“You’re going away with him?” Bree is studying me way too closely, and it’s making me itchy.
“Yeah. It’s no big deal.”
They’re all watching me. Dammit. Finally, Fletcher just laughs and says, “So fucking weird.”
And Bree giggles, which makes Rhys smile and Blair laugh. I let out a relieved breath because yeah, it’s odd, but I’m also really excited about it.
And I don’t even know how to process that at the moment.
TWENTY-FOUR
We’re here. I haven’t been to the cabin for so damn long—probably close to a year—but now we’re here. The drive was quiet, which is to be expected with Rhett, but he’s not as forlorn-looking as he usually is. Hell, he almost smiled a few times on the drive.
He seems almost . . . I don’t know . . . peaceful. And I don’t hate it.
I park in front of the cabin and wait for Rhett’s response. It’s definitely not like my parent’s house. It’s smaller for starters, nowhere near as grand and pompous. That’s one of my favorite parts about it, if I’m being honest.
It’s a simple two-bedroom cabin with a loft. There’s a cool porch with a wooden porch swing hanging from it. It’s surrounded by pine trees and a beautiful blue sky. “Wow.”
“Good wow?”
I hold my breath as I wait for his response. He’s looking around the area purposely, and then he turns to me with a grin on his beautiful face. “Good wow. Yeah.”
I release the air in my lungs. I don’t know why it matters so much to me—his approval of my cabin—but it does.
We climb out, grabbing our bags and head inside. It’s decorated simply. A couch and a chair in the living room. One bathroom with a black shower curtain. There’s a bed up in the loft area and a master bedroom downstairs. “You can choose the loft or the actual bedroom. It’s up to you.” I don’t want to assume we’re sleeping in the same bed. Even if we’ve fooled around, we’ve yet to actually sleep together.
He turns to look at me, his bag still slung over his shoulder and a handsome grin on his face. No teeth in the smile. There rarely is—but it’s still beautiful. “Really? We’re going to sleep in separate beds?”
My mouth twitches with a smile because I don’t think he wants to. I try my best to play it off, shrugging my shoulders. “I didn’t want you to think I brought you out here for sex.”
He laughs, a full-on beautiful laugh that lights up his entire face. “Yeah, right.” He walks toward the loft in a confident stride. “The loft looks pretty cool.” He walks up the swirling iron staircase and drops his bag near the bed.
I leave my bag by the door, not really wanting to sleep in the master bedroom. Everything in me pulls toward him, but I stay put. I’m always afraid I’ll spook him with everything I’m feeling inside.
He comes back downstairs and flops on the couch, his long legs stretched out before him. “So what’s there to do here?”
I park my ass right next to him on the couch. “I usually use my time here to jerk off nonstop.”
He scoffs, shaking his head, but there’s a smile on his face. “That doesn’t surprise me at all.”
I give a real answer. “I like to go for walks. It’s kind of, I don’t know . . . peaceful. And I love to swim here when it’s warm.”
His eyes roam to the one window in the living room and out toward the lake. “It does look nice. But it’s fucking cold.”
I scoff, playing the tough guy. “Come on. Don’t wuss out on me. It’s like seventy-five degrees today, and yesterday, it was eighty.”
“And last week, it was in the fifties. No way am I going in that water.”
“Chicken.”
His eyes meet mine with a deadly glint. “I’m not a child you can bait. You want your balls to fall off, you go right ahead.”
“Okay, then.” I stand up, and he eyes me carefully. “But we both know you’d miss my balls.”
I whip off my t-shirt and head to the door, tossing my shirt on the floor as I go. I hear him grumbling behind me, following. The cabin is secluded and has its own dock, so I make it there in no time, walking to the end.
Rhett follows, still fully dressed. “Quit messing around.”
I shake my head with a grin and pop the button on my jeans, looking out at the water. “I’m not messing around.” I step closer to him. “I never bluff.”
I watch his throat bob with hesitance as he watches me. I know that water is cold. I know this is stupid, but all I feel is the rush sluicing through me and making my heart pump faster. I kick off my shoes, pull off my socks, and unzip my jeans, pushing them down so all I’m wearing is black briefs.
His eyes slowly slide down my body, raising goosebumps all over my skin. “Don’t.”
I kick my jeans away and pull him to me by the waistband of his. “Don’t be a chicken. Jump in, Rhett. Let go a little.”
His eyes move to the calm water near the dock, and he doesn’t push me away. “It’s way too cold. We’ll go into shock.”
“It’s not that cold. It’s been warm. It’s not like it’s December.”
“It’s barely spring.”
“I’m going.” I release him and move to the edge of the dock, my heart still thundering in my chest.
This is going to suck.
“You’re a stubborn ass. You know that, right?” I hear movement behind me, and before I know it, he’s standing next to me in his boxer briefs and staring at the water like he hates it.
Better than him looking at me like that. But we’ll see how long that lasts.
“This is so fucking stupid.” He shakes his head.
Yeah. Yeah, it is.
I jump in feet first, knowing it’s shallow at this spot and not giving myself time to back out.
Holy mother of fuck!
Yeah. It’s damn cold and the water only reaches my waist. Still, I taunt him, trying not to let him see me shiver. “Come on, Rhett. Don’t back out on me now.”
I raise my hands in the air, noticing the hairs on my arms standing straight up.
“You’re such a dick.” He shakes his head but then jumps in too. “Holy fucking shit balls.” He looks at me, his teeth chattering almost instantly. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
I laugh and quickly grab him, pulling him under the water with me. His body thrashes, and he pushes me away, popping out of the water and cursing but also laughing. We swim back to the dock, pulling ourselves out quickly.
“Holy fuck, that was cold.” He folds his arms over his chest, rubbing them.
I nod in agreement and walk until the toes of our bare feet are touching. I use my hands to warm up his biceps, relishing the feel of his hard muscles under my palms. His eyes meet mine, and I lean in and kiss him. It must be too sweet for his taste because his fingers dig into my biceps as he intensifies the kiss, holding me in place and devouring my mouth.
I growl with hunger. My dick, suddenly no longer cold, goes rigid in my briefs as we grind against each other and kiss out here in the open.
Free. I feel free in this moment.
“Rhett,” I breathe against his lips as he nips and bites on my bottom one. I’m already on edge, wanting him desperately. “I know what we could do to warm up.”