by Piper Rayne
Tori: I’ve got your pie, but we need to talk.
Deacon: Just wrapped up. Meet you at Cole’s?
Tori: I need a neutral location.
Deacon: Name it.
Tori: The swimming hole in ten?
Deacon: Ok
What did she mean by neutral location? Did it have anything to do with Cole’s comment about picking sides?
Ten minutes later I pulled up to the orange and white striped barrier blocking the path down to the swimming hole. Another car sat on the side of the road and I assumed it was Tori’s. I walked down the gravel path leading to one of my favorite places from my childhood.
The swimming hole had been carved from the limestone bluffs eons ago. Tori sat on a large, flat rock next to the water, a foil-covered pie plate next to her. She smiled up at me, squinting against the late afternoon sun at my back.
My gaze swept over her in slow-motion, like honey running over a melt-in-your-mouth biscuit. She had on a sundress that showed off shapely legs and left her shoulders bare. I wondered if she’d taste as good as she looked.
“I like your dress.”
“Thanks.” She treated me to a shy smile. “Here’s your pie. Chocolate pecan whiskey with a homemade crust. I used real vanilla extract, too.”
My mouth watered. “Did you bring a fork?”
Her grin widened. “No. Can’t you wait until you get home?”
“Some things are so good, it’s impossible to wait.” I meant the pie, but I might have been referring to Tori herself. She’d twisted her hair up on top of her head in a messy bun, leaving her slender neck exposed, just begging for some attention from my tongue.
“About Saturday night,”—her lips screwed into a frown—“I don’t know if it’s such a good idea if we show up together.”
“You backing out on me?”
“My sister’s best friends with Sawyer Stewart and she stopped by this morning. I don’t want to cause any trouble at Bailey’s wedding—”
“What kind of trouble would we cause?” I took a seat on the rock next to her. “I’m more than happy to take your pie, but I think it’s silly to let some ancient feud dictate who you can bring to a wedding.”
Her forehead furrowed. “I don’t know.”
“Hey,”—I put a finger under her chin and tipped her head up to meet my gaze—“I’ve been looking forward to some Tennessee barbecue. Are you going to let them ruin all our fun?”
She reached up and took my hand. “Who says my sister’s wedding is going to be a good time? You’ll probably regret it five minutes into the reception.”
I couldn’t imagine spending an evening with a woman like Tori and not enjoying myself. “Who says we have to wait until Saturday night to have fun?”
Her eyes narrowed. “What do you have in mind?”
“You want to go for a dip?”
Chapter Seven
Tori
“What?” I must not have heard him right. There was no way he was suggesting going for a swim. Neither one of us had brought a swimsuit… or a towel.
He knelt down and dipped his fingers into the water. “Feels good.”
“You’re just going to jump in like that?” My gaze drifted down his collared polo, past the khaki pants to his shiny dress shoes.
“Hell, no.” He grabbed the hem of his shirt and yanked the whole thing over his head.
My jaw might have hit the ground if I hadn’t snapped it shut. I’d been right about the six-pack. Deacon Raines had a body earned by spending hours at the gym. A smattering of light brown curls covered his chest and trailed down, past the abs of steel, disappearing into the waistband of his pants.
He kicked off his shoes and reached for the button at his waist. “You coming in?”
I turned slightly, realizing he was serious. As much as I wanted to feast my eyes on the rest of him, I wasn’t sure I could handle it without bursting into flames.
“Come on, Tori. When’s the last time you swung off the rope?”
It had been at least a decade since I’d last visited the swimming hole. Back then, I’d probably been wearing my favorite polka dot tankini.
A splash sounded behind me. I whirled around in time to see Deacon’s head bob above the surface. “Feels good.”
I glanced to where he’d left his clothes. His pants and shirt covered his shoes. I didn’t see any underwear, which meant he’d either left them on or wasn’t wearing any.
My skin crawled with heat at the idea of Deacon with no clothes on. Suddenly even my lightweight sundress felt too hot.
Deacon swept an arm across the top of the water, sending a spray of droplets my way. “What’s taking you so long?”
A million reasons why I should sit down on the nearest rock and wait him out or even race back up the path and head home floated through my head. I was a middle school counselor. I had an obligation to the community to be a role model. I had on granny panties.
“Live a little, Tori. You want me to go to that wedding with you, you’ve got to get in.”
My head snapped up. “Oh, no you don’t. You already agreed to go.”
“You’re the one who wanted to meet at the swimming hole.” He gave me a wicked grin, then ducked under the water.
Good grief. What had I started? My fingers twitched. I’d already told Bailey I had a date for the wedding. Showing up without Deacon would be worse than never having said I’d bring someone in the first place.
“I won’t even look while you get in,” he called out from across the water.
This was a bad idea. I could feel it in the marrow of my bones. I didn’t do bad ideas. I toed the line, lived life by the book, and didn’t rock anyone’s boat. And where had it gotten me? Almost thirty and without a single memory of doing something daring.
I shook all the reasons I shouldn’t join Deacon in the swimming hole out of my mind. For once in my life, I wanted to take a chance. Then I pulled my dress over my head and tossed it on the ground.
Deacon
I don’t know what had gotten into me. Yanking off my clothes and jumping into a swimming hole in my boxer briefs wasn’t something I’d ever thought about doing. At least not since I was twelve or thirteen and snuck out for a midnight dip with my cousins and a group of friends.
Tori definitely didn’t seem like the type who’d follow through on a dare. I was ready to open my eyes, turn around, and swim back to the shore so I could dip into that pie when something splashed into the water. Scratch that… it wasn’t something, it was someone. I whipped around, expecting to see her standing by the water’s edge. Instead, her dress sat neatly folded next to where I’d tossed my clothes.
She surfaced a few feet away from me. Her hair stuck to her head, and she shook the water free, spraying me in the process.
I laughed, a little surprised, and a lot turned on at the turn our afternoon had taken. “I didn’t think you were going to get in.”
“I didn’t think I was going to either,” she admitted. Her head bobbed above the surface next to me and my dick stirred while I considered what she might have on underneath the water.
“Now what?”
“Now you show me the flips you used to do off that rope.” She nudged her chin toward the thick rope dangling above us.
“Think it’ll hold me?”
“There’s only one way to find out.”
I grinned and broke into a crawl. Heat from her gaze ran over me as I climbed out of the water. Thanks to my daily runs and a rigorous weight training routine, I was in pretty good shape. Which is why I didn’t mind that she seemed to drink me in with her eyes. I’d only be in town for a week or so. We may as well enjoy the attraction between us. And I definitely found her attractive.
This place reminded me of a time when life was so much easier. When the most challenging part of getting through a day was trying to figure out where to drop my fishing line. When I’d been surrounded by people who loved me and didn’t have a problem showing it. I hadn’t realized unti
l this moment how much I’d missed it.
“I can’t believe you’re doing this.” Tori treaded water, moving closer to where I’d clambered onto a big boulder.
“You only live once. Isn’t that what kids say nowadays?” I shot her a cocky grin and grabbed hold of the rope.
Her laugh rang out, echoing against the tall limestone walls surrounding the swimming hole. “That’s just an excuse for doing something stupid.”
“Like this?” I swung out over the water, aiming for a spot close to her.
She squealed as I let go of the rope and crashed into the water, about two feet away.
I kicked to the surface, my fingers brushing against her bare skin. My pulse jacked upward at the touch.
She was close. Close enough I could make out the beads of water dotting her cheeks. Close enough I could hear the ragged intake of her breath. Close enough I could reach out and pull her against me if I wanted to. Damn, I wanted to.
Her gaze locked on mine. It was like some sort of silent communication passed between us.
I edged my brows up. Her lips curled the slightest bit at the corner.
I swam a little closer. She didn’t move away.
I reached out to tuck a chunk of wet hair behind her ear. She turned her cheek into my hand.
That was all the encouragement I needed. I put a hand on her shoulder and tugged slightly, hoping she’d move my way. She came closer, our bodies brushing against each other under the water. I let my feet drop, testing for the rocky ground. My toe touched something solid.
I stood, my head jutting out of the water just enough that my face and neck were exposed. Tori wouldn’t be able to touch, so I put my arms around her, drawing her against me. She wrapped her legs around my hips and lifted my hands to cup her cheeks.
Gazing into her eyes, I edged my brows up. She glanced at my mouth while her tongue dipped out to run along her bottom lip. Her eyes drifted closed, and I leaned close. So close I could breathe in her scent, could notice the way her long lashes curled up at the ends, could press my lips against hers.
Her arms tightened around my shoulders and she rocked into me. I slid an arm behind her, pulling her tighter. We’d been flirting back and forth since we met, but I’d underestimated the fire burning inside the cool, collected counselor.
Our chests rubbed together, her bra brushing against my pecs. There shouldn’t be anything sexy about her plain white cotton bra, but my dick strained against the front of my briefs, and I couldn’t wait to take it off her.
We tested, tasted and teased each other while the sounds of a summer afternoon played out around us. Her thin bra molded to her tits, and I dipped my head, scraping my teeth against her hard nipple through the see-through cup.
She crossed her ankles behind my back, her hips sliding up and down and making me desperate to find my way inside her.
What the hell was I doing? I didn’t need a complication like Tori in my life. I’d finally figured out what I wanted—a partnership with my firm in LA—and I wasn’t about to do anything to jeopardize it. Tori didn’t strike me as a woman who’d do well with a one-afternoon stand, and I wasn’t a man who did anything but short-term flings.
“Hey,”—I forced myself to tear my lips away from hers—“I’m thinking we ought to slow things down here a bit. What do you say?”
Her forehead rested against my cheek. “Yeah, that’s probably not a bad idea.”
My chest squeezed tight, and I willed my dick to stop throbbing. Yeah, I was a little out of practice. I’d been working long hours at the office, trying to firm up my run for partner. Eighty hours a week cut into my social life and I hadn’t even had a one-nighter in longer than I could remember.
“Unless…” I bit my lip.
“Unless what?” Her thighs squeezed my waist.
I shoved the idea of meeting Cole and Vaughn for a drink to the back of my mind. “Unless you don’t have plans for the rest of the afternoon.”
Chapter Eight
Tori
For once in my life, I didn’t want to be the good girl. Didn’t want to be the responsible one. Didn’t want to be the oldest sister who always played it safe.
I wiggled my hips closer to Deacon’s waist. His hard-on brushed against me through the fabric of his briefs, making every muscle in my body tighten in anticipation. With one word I could shut down whatever was going on between us, or… give into the heat he’d stirred up inside me.
“I think…” I caught my bottom lip with my front teeth and dared to meet his gaze. Those bluish-green eyes locked onto mine.
He tossed his head, a barely there shake, giving me an easy out. An out I didn’t want.
“I think we should take advantage of having the swimming hole to ourselves.”
“You what?” His smile touched his eyes first. A bit of light sparkled in the depths of those baby aquamarines before his lips curved up.
“We’re already almost naked.” I leaned back a little, lifting my body up just high enough that the see-through cups of my bra rested just above the water.
Deacon’s gaze drifted from my eyes, lingered on my lips for a moment, then moved lower. “I haven’t been with anyone in a couple of months.”
I wasn’t about to admit how long it had been since I’d locked lips and hips with a man, so I nodded. “Me, too. And thanks to my snafu in security, you know I’ve got the birth control covered.”
Even a stranger could probably tell I’d never done one daring thing in my entire life. But Deacon looked at me differently. He looked at me like I’d always wanted to be looked at. Like I was wanted. Like I was sexy. Like I was a woman who had the power to make a man fall to his knees on a Thursday afternoon.
“You sure about this, Tori?” His voice came out gruff—all low and sexy.
I nodded. “What other tricks can you show me this afternoon?”
His grip on my ass tightened. He moved his other hand up to cradle the back of my head, angling my face to better fit against his. Then his lips met mine again. His tongue demanded entrance. I let go of my reservations—sent them scattering in the slight breeze that made the leaves rustle through the treetops.
Deacon moaned into my mouth and slipped a hand between us. I’d never done it in the water before. For a second I wondered how it could work… if the buoyancy of my body would make it impossible to…
Oooh. His finger found that bundle of nerves that was already revved up and ready to go. I forgot about figuring out the physics of what we were about to do and gave myself over to the wave of forgotten feelings that vibrated through me.
Deacon
Her legs clenched around my waist, and I notched the tip of my dick against her panties. What the actual fuck was I doing? I buried a hand in her hair and wrapped it around my fist before tugging her head backward. Then I dipped toward her, inhaling her sweet scent before running my tongue along the column of her neck.
Heated by the afternoon sun, her skin smelled like summer. Being here, surrounded by memories, made me desperate to revisit a time when the only thing I had to worry about was getting home by dinnertime.
Tori moaned and arched her back, then reached behind to unclasp her bra. Her nipples scraped against my chest, as hard as the pebbles lining the path down to the water. I shifted my attention down, kissing my way to the swell of her left breast. Her nipple bobbed above the waterline and I sucked it into my mouth.
“Oh God, Deacon.” She ran her fingers through the hair at the base of my neck, sending goosebumps racing up and down my arms.
“You like that?” I mumbled against her hardened peak.
“Do it again,” she whispered.
I focused my attention on her right breast, my tongue swirling around her nipple. Her tits were perfect, just like the rest of her.
She shifted, reached down and kicked at something. Then pulled her hand out of the water, her fist clamped around a pair of white panties.
I slid my briefs down my legs and kicked them off, not carin
g if they ended up at the bottom of the swimming hole. I needed to feel her. Now.
She adjusted her hips, sliding onto me. With nothing to anchor us, I moved my hands to her waist. Fuck, she was tight. I thrust into her, gently at first.
Her hands grabbed onto my shoulders and she started to move. Then she leaned closer, capturing my lips with hers. The little moans coming from the back of her throat made me eager to please. I wanted to make her come undone, this woman who reminded me so much of a time in my life when I thought anything was possible.
I strained, filling her, thrusting all the way in until I’d seated myself deep inside her.
Her nails dug into my shoulders while her mouth continued to seek mine. This was hot. The combination of doing it in the water and knowing anyone could come upon us had me on the edge of release. But she needed to go first. I wanted her to tumble over the edge so I hung on, sliding a hand between us to see if I could help her find her release.
Her hips bucked against me. Water splashed between us and still, we went at it like two desperate animals who hadn’t had sex in way too long.
A long, keening moan ripped from her lips and her hips stilled.
I eased out slowly, one centimeter at a time. Then slid back in. Her body responded, matching the rhythm I set for us until she shattered around me. Sensing her release, I gave into my own.
A few minutes later, fully sated, we climbed onto the big, flat rock where we’d left our clothes. The sun had disappeared behind the tops of the trees, a reminder that we both had places to be. I wasn’t ready to let her go yet. I wanted to pause the clock and soak everything in… from the symphony of the cicadas to the way the breeze brushed over my skin.
“Hungry for some pie?” I asked.
She shook her head. “I’ve got to get home and finish tying ribbons on the party favors.”
“We still on for the wedding?”