s a good thing I’m submerged under water or everyone would get a show. I can’t help but sport a shit-eating grin. Her enthusiastic cheerleading has me bursting with joy. I don’t know why it matters so much, but I want to please her. Make her happy. We haven’t known each other long by any means, but she deserves to be happy, and I want to be the guy to give that to her. I’ve already hammered out the perfect burger joint, one that makes the best sweet potato fries in town.

  I’ve envisioned her meeting the band and introducing her to Judith from the bar. If it wasn’t way past creepy and my mom was still around, she’d love her.

  “Dude! That was awesome! You sure you haven’t done that before? First time stud, bro!” Jason reaches down and grabs my hand to help me back in the boat.

  “Nah, but that was quite a ride.” I hit the deck and shake my hair out. The girls squeal from being splashed. I search out Casey, who’s already walking up to me, a beer in tow. I reach out and snag her into my arms, tucking her close, my lips finding the top of her head. I press a kiss to her forehead and accept the beer. The sun forces her to squint, the canvas of beauty she offers me in those laughing eyes threatening to bring me to my knees. “Thanks, babe,” I hum, staring at her. She nods, and I steal another kiss. We take up the nearest open seat, Case on my lap as Poppy gears up to go next. As if it’s a natural reaction, I bring my arm around her, resting on her bare thigh. My thumb, which has ached to touch her since going out in the water, brushes along the silkiness of her skin. I would die a happy man if I got to do this on a regular basis.

  Casey takes a sip of her spritzer drink and leans back into me. The sun warming her back feels nice on my bare chest. My lips find the column of her throat and suck gently. She tastes like cherry suntan lotion. A sigh reverberates from her lips, and I bite down lightly, selfishly needing more of her cute little noises. I release her flesh from my teeth and leave a small peck over the swell of my mark. God, seeing my marks on her is sexy as hell.

  I lean forward and speak softly into her ear. “I like this,” I say, relaxing back into the seat, taking her with me. She melts into my embrace as we silently sit together while Poppy jumps into the water. A few moments pass, and the boat is at it again, pulling forward and picking up speed. Unlike me, Poppy isn’t trying to mask an oh shit face, and pops right up, making the lake her bitch. She glides across it like it’s her job, making a fool out of anyone else on the water. My eyes widen as she does a flip, catching herself perfectly back on her feet, twisting and turning like a circus acrobat.

  “Jesus, she’s a machine.” I shake my head in disbelief.

  Casey’s cute little giggle teases my eardrum, and I tickle her just to feed more into my obsession. “Stop!” she begs, but her laughter still feeds the beast inside me. “She’s ridiculous, isn’t she? Super smart. Unaffected by carbs, and if she ever had a one-on-one match with Chuck Norris, my bets would so be on Poppy.”

  Damn…

  Impressive.

  Poppy lasts longer than me by a long shot, eventually releasing
and dipping under the water. Mick does just as good, saying his modeling shoots were where he learned how to do so many tricks. Casey passes because of her groin, as do Katie and June. Jason nails it, but doesn’t last as long as Mick. If Jerry crashes and burns, Mick and I are still in a relationship—I mean, partners—pickleball partners.

  “You heard what he said. Don’t dick around out there. Get up fast,” Katie starts in at Jerry as everyone listens in, amused by their banter.

  “I know, woman. Leave me be. Throw me the damn grab.”

  “You’re gonna fall if you don’t push off, Jerry.”

  “I know! Go drink your spritzer. I got this.”

  “No, you don’t.”

  “Yes, I do!”

  Katie shakes her head, waving her hand away from Jerry as she twists around and heads to the cooler. “He’s gonna crash and hurt his back. Complain all week about how sore he is. Don’t wanna listen to me? Fine.” She snaps a can open, and shrugs, taking a sip. “Idiot,” she mumbles, taking another.

  “All right, last one. Let’s go!” Mick shouts, and off we go. Everyone has their eyes trained on Jerry. His beginning formation is unsteady, and for a second, it doesn’t look like he’s even gonna get up. His arms are wobbly as he tries to pull himself up, and we’re quickly nearing the thirty second marker.

  “He ain’t doing it,” Jason chimes in.

  “Nah, he’s got it. Give him a chance,” Poppy says, being supportive.

  A huge wave smacks him dead in the face, and he swivels on the board, almost releasing the grab. To everyone’s amazement, he pops up, getting to his feet. “There he goes!” Poppy claps her hands, and Katie comes to the front of the boat, surprised.