Chapter 10

I make a point of not being alone with Kendra, which isn’t all that hard as we eat out on the patio at a big glass table. The sun sinks lower and lower in the sky, dropping down toward the lake. Because of the way the house is situated, you can see both sunset and sunrise from here. The sky turns orange and purple, tinting the wisps of clouds in the west.

Amber lights a bunch of lanterns and sets a can of Deep Woods Off on the bar for anyone who’s being attacked by mosquitoes. I think I became immune to mosquitoes as a kid because they don’t bother me, but Amber’s slapping away at them.

The conversation is easy and relaxed. We look at honeymoon pictures on Lovey’s laptop. Duper and Army ask about my training and the other guys who are there. Kendra talks a little about her business meeting this morning, where she hopes she has acquired another distributor for their products. Sex toys.

She takes some teasing from Army about her “smutty occupation.” “I think Aunt Allison is still scarred from that time she found your stash of sex toys,” he says, grinning.

I’ve heard the story already, and I have to bite the inside of my mouth to keep from commenting on that.

“Well, she shouldn’t be,” Lovey says. “I found anal beads in your parents’ bedroom when I was about ten.”

“Eeeeeew!” Kendra stares at her cousin open-mouthed. “Shut up!”

“No lie. I didn’t know what they were, of course. I thought they were a necklace.” Lovey grins. “It wasn’t till I was older that it clicked.”

Army narrows his eyes at his sister. “I don’t want to hear about this.”

Lovey laughs and waves a hand at him.

“Oh, my God.” Kendra flops back in her chair and covers her eyes. “Now I’m the one who’s scarred! Why did you tell me that?”

“Sorry.” Lovey’s completely unrepentant.

I have to take a leak, so I head inside to use the powder room I was shown earlier. When I emerge, Kendra’s in the empty kitchen leaning against the counter. The sliding doors to the patio have been shut to keep out mosquitoes.

Upon seeing me, she says, “I didn’t know you were here.”

“I heard.”

“You seem annoyed that I came with Marc and Lovey.”

“Not at all.” I shrug. “I was surprised. But it’s no big deal to me. Sorry if I’m making your weekend awkward, though, by being here. I can head back to Chicago tomorrow.”

A little notch appears between her eyebrows. “You’re not making it awkward,” she says slowly. “At least you weren’t until now.” One corner of her mouth hitches.

Our eyes meet across the room. Electricity sizzles over my skin. “Army knows we slept together. He figured it out.”

“Oh. So?”

“He’s not real happy about it.”

She wrinkles her nose. “Really?”

“Really.” I rub the back of my neck. “And probably with good reason.”

She moves her head from side to side, pushes away from the counter and strolls toward me. “Max. It’s none of Duncan’s business.”

“He said he told you not to get involved with me. Because of…my baggage.”

“True.” She holds my gaze steadily. “But I make my own decisions. And you and I were both clear about what we wanted from each other. Right?”

“Right.”

“Then we can both hang out here this weekend and have fun at the lake and it’s not an issue.”

I swallow. “I guess so.”

“Okay, good.”

And she walks past me into the hall, presumably heading to the bathroom.

I watch her, then tip my head back and close my eyes.

Sure. We’ll just hang out together all weekend in the same house. No problem.

It’s a fucking problem.

After everyone gets up late on Saturday and helps themselves to breakfast and coffee, we all go down to the lake. Kendra’s wearing a tiny little black bikini that makes me want to throw her big beach towel over her and cover her up. Christ, she may as well be naked, parading around in front of my teammates.

In fairness to them, they’ve barely noticed, and she is Duncan’s cousin. Also, their wives are dressed in equally revealing swimsuits.

Kendra lays out her towel on the sandy beach and I catch her eyeing me, her gaze tracking over my shoulders and chest, her eyes hot and appreciative.

Fuck, yeah.

This doesn’t help the stirring in my southern region, however.

The sky is a cloudless blue, the sun a bright golden orb in the sky and it’s getting hot. Really hot.

“Who wants to ski this afternoon?” Army asks from where he’s kneeling behind Amber rubbing sunscreen on her back. “I’ll get the boat out.”

“I want to,” Kendra calls. “I haven’t waterskied in years.”

“You ski, Hallsy?” he asks me.

“Yeah. I’ll go.”

“I suck at waterskiing,” Lovey says. “I’ll hang out on the beach while you all go.”

“I like skiing,” Amber says.

I remember that she was a star soccer player at one time, and comes by her athletic ability from her dad who was a pro football player.

Does Kendra need sunscreen on her back? She’s fair like Lovey, who’s slathering on practically a whole bottle of SPF 50. I could definitely offer to help out…getting my hands all over her tight little body…But before I can ask, Kendra reaches into a beach bag and pulls out a bottle that she holds behind her and sprays herself with. Huh.

I watch Kendra walk out on the dock, my eyes glued to her ass in the skimpy bikini bottom. She sits on the end of the dock, dangling her feet in the water, a big pair of aviator sunglasses perched on her nose. Her hair’s up in a ponytail that swishes against her smooth back as she looks around.

“That game was fun last night,” Lovey says.

Last night we played a board game called Loaded Questions, which was hilarious and interesting. One person spins the wheel and reads a question and everyone writes down their answer. Then the spinner has to guess who gave which answer. Some of the questions were pretty personal and there was a lot of laughter and red faces. I found myself constantly guessing which were Kendra’s answers. The grossest thing she’s ever done in public is throw up outside a bar after drinking too much (come on, who hasn’t?). I now know that her favorite breakfast is an Egg McMuffin. (I approve of this. Also not a surprise given that she hates runny yolks.) Her worst household chore is vacuuming (mine is cleaning the toilets). The store at the mall she would never be caught in is GameStop (fine with me, I’m not much of a gamer, either). And her professional wrestler name would be Autumn Venus (WTF?)

“I still think we should have played the strip version of the game,” Duper says. “Where you have to take off clothes if you guess wrong.”

Lovey smacks his shoulder, grinning.

“I agree,” Army says.

“How’s the water?” Amber calls to Kendra. “I’m getting hot.”

“It’s nice.” She kicks up a spray of sparkling drops. “Let’s go in.”

“How deep is it here?” I ask, wondering about diving in.

“Only a few feet,” Army answers.

Okay, then. No diving. I stand, drop my sunglasses to my towel on the sand, and start running. I kick up as much water with my hands and feet as I can, evilly splashing Kendra sitting on the dock. She lets out a shriek. “You asshole!”

But she’s laughing and next thing I know, she jumps in and throws water at me with her hands.

I laugh. “Too late, spice girl, I’m already wet.”

She disappears beneath the surface of the water. I freeze, not knowing what she’s doing and then I leap and yelp as fingers curl around my junk under the water. Nobody else can see it. I hunch over and Kendra pops up, water streaming down her face. She grins. “Hmm, the water’s colder than I thought, judging from the shrinkage.”

“Oh, no, here we go again, talking about my dick. Why is everyone fascinated with my junk?”

She laughs and falls back into a float, turning her face to the sun. “You wish.”

I’ve kind of forgotten that I was annoyed she was in Chicago and didn’t call me, and also that Army thinks I’m a big loser and she shouldn’t have anything to do with me, and mostly how annoyed I was because that part’s probably true.

The others are splashing out to join us and, with a shake of my head, I do a shallow dive and swim away from them. Army and Duper start tossing a football back and forth in shallower water near the shore and I join in, showing off by leaping in the air to catch the ball, then aiming it at the water so it splashes Duper in the face. The girls are floating around, but Amber suddenly surprises us by jumping up and snagging the ball on a pass from Duper to Army. She tucks the ball under her arm and runs splashing through the water and yeah, Army chases her and tackles her into the water, both of them laughing.

Fuck, it’s so much fun. The sun is bright and warm, the water pleasant, and I haven’t laughed so much in a long time. It all makes me realize how bleak my life has been for the last year and a bit, and I feel another one of those twinges of guilt. Like I’m not supposed to be happy.

Kendra floats in front of me. “It’s okay,” she says softly.

Can she read my fucking mind? I stare at her.

“It’s okay to have fun,” she continues, paddling with her hands. “It’s a part of healing.”

I close my eyes briefly, embarrassed that she knows what I’m thinking. “Sure.” And I dive under water again.

But her words stay with me. In my head, I know she’s right. But it’s hard to shake that feeling.

Amber puts together sandwiches and a bunch of raw veggies for lunch, and then Army gets his boat out of the boathouse. Yeah, this place is sick, with even a boathouse for the motorboat and the paddleboat. Army’s motorboat is nice but well used. I know he likes to use it for fishing but he’s also got a lot of fun water toys—skis, of course, and a big tube that he pulls behind the boat, which Lovey agrees to ride on.

I haven’t waterskied for quite a while but it comes back to me, and it feels good to use some muscles. I’m getting stronger, I can tell, and after I get more comfortable, I start jumping the wake and doing some turns. Of course that lands me face-first in the water. I bob up to the surface and see the boat making a turn to come back for me.

“Nice move, show-off,” Kendra calls.

“Let’s see your moves, spice girl.” I climb back into the boat.

“You’ve seen some of them,” she says to me in a low voice before jumping into the water.

I grin as she gets herself arranged, and then Army hits the gas and Kendra rises out of the water. I act as spotter. She’s not bad. I’m enjoying the view of her in that black bikini, her abs tightening and muscles in her thighs flexing. She’s in great shape. I already knew that, but seeing her like this really shows it off.

When we’re all tired of skiing and tubing, we head back to shore and Army gets out another toy, an inflatable party island. Seriously, this is the coolest thing—with speakers that play music, a cooler, and drink holders.

Kendra’s next to me, both of us lounging back in the seats. Our legs stretched out in front of us brush together, our arms resting on the inflated seats also touching occasionally. I admire her legs—slender curves, firm muscles, sleek skin. She takes a sip of her cooler, then tips her face to the sun and closes her eyes. Her freckles are a little more pronounced now, her cheeks pink.

I wish we were alone out here on the lake on this floating party island, because I’d like to drag her down to the floor of the big inflatable and fuck her senseless. Things are stirring down below and I have to shift in my seat so my erection isn’t obvious through my board shorts.

We float around, laughing and drinking beer and coolers, Army and Duper and I trash-talking each other about our waterskiing skills. But I’m hyperaware of Kendra beside me, and I have to stop myself from trailing my fingers up her arm, or playing footsie with her pretty feet.

Later, all a little sunburned, a little buzzed, and a lot tired from the fresh air, we stagger off the inflatable island onto the beach, gather up all our crap and head back to the house. Amber brought Ace back here while we were out on the water and he’s going crazy, jumping and yipping until Amber picks him up and gives him attention.

“You guys can all go shower and change or whatever,” Amber says. “I’ve got chicken breasts marinating for dinner and I’m going to get some veggies ready to roast.”

I’ve avoided the bowls of potato chips, and everything else has been pretty healthy so far this weekend, so I don’t have to feel guilty about blowing the diet.

Kendra and I share a bathroom—Amber and Army have an ensuite as does the guest room Duper and Lovey are using. We both open our bedroom doors and step into the hall at the same time.

We eye each other. She’s still wearing that little bikini with a big sheer scarf thing tied around her hips. Her gaze tracks down over my chest and abs. The air in the hallway fills with heat.

“Ladies first.” I gesture at the bathroom.

She doesn’t move. “We have shared a shower before.”

One of my eyebrows shoots up. “What are you saying?”

She smiles. “Just trying to be efficient.”

I consider that. “Yeah, sorry, not gonna shower with you unless there’s sex involved.”

She bites her lip, her eyes gleaming. “You drive a hard bargain.”

“And that’s not all that’s hard.”

Her gaze drops again. “I see that,” she murmurs. She glances around. We can hear water running from Duper and Lovey’s room. “Come on, then.”

She grabs my hand and drags me into the bathroom.

It’s a great bathroom, thanks to Amber’s redecorating. The shower is a big walk-in space with doors that are like French doors, the inside all tiled with gray. There’s a sleek white vanity with two sinks and mirrors above with big white frames, the walls painted a silvery gray. Thick white towels are stacked in a shelving unit and there are cottagey decor touches like a barn wood sign over the toilet that says “FLUSH” and mason jars painted white filled with little accessories.

Kendra hangs her scarf skirt thing on a wall hook while I turn on the water and we both step into the shower still in our swimsuits.

“How much time do you think we have?” I reach for her.

She drapes her arms over my shoulders. “As much time as we need.” Her smile is sultry.

My dick is getting painfully hard. “I mean before people come looking for us.”

“I think that would take a while.” She kisses my jaw.

I turn my head to find her mouth with mine and a groan climbs up my throat at the feel and taste of her. So goddamn sweet. “Missed this mouth,” I mutter before kissing her again, this time sliding my tongue inside.

“Mmm.”

I slip the little straps of her top down her arms, then reach behind her for the tie. “This was making me nuts all day.” With a tug it’s undone and the scrap of black Lycra falls to the floor. “Barely covering these sweet tits.” I cup them with both hands and gently squeeze. “I wanted to do this all day.”

She lets out a soft whimper. “I wanted that, too. I saw you looking at me.”

“I can’t stop looking at you. You’re fucking gorgeous.”

She makes another needy sound, and her hand goes to my groin and covers my stiff cock. I moan as she gives me a rub through my board shorts. “So are you. So is this.”

“Jesus. This is crazy.”

“Who cares?” Her head falls back as I lick down her throat.

“Good point.”

She shoves down my shorts and I slide her bikini bottom down her thighs. We’re both naked now, water pouring down on us from a decadent showerhead.

“Mmmm. Wanna lick these tan lines.” I drag my tongue over the curve of one breast where lightly tanned skin turns pale.

“I hardly have any tan. It’s so not fair. Look at you.”

My skin tans easily and I picked up a lot of color this afternoon, but my hips (and ass, no doubt) are white.

Her hands roam over my wet pecs and abs and shoulders as I lick and suck on her breasts. I back her up against the wall of the shower and lift one thigh to my hip. Then I knock my forehead against the tile wall. “I don’t have a condom.”

“Shit. Me, either.”

My dick and I both want to cry.

“That’s okay.” Kendra smooths her hands up my back. “We’ll just be creative.”

I lift my head to peer at her. “I like that.”

She slides down the wall and my eyes widen as she goes to her knees in front of me. I have to take a step back, and her hands on my aching shaft and balls are fucking sublime. Her fingers play over the sensitive skin of my sac, and curl around the base of my dick as she stares hungrily at it. Her lips part and I watch in fascination as her tongue comes out to swipe over her bottom lip. Her eyelashes are wet and spiky fans on her cheeks.

Every nerve ending in my body is jumping, my heart banging, blood rushing hot through my veins. I set a hand on her head, cupping it gently.

Her eyelashes flicker as she looks up at me at the same time she opens wide and takes me inside. A jolt of sensation ricochets through my body.

“Christ,” I groan. I widen my stance, planting my feet into the tile because my thighs are shaking and I don’t want to collapse in a heap.

Her lips circle me, sliding up and down along with her hand. She cups my balls and gently squeezes and hot pinpoints of sensation race up and down my spine and the backs of my thighs. My fingers spasm in her hair. I don’t want to be aggressive and it’s hard to stop myself from thrusting deeper, fucking her mouth.

She pulls back and strokes me, studying my cock, and fuck, that’s hot because she looks like she goddamn worships it. Nothing better than a woman who looks at you like that.

Then she takes me deeper, right to her throat, fuck, I’m burning up. She releases me and her hands run up and down my thighs, my hips, then grip my ass and it’s her pulling me closer, deeper. I gasp and grunt, and my balls pull up tight, pressure building hot and dark. Her mouth on my cock is a hot, wet caress, burning suction, and sliding bliss. My lungs seize and my vision goes dark around the edges, only a pinpoint of light remaining until I can’t hold them open any longer no matter how much I love watching her suck me.

I explode in her mouth, flames racing up my spine, frying my brain cells. Both my hands are in her wet hair now as I come with wrenching spasms and she takes it all; fuck that’s so hot. My heart is beating so fast I can barely breathe, my lungs straining.

I go to my knees then, too, in a slow collapse and wrap my arms around her. Water pounds down on my back. With my eyes closed, I press my cheek to her hair. “Jesus,” I gasp. “Jesus Christ. I just saw angels.”

I feel her smile.

“I heard them, too,” I add. “Singing. Pretty sure.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Oh, baby, hell, yeah.” I lift my head and lay a kiss on her mouth. Then I set my hands on her waist and lift her to her feet.

“What…?”

“Shhh. Your turn to hear angels singing.” I nudge her feet apart and shift her to lean against the wall of the shower, and then I bend down and open my mouth on her pussy.

“Oooh…” Her head falls back and she threads her fingers into my hair. “That’s good…”

I could devour her, she’s so soft and sweet. I use my lips and tongue to suck and kiss and lick, finding her clit and working it until she’s shaking and nearly yanking my hair out by the roots. Her soft cries might as well be angels singing, they’re so pretty. I love making her feel good, and she comes fast and hard, clenching around the finger I’ve slid inside her in rhythmic pulses.

I rise to my feet and pull her against me, holding her trembling body tight. She buries her face against me, panting. “Thank you.”

I huff out a laugh. “You’re welcome.”

“Do you have condoms in your room?”

“Uh…yeah.” I have no idea why I grabbed some and threw them into my toiletry bag when I was packing, but thank fuck I did.

“Good. We’ll put them to use later.”

She amazes me, how open and forthright she is about what she wants. I like it. A lot. I also like the fact that she really likes sex. “I could probably be up for that.”

She laughs softly.