Chapter Seven
Greer stood in line at the Icy Whip as a hot breeze wafted over her skin. The evening was beautiful, still warm enough to make your skin damp, with sunlight that stubbornly, slowly, died over the banks of the Eddison river.
The Icy Whip was a local mainstay, the hottest ice cream place in town for over fifty years. She and Luke had spent their fair share of time here as teens. She, for the ice cream, of course. Him, for the opportunity to make out with his date at one of the scenic overlooks along the riverbank nearby. When they came here together, they’d walk the steep trail to the river and sit on the sandy shore and talk. Or not. It never really mattered, as long as they were together.
The treat shop was closing at the end of the month, having been bought out by a burger chain that couldn’t pass up the steady teenage crowd and passersby that dumped money on this place like crazy. She hadn’t been here since leaving for law school. Even though the paramedic program had brought her home after she’d graduated with her law degree, she hadn’t been able to come here.
Probably because this had always been her and Luke’s spot. But they were adults now, and some things from your teenage years were better left in the past.
A local band played country music covers from a grassy spot alongside the Icy Whip. People had come out in droves, the line of customers twenty long in front of her and probably as long behind, with cars still pulling in. She wasn’t sure why she’d come here tonight. Ice cream had sounded delicious after a long, hot day. After her discontent with Luke this morning, maybe she wanted to get a taste of their old relationship.
Ice cream solved everything.
She was a sucker for nostalgia and even a little romance, even though she tried to ignore that part of herself. A criminal defense attorney didn’t have room for soft spots, as her mother had drilled into her for years. The lectures had been effective at forcing her to cover up emotions and longings that could be considered weak.
Instead, she was a hardened shell with a gooey center that no one could know about because it wasn’t allowed. Luke knew the real her. He always had.
The line began to move forward. She watched people milling about around the band, finding seats on the grassy space to eat their treats and enjoy the show. She smiled. This was nice, being on the edge of town, away from the fast pace of the city and the ambulance. She needed this calmness today.
Her phone buzzed.
Can I buy you a double strawberry swirl sundae with extra whip cream, pecans and shaved chocolate?
She looked up from the message and scanned the crowd. There, at the end of the line, she spotted a familiar blond head and broad shoulders. Warmth fluttered through her as she typed back.
Get up here, Almeda.
Luke sauntered up to her with that confident walk of his. He wore black board shorts, showing off strong, toned calves, and a T-shirt that did nothing to hide the spectacular cut of his torso. Her already hot skin warmed even more. His hair was messy, and she itched to run her fingers through it.
“It’s a great night to have ice cream for dinner.” His light tone helped her relax. She didn’t want things strained between them, and the more “normal” they could be together, the better. She’d been feeling bad all day about how she’d left him during their conversation about the promotion.
She tipped her chin up to look at him. “You hate ice cream.”
His lack of a sweet tooth was an anomaly of nature, one she’d made up for over the years by eating his share of sweets while he stuck to fried food and salt.
“Right. But the fries here are the best. How about it? Want to share an order with me?”
She laughed and patted his belly—his warm, rock hard belly. “It’s a good thing you run every day.”
Luke put his hand over hers before she could pull away. Needling sparks raced over her skin from the contact.
“Greer,” he said seriously. “I feel weird about our conversation today. I’m sorry if I made you feel like you’re unimportant to me.” His gaze swept her body. She’d be a liar if she denied how much she liked how his eyes widened and paused over her chest. “I just really want a shot at this job.”
Then you should probably stop touching me, she thought. She brushed his hand away from her body, gave it a light squeeze before releasing him.
Friendships changed over time, sure. Theirs was bound to as well. Hell, they’d already gone through the ups and downs of a long-distance friendship when she was in school. They could go through the next phase together, too.
“I want that for you, too.”
“We need to figure out your next move, too.”
Ha. Her next move. This was one situation she didn’t have planned out yet. If she went back to law, she’d feel like she was proving her mother right. If she continued working as a medic, it would likely be without Luke. She didn’t like either of those options.
“I don’t want to think about it tonight.” She smiled. “I just want ice cream.”
“Fair enough.”
He touched her arm as if he couldn’t help making contact, his fingers dragging sensual little lines down to her wrist. He opened his mouth but paused as he noticed it was their turn to order.
…
They ordered at one of the windows then moved aside to listen to the band and wait for their food. A teenage girl in a pink-and-purple-swirled apron delivered their treats, and they picked their way through the crowd to find a spot to sit.
Good luck in this crowd.
“Hey.” He tugged on her sleeve. “Let’s go down to the river.”
She looked at her thin flip-flops. No way was she going to make it down the embankment in them without spilling her sundae everywhere. The ice cream was already melting into a puddle. She took a drink from the side of the cup right before Luke tickled her lips with a french fry.
She took it in her mouth with a startled laugh. The light in his eyes turned hungry as he watched her lick the grease from her lips.
“You lead the way,” she urged. He needed to stop looking at her like that, or…
Or, what? They were back on platonic ground, and it was going to stay that way.
She kicked off her flip-flops and hung onto the straps as he edged down the path with a confident step she simply didn’t possess. She moved sideways, taking baby steps and sliding a bit so she had to grab the back of his shirt to steady herself, somehow managing not to spill her treat as they reached the bottom.
The river lapped against the bank, the drone of the music and voices faint down here. Cooler air wafted off the water, bringing welcome relief from the heat. A few people milled around or sat along the shore. Luke lead her down a familiar trail, ducking beneath low-hanging branches and picking around rocks until they reached a small sandy clearing. Charred logs sat in a remnant of a campfire, along with crushed beer cans.
He toed off his shoes as they found a place to sit, raising an eyebrow as he asked, “Remember that time you came down here with me for a Friday night party and got soaked when a can of beer exploded all over you?”
She sat on the sand and swirled her spoon around in her puddled sundae. “That was as close as I ever came to drinking back then. I washed those clothes twice, and my mom could still smell it.” She took a bite. “She immediately blamed you, of course.”
Luke popped a fry into his mouth. “Of course. I was the root of all your problems, remember?”
She held back a laugh of agreement. He had a point, but it was sad, really. Her mom had taken to blaming him for everything. “Yeah, well, we ignored her. Her opinion didn’t stop me from coming back here with you again and skinny dipping at two in the morning, did it?”
The fry he was about to put in his mouth fell to the ground. He whipped her a sideways look.
“I forgot about that.”
Figured. “That’s because you’d brought Holly what’s-her-name with you, and you promptly forgot I existed. I cheated, anyway, by keeping my underwear and bra on.”
He set his fries aside and knitted his fingers together. “I’m really sorry about that. I do remember that night. You’d come with some friends to meet me and my buddies here.”
She’d stupidly thought something might spark between them that night. Until she’d seen Holly Big Boobs and realized that wasn’t going to happen. She’d gotten out of the water, slipped back into her sundress, soaking wet, and drove herself home, holding back tears.
“It’s okay. That night was just another reminder that we’re friends, and that is all we’re meant to be.”
All the breath in her lungs seeped out of her as she said it. Luke tapped his thumbs together, the lines of his neck tensing. He was looking down as if he were contemplating something terribly serious. And then he turned to her with light blazing in his eyes as he fell onto his knees and faced her. One hand snaked to the back of her head, cupping her and drawing her toward him.
“We were good in bed. We were good with you under me and your hands all over my body. We were good with you making those sounds I can’t get out of my head.”
Her nipples peaked as he leaned in more, his other hand sliding along her jaw. Every inch of her tensed, her lips parting with anticipation. She could close the space between them and kiss the passion right off his lips. Or, she could be bolder.
Luke had loved how forward she’d been with him the last time. It got him going, set off the primal sex-beast in him. He did the same to her. Wanting him, needing him, came so easily. What they both desired was written clearly in his eyes.
His lips were soft and warm as she drew her thumb across them. “We said one night.”
“Yeah.”
Her hands were shaking now. The chances of anyone they knew spotting them down here were slim. The light was quickly fading; they’d need the flashlight apps on their phones to get back up the hill. Between the twilight and the overgrowth around them, they were hidden in a tiny sanctuary.
“Did we mean it?” she whispered.
His lips trapped her thumb between them. His fingers tightened in her hair as he drew her finger into his mouth and let it out slowly.
Trembling from head to toe, she gently broke away from him and stood. She unbuttoned her jean shorts and let them fall. His lids fell halfway closed as she whipped off her shirt and stood before him in the dim light, wearing her bra and panties.
“You’re not keeping them on this time,” Luke said huskily as he stood.
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
He glanced around and then pressed his body to hers. His warm, hard length made her legs weak. The brush of his fingers against her back as he unsnapped her bra made her lose her breath. Her bra fell open and free. He tossed it on top of her clothes and slowly walked her backward along the shore. His hands crisscrossed over her back, his body shielding her, his arms keeping her steady as she stepped into the water.
The first hit was cool against her skin. The water quickly warmed as he spun her so her back was to his chest. His hands cupped her breasts as he propelled their bodies gently forward until the water lapped at her thighs and did little to cool the heat between her legs.
She did her best not to squirm in his arms. She wanted to spin and wrap her legs around his hips so he could grind against her.
Luke’s fingers brushed against her neck as he moved her hair aside and kissed the curve of her shoulder. They drifted out farther into the river, the undercurrent swirling and pushing against her legs. Cool air danced over her body everywhere but under the heated bands of his arms wrapped around her. Playfully, she cupped water in her palm and tossed it behind her. A quick intake of breath said she’d hit her target.
He turned her, dipping her over his arm so her hair trailed in the water. His lips were everywhere, nibbling and pressing down her neck and chest, over the rise of her breast until he took a nipple into his mouth. With a moan, Greer clung to his shoulders as he worked from one nipple to the next and lowered her until the sharpness of cool water engulfed her back and sides.
With a tug, he pulled her flimsy, wet panties off and tossed them, too. In the lake. Somewhere.
She didn’t worry about them as Luke cupped her ass in his hands, urging her legs around him as he tipped her hips up and leaned low over her. She ran her hands over his chest, his wet shirt clinging to his skin. He pulled her in tight, the bulge of his erection directly between her legs. She gave a little shout, trying to press more completely against him as he moved his hips, rubbing against her with sensual pressure.
Little lights burst behind her eyes. She looked up at the sky, the twinkle of budding stars keeping time with the pleasure pumping through her body. In another few seconds, she’d be completely wrapped up in the way he was strumming her like a damn guitar.
How empty their promise of one night had been…and how risky it was for her to allow this again. The warning played in her head, but her body refused to listen.
“Hey, man, I found panties!” A splash from beside them snapped Greer to attention. Darkness had fallen now, the moon shining half full. She wrapped her arms over her breasts, thinking that maybe this hadn’t been the best idea after all. Luke steadied her on her feet with a growl.
“I’d like to find the woman these belong to. Hell, yeah!” The voice was thick and sloppy. Luke’s hand pressed firmly against her back as he looked down at her in the soft light.
“I bet she’s got big tits!”
She looked down at herself. “Well,” she whispered. “I do have big tits.”
He grinned. At least, she thought he did. Hard to tell in the light. “Keep them covered in case that drunk asshole decides to wade over here.”
They stood still and quiet, listening for any indication someone was coming. Her body was cooling again, thanks to the absence of Luke’s lips and caresses, water droplets clinging to her skin and dripping between each place their bodies were pressed together. She was cold, yet warm in his arms, almost blind in the dark, yet in her mind and heart, she saw him completely.
Finally, he kissed the top of her head. “I’m sorry. This was a bad idea. Let’s go.”
He kept his arms protectively around her as they sloshed out of the river and back to shore. Luke whipped off his shirt, wrung it out, and proceeded to wipe her down the best he could. She squirmed at the cold roughness, which was made tolerable—almost ticklish—by the gentle stroke of his hand.
Her shirt was first, as he pulled it over her head. “I don’t see your bra.”
No surprise; it was hard to see anything. “It was right on top of my shirt.”
Flicking on his flashlight app, he scanned the area. No bra. He shrugged and grabbed her shorts, helping her into them.
Raucous laughter from farther down the shore cut through the air. “Look at my bra!”
“Dude, your man boobs are almost big enough to fit into it.”
Greer laughed; she couldn’t hold it back. Luke tensed, his hand closing into a fist that she felt against her hip. She grabbed his fingers in hers. “Come on, it’s a little funny.”
“I’m going to beat their asses.”
She put her hands on his bare chest, let them travel over the deep lines around his pecs, about to tell him what she’d like him to do to her ass, but refrained. The interruption was exactly what they needed to remind them that sex was off the table.
She’d try and tell that to the pouty desire dancing between her legs.
“Save your energy to help me back up the embankment.”
He grunted, his only response. When Greer was sufficiently put back together, he used his app again to find their discarded treat containers and her flip-flops. They slipped into their shoes, and he held her hand as they picked their way back up the path. The band was still playing, the Icy Whip still overrun with people, though less than before.
She was panting by the time they reached the top. The lights around the band were a stark contrast to the darkness of the riverbank. Luke’s bare chest shone under the light, his skin tanned and firm and begging her to touch him again. She let out a breath and focused on the wadded-up shirt in his hands instead.
He moved in, his head close enough to hers that he could kiss her temple if he wanted to. Her breath hitched, hoping.
“I’m sorry. I said one night, and I fucked it up. It won’t happen again.”
“Oh,” she breathed. It was hard to talk around the weight in her chest. “Okay. Agreed.”
“You never got to eat your ice cream.” He said as he snapped his shirt and slipped it back on. Yeah, and you never got to eat— Damn it, Greer!
“No—nope. That’s okay.”
“No, it’s not okay.” He pulled her along beside him to the snack stand, where they hopped into the now much shorter line and he ordered her another sundae.
“I love you,” she murmured when they placed the sundae in her hands.
His gaze burned into her.
“And I think you’re great, too,” she told him with a playful smile. Luke shook his head, and they headed to her car. Were they going to talk about what almost just happened? He was quiet the entire way to her vehicle, so apparently not.
He waited for her to open her door before he leaned on the frame and looked down at her.
“So, Lucky…are we okay?”
If okay meant the bulge she accidentally just noticed on the front of his shorts, then…no.
“We’re good.”
He gave a satisfied nod. “Good.”
She set her sundae aside to put on her seat belt. She thought of his discarded, probably sand-soaked fries. “Hey, you never got your treat, either!”
A slow smile turned the innocent best friend into the sex god she couldn’t forget.
“Hell yes, I did.” He shut her door and walked away.