by Tonya Brooks
"You've done it now," John warned and toed off his shoes.
When he began walking toward the pond, her eyes widened in realization. "You wouldn't dare."
That bad boy grin was simply dazzling as he waded right out into the muddy water. "Never dare a bad Baker boy, darlin'." Cyn screamed, laughed and threw both arms around his neck to hold on tight even as she kicked her legs to try and buck loose.
Once he reached thigh high water, John dropped to his knees and sank both of them neck deep. He released her legs, but kept his arm around her waist as he turned her to face him. "Now that you’ve been baptized in muddy water, you’re an official country girl," he grinned and kissed her.
That was all it took to fan the flame between them into a raging inferno. Somehow they made it back to the bank, tearing at each other's clothes in a frenzy of need. The exact chain of events was hazy at best, but Cyn did recall backing him up against the side of the truck, her toes gripping the mud filled tire treads as she rode him like a crazy woman.
Then there were images of her perched on the back bumper while John hammered into her like a man possessed. Somehow they had wound up rolling around in the muddy bed of the truck, both of them fighting for dominance in a headlong flight to complete and utter ecstasy.
Afterward Cyn lay with her head on his shoulder and absently drew circles in the mud on his chest. "I cannot believe we just did that," she confessed in astonishment.
"Which part?" He asked lazily because they had done some pretty weird shit.
"Any of it," she said with a laugh and lifted her head to tease, "You give down and dirty sex a whole new meaning."
He barked out a laugh at that. Since they were both covered in mud, dirty was right. "Darlin', you say the damndest things."
"Hey, I'm a city girl, remember?" She reminded and poked him in the ribs. "Your country girls might be used to this, but it's new to me."
"It's new to me, too," John admitted and pushed the mud caked hair from her cheek with his equally muddy hands. When she snorted in disbelief and rolled her eyes, he added, "Never brought a woman out here before."
"You haven't?"
"Nope. This is the closest thing I've ever had to a date," he confessed.
"You are so full of shit," she protested and smacked his chest at the blatant lie.
"I'm serious," he laughed and caught her hand in his, absently linking their muddy fingers together. "Never had a date in my life."
She stared at him in amazement. The man was twenty-nine and he'd never had a date? What the hell? "Why not?"
"Never had a reason to," John shrugged. "I'd meet a woman at the bar, we'd hook up for the night and that was it."
"One and done," she repeated Harley's words from the day before. If that was John's usual method with women it was no wonder that her aunt had been pissed. The older woman had obviously known how he operated.
He winced at the term. Damn it sounded bad when she said it, even if it was the truth. "Yeah," he agreed soberly. "One and done."
Which prompted her to ask, "Then why the hell are we still together?"
John rolled so that she was lying beneath him, and framed her beautiful, but filthy, face with his dirty hands. "Once with you just wasn't enough," he answered in complete honesty. "We're not done yet, darlin'."
She smiled her agreement and looped her arms around his neck to tease, "Even without the mud, you're gonna be a tough act to follow."
John tensed at the thought of Cyn moving on to another man after they were done. That had never bothered him before, but it sure as hell did now. Especially when he knew that Alex would be all over her like stink on shit. That shit seriously pissed him off.
"We really need a shower," Cyn pointed out in amusement.
"Not until my baby has one," he denied in a grumpy tone that reflected his change in mood. He levered himself up and out of the back of the truck to pick her up and stand her on the ground.
It was so cute the way he referred to the massive beast as his baby. The man was obviously very attached to his truck. Realizing that he was going to have to wash the filthy thing had apparently ruined John's mood, Cyn surmised. Well, she'd enjoyed the fun so it was only fair that she shared the clean up. Yeah, boy. This could take a while. "Okay. You wash, I'll rinse."
"Say what?"
"It was your idea."
"I didn't hear you complaining."
"You did when you almost wet my shoes."
"Who wears prissy ass city girl shoes mud boggin'?"
"Duh. A prissy ass city girl."
"Keep runnin' that smart mouth and you're gonna get another mud bath," he warned.
"Give it your best shot, tough guy," she challenged.
They had both managed to get some of their wet, mud covered clothes back on and John dove at her with a growl. Still naked from the waist down, Cyn laughed as she darted out of reach and ran like hell. It didn't take him long to catch her and scoop her up into his arms again.
By this point John’s mood had improved considerably. A gorgeous bare ass had that effect on him. Even if it was covered in mud. He was smiling when he asked, "What did I tell you about dares?"
She slid her arms around his neck, her lips a breath from his and said, "Dare ya to kiss me."
He didn't need a dare to take her up on that.
~~~~~
"What happened to you two?" Harley asked in disbelief when the pair entered the house that night covered from head to toe in dried mud.
"John took me mud bogging," Cyn said cheerfully.
"Did you get stuck?" Matt asked in surprise. His little brother's truck normally powered through the mud bog like a champ. Hell, when people got stuck they called John to pull them out.
"Nope. Cyn got sassy and we wound up taking a mud bath." John informed them with a devilish grin.
She narrowed her eyes at him and said, "Apparently I needed to be baptized in muddy water to be an official country girl."
Harley couldn't help laughing because it looked like they were getting along very well indeed. She couldn't have been happier with her machinations. She noticed her niece holding her very clean shoes, and said, "At least your Sexy Slings survived."
"I threatened to kick his ass if they got wet," Cyn admitted.
"Damn straight," the older woman nodded her agreement. Designer shoes were to be protected at all costs.
"What's the deal with the shoes, bro?" John asked his brother in confusion.
"They cost a damn fortune, but they have their uses," the eldest admitted and shot his wife a wicked wink. He'd bought Harley a dozen pairs of the damn things just so she could pole dance for him in their bedroom wearing nothing but the shoes.
"Hell, they can't be that much," he denied as he took the shoes from Cyn to look them over and realized that he had shoe strings with more leather. Damned things looked even smaller when she wasn't wearing them. "These are so little they should be half price."
"Would to God they were," she agreed and took her prized shoes out of his grubby hands to wipe the smudges off of them. "I paid nine hundred for these babies."
"For shoes?" John asked in shock.
"They're not just shoes," Cyn denied staunchly and hugged them to her chest as if they were precious. "They're Sexy Slings."
He shook his head in amazement that anyone would pay that much for shoes. Chicks were crazy. Yeah, the shoes were sexy as hell, especially when that was all she was wearing. And she was spread out naked. In his bed. Holy shit. Maybe they were worth it after all.
His smile gave away his thoughts because Matt slapped him on the back and said, "Now you get the picture."
~~~~~
Cyn took the longest shower she'd ever had and scrubbed every inch of her body. She had grit in places she didn't know grit could get, and had loved every minute of it. There was no doubt that John was an incredible lover, but he was also so much fun to just hang out with. She couldn't remember the last time she'd enjoyed herself as much.
Yea
h, she could. It had been the summer before her senior year in high school. Her smile became bittersweet and she packed the memories away in a place where they could not hurt her. Inside her frozen heart where they belonged. The past could never be changed and the future was completely unpredictable. She chose to live in the moment and enjoy life as it came, with no expectations or worries.
Her analytical mind knew this was a defense mechanism, and she could live with that. What she could not live with was the possibility of being hurt again. Which made spending time outside of bed with a certain Baker boy very dangerous. John was playful and fun loving. He exuded a lethal combination of Southern gentleman and bad boy charm.
He was exactly the kind of man that she could fall head over high heels for if she were in the market for a relationship. Which she was not. Just the thought of it made her shudder in repulsion. No, there was no chance of her losing her head or her heart, regardless of what her aunts hoped would happen. Some people were destined to live their lives alone. Cyn was one of them.
Stepping out of the shower, she brushed her hair and left it hanging loose to air dry. She dressed in a pair of sleep shorts and a tank top, and began to cram her belongings back into the suitcases that she hadn't taken the time to unpack yet. Cyn quickly tidied up the bathroom, grabbed her luggage and rolled it down the hallway to her new accommodations.
Even if she hadn't already known where it was, the sound of a guitar being played softly would have led her directly to the room next to John's. Going inside, she lifted the suitcases onto the bed, walked through the French doors and out onto the exterior gallery that ran around the second floor. Cyn knew that their shared bathroom would have allowed her entrance into John's room, but this approach was less intrusive on his privacy.
The French doors to his room were open, the sheers billowing softly in the warm breeze coming off the river. John was sitting up in bed, his back against the headboard, ankles crossed as he strummed a guitar. His was wearing a pair of unbuttoned jeans, his torso was bare and his hair was still damp from the shower, curling slightly at the ends. His eyes were closed and he looked the picture of relaxation.
She leaned against the doorjamb, folded her arms across her chest and just stood there drinking him in. Sweet lovin' Lord, the man was simply gorgeous. Cyn could have stood there and looked at him for the rest of the night. She probably would have if she hadn't wanted him so much. No matter how often they had sex, she just couldn't seem to get enough of him.
John knew that she was watching him again. Had known it from the minute she got there. The scent of chocolate had wafted to him on the breeze, making his mouth water for a taste of Cyn. He didn't know what kind of girlie shit she used to make her smell like that, but he loved it. Chocolate was his one true weakness, and his first impression of her had been wrong. Cyn tasted even better.
"Come on in, darlin'," he said without opening his eyes. "Been waitin' on ya."
The smug look on his handsome face kept her feet rooted to the floor. "Have you now?" She asked just to be contrary. "Whatever for?"
His eyelids lifted lazily until he saw her, then he gave her a thorough perusal from head to toe. Holy shit. She was wearing little bitty shorts and a skin tight top that clung tighter than bubble gum on hot asphalt. That shit was fuckin' awesome. He wanted to peel her out of them with his teeth. Helluva idea, he decided.
Cyn watched as John slid off the bed, placed the guitar in its stand and prowled toward her. For a man his size, she noticed once again that he moved with a fluid grace that was almost predatory. Her eyes moved from his bare feet, up those long legs to where the well worn jeans rode low on his hips.
Moving a bit slower over his well muscled upper body, her gaze finally lifted to meet his. Those intense blue eyes were fixed on her with a hunger that sparked an answering need. Predatory was right. The man looked as if he were going to devour her. A delicious shiver of anticipation danced up her spine.
"This, for starters," John answered as he hauled her body flush against his and did indeed devour her mouth. Cyn had already forgotten the ridiculous impulse to be contrary and she climbed him like a monkey, needing more. So much more.
"Gotta have you naked, darlin'," John said as he nipped her earlobe with his teeth and ground his erection against her. The woman could set his blood on fire just by being in the same room. She made him forget everything except the need pounding through him like the beat of a double bass drum. "Gotta be in you now."
"Yes," she moaned, her nails scoring his shoulders as she rode him through the material that separated them. "Need you now."
Five steps and they were at the bed. Three seconds and they were naked. One thrust and they were out of control. Again.
~~~~~
Much later they lay sprawled together, her hand wrapped lightly around his semi-arousal, her thumb brushing over the pearls with a whisper light touch. There were four of them strategically placed along the front and four more on the back. Not for the first time, she wondered why he'd had the enhancements done. Unless she had completely misunderstood basic human anatomy, Cyn didn't think it was for any type of self-gratification.
"Do they enhance your pleasure?" She asked curiously.
"Just my performance," he admitted with a wicked grin.
Wasn't that just the damn truth. His performance was as stellar in bed as it was onstage. Still, it didn't answer her question. "So why'd you do it?"
For all that Cyn was completely uninhibited in bed, he'd sensed that she was relatively inexperienced with sex. He did not have a problem with that. God only knew he had enough experience for both of them and was enjoying teaching her everything he knew. "To enhance your pleasure," John teased and gave her ass a gentle squeeze.
Sweet baby Jesus. Did it ever. Those pearls stimulated her in ways she hadn't known were possible. John was by no means a selfish lover. No matter what position they wound up in, he always made sure those marvelous pearls were at just the right angle for her to feel the maximum effect. Just thinking about it had her wet and ready for him.
Her curious mind still had questions though, so she asked, "Did it hurt?"
He laughed at that and admitted, "Darlin', I was so wasted I don't even remember getting them."
"Seriously?" She asked in surprise.
"Yeah. Freaked me out when I sobered up and found them," John confessed. By then he'd had the implants for a few weeks and the scars had healed. He'd thought he had some kind of STD when he saw the lumps on his junk and had totally lost his shit. Which is why the thought of an STD still scared the hell out of him.
Cyn had been pretty high before, but never that much. She shook her head in amazement and asked, "So you don't even know why you got them?"
"My boys never let me forget why," he said in amusement because they still ragged him about it. His fingertips absently trailing up and down her thigh, John explained, "We stumbled into some crazy shop out in Cali and Alex dared me to get a piercing. I said I would if he would, so we did."
The man obviously couldn't resist a dare, stoned or sober, she realized and then thought to ask, "So what did Alex get?"
Oh, fuck no. She was not gonna lay in his bed and think about Alex's junk. That shit was not happening. John rolled so that she was pinned beneath him, his forearms caging her head as he gave her a narrow eyed stare. "You did not just ask me about another man's dick," he growled indignantly.
Cyn giggled, holy shit, she actually giggled, at the revelation of where the drummer's piercing was located. "Not intentionally," she denied in amusement. "But now that you've told me where it is..."
John swooped down and claimed her mouth as he slid smoothly into her heated depths, effectively returning her full attention to his dick where it belonged.
Chapter Five
Monday, May 26
"Darlin'."
"Hmm," she murmured lazily, enjoying the feel of his mouth moving over her abdomen. The goatee tickled slightly, but his lips and tongue easily distracted
her from the sensation.
"What happened to your piercing?" John queried and then laved her cute little naval.
"Must have lost it in the mud," she replied sleepily and stretched in a languid fashion that just a few days ago had been completely alien. God, her body had never been so well loved. The feeling was absolutely delicious.
"Damn. Love that thing," he complained as he continued his journey south. The belly button ring was sexy as hell and had quickly become his favorite toy. Cyn wore a shit ton of jewelry. Like his, her wrists were loaded down with leather bracelets, but hers had all kinds of silver doodads on them. She also wore an anklet, one of those silly little toe rings, big silver hoop earrings, and five different rings. She was such a chick.
"I'll get another one," she sighed and sank her fingers into his hair. The sound of a knock coming from her bedroom door had them both freezing in place like a couple of naughty children. Harley's voice calling her name galvanized Cyn into action. It was one thing for your aunt to know you were having sex. Having her actually witness it was another thing altogether.
She sprang out of bed and looked around for something to put on. God only knew where her clothes from the night before had wound up. John tossed her a T-shirt which she snatched over her head as she raced through the connecting bathroom and into her bedroom. "Morning," she said lamely as she opened the door and met her aunts knowing look
"Afternoon," Harley corrected with a grin since it was one o'clock.
It did not escape her notice that Cyn looked as if she had just crawled out of bed or that the shirt swallowing her whole was one of John's. More telling was the neatly made bed that had obviously not been slept in since it was piled high with luggage. Knowing that the pair were actually sleeping together was a positive sign since John never did that.
"You mentioned last night that you needed a mani-pedi," she explained her reason for the interruption. "So I made you an appointment for two o'clock."
"Thanks, Aunt Harley," Cyn said as she gave the older woman a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. "That was so sweet."