ABIGAIL

“I know a place, just over this hill. Let’s go,” Henry says, nodding to the knoll rising steeply on the other side of the parking.

We start walking quickly across the parking lot, into the grassy hillside beyond. When we reach the soft grass, I pause for a second to slip off my heels and grasp them by the straps in one hand while Henry takes my other hand in his. We walk up the incline, leaning into it, our feet slipping now and then against the steep bank. Henry holds my hand tight, ensuring that I don’t fall, and finally we reach the crest of the hill.

At the top, I glance around. To our right, in the distance, is the palace, aglow with dozens of lights from the windows and exterior sconces. In front of us, several hundred feet away, is the silhouette of a large building and beyond it, a faint shimmer of rippling light — the boathouse and the lake.

“What do you think?” Henry asks.

I give him a sly look. “I think… you need to get me naked as soon as possible.”

“Well, stop standing here talking to me and start moving that fine ass toward the dock, my Lady.” He slaps me playfully on the rear, and I squeal.

Just then, a large raindrop splatters me on the nose, and another lands in my eyelashes.

Henry looks up at the sky. “We have about three seconds before we’re soaked.”

“First one to the lake gets to call the shots!” I yell. I don’t wait for his response. I take off running down the slope as fast as my legs will carry me, the hem of my dress kicking up in the breeze, my shoes bouncing wildly by the straps in my hand.

It’s only seconds before Henry passes me, shooting toward the water’s edge like a missile, his powerful legs no match for my own. But a moment later, he slows down, turns, and jogs back.

“I don’t care who calls the shots,” he says with a wink, grabbing my hand. “As long as we’re together. Come on!”

The rain is pouring down on us now, and we’re flying down the hill hand in hand, Henry leading the way, my bare feet digging into the wet grass. We pass the boathouse on the left and head straight to the dock.

“What are we doing?” I ask loudly when we finally stop on the large wooden platform, straining my voice to be heard over the roar of rain. “The boathouse is right there, it’ll be warm and dry.”

He grabs my face and kisses me, his lips firm and urgent against mine. I start to sink into his embrace, but he pulls back, looking into my eyes as the rain beats down on us.

“I want to be alone with you. Really, truly alone. Just us.”

He crouches at the edge of the dock, quickly untying a large rope. He unties a second rope and throws it onto the deck of a small boat. “This one isn’t fancy,” he yells over his shoulder, “it’s just a small weekender, but it’s reliable.”

Henry reaches his hand out and steadies me as I hop onto the boat. He’s right behind me and already has the engine going by the time I stumble to a seat.

He grabs a life jacket from a bin under one of the seats and hands it to me. “Put this on and then hang on, okay? These seats are slippery when it’s raining.”

I nod solemnly and slip the lifejacket on quickly, buckling it and tightening the straps before wrapping my hands around the metal railing next to my seat.

He puts the boat into gear, backing slowly away from the dock. Drops of water are hammering against my face, but I can’t take my eyes off of Henry. He’s standing behind the wheel as steady as a statue, expertly navigating us into open water, an intensity on his face that I haven’t seen before.

Soon, we’re clear of the harbor and zipping across the water. I cling to the railing as my hair twists into a whirlwind behind me. Once we’re going fast enough, the glass partition begins diverting the sting of the rain away from my face and I laugh with the full delight of my inner child, set free here on the lake tonight as I savor the thrill of being whisked away by Henry.

It’s just him and me.

And I want to soak in every moment of it

I briefly wonder where Henry’s supposed to be right now instead of out on the lake with me, if his security team is currently searching the palace grounds in a frenzy, and if Emily is waiting up for me to return from my dinner with Finley. But as we race across the water I let all those thoughts go and throw my head back, filling my lungs with the fresh, humid night air, all my worries growing distant, left behind.

After several minutes, Henry pulls back on the throttle, and the boat slows, bobbing slightly as the wake catches up with us. I glance over my shoulder, but I can’t see anything other than choppy water behind us. The mist of the rain has hidden the palace from view.

Henry drops down to cruising speed as he guides the boat through a narrow channel.

“Watch your head!” he yells.

The bank on either side is so close, the tree limbs have formed a tunnel of sorts. I duck to avoid overhanging branches that scrape against the glass partition, and a moment later, we slip through the channel, emerging into a small cove.

“Very few people ever come here,” Henry says. “This is the only boat that can get through that channel.”

When we reach the center of the cove, he presses the button to release the anchor and cuts the engine. I unbuckle my life jacket and lay it at my feet.

“Now,” he says, “I believe the rule was, whoever made it to the dock first gets to call the shots, yes?”

“Hey, you said it didn’t matter!”

He shrugs, a wicked gleam in his eyes. “What can I say, I play dirty.”

“No fair!” I protest, hands on my hips.

My indignation doesn’t faze him. In one move, he steps forward and lifts me up, one hand under my back, the other under my knees.

I throw my arms around his neck and clutch him tightly. “You better not be about to throw me in the water, Henry!”

“Oh, I’m going to get you wet all right,” he growls, carrying me into the small cabin under the deck.

* * *

Once we’re out of the rain, Henry strips both our damp clothes off and kisses me from head to toe, taking his time. Even though it’s late and the sound of the rain beating against the boat is soothing, I’m far too wound up to feel sleepy.

He rolls over on his back and pulls me to him, lifting me onto his lap, where his hard, swollen erection awaits. Instinctively, I stiffen, squeezing my thighs together to keep myself upright, and put my hands out, pushing against his chest.

“We can’t,” I say, because it’s what is required of me, but my words don’t match anything… not the thoughts in my head, not the reaction my body has to his touch, not the heat between my legs.

My ability to resist him is already so weak, and every time we’re together, it’s slipping away more and more. I don’t know how much longer I can hold out, but it’s not up to me. There’s too much riding on my virginity to give into a moment of temptation. But oh, it would feel so good to just give in…

“It’s okay,” Henry reassures me, deep sincerity in his voice. “That’s not what I have in mind.”

Dammit, Henry. Why do you have to be such a gentleman with me? Just take me, already! I’d love nothing more than to have him pull my hips down, push me onto his beautiful cock, and fuck me like there’s no tomorrow. The devil on my shoulder, that live-like-there’s-no-tomorrow part of me, really wants him to just go for it. I know all my resistance would melt away the second he slid into me.

But he doesn’t. Instead, he lowers me onto his thighs, his erection pointing up between my legs, tickling against the lower part of my stomach.

“Damn, woman. Now that is a heavenly sight.”

“Oh?” I wrap my fingers around his cock and stroke him, gliding my hands up and down his long, firm shaft. I love his cock, so thick and hot in my hands.

He moans, his fingers pressing into the soft flesh of my hips. He grasps my hips and pulls me forward, his cock sliding under me slowly, rubbing against my slippery wetness. Then he pushes my hips back and repeats it.

I get the hang of what we’re doing and begin thrusting my hips in rhythm with the movement of his hands on my hips. His shaft is hot and firm underneath me, and it feels so good gliding against my clit.

“If I can’t be inside of you, this is the next best thing,” he says, watching my face intensely.

“It’s good,” I whisper, feeling drunk on pleasure, savoring the feelings of his naked skin against mine, his firm cock beneath me, our bodies working in unison. “So good.” Moan after moan escapes me, and my breath quickens as we both pick up the pace.

He moves his hands to my ass, gripping me tightly as he lets out a long groan. “Fuck, yes,” he says, his voice deep and husky with passion, “rub your pretty pussy on my cock.”

I blush at his dirty talk, but the words send a pulse of heat right to the center of my pelvis. No toy I’ve ever tried feels as wonderful as his thickness between my thighs. Spreading my hands on his chest, I steady myself and tilt my hips forward, grinding my swollen clit against him even harder. I want to slide his stiff shaft inside me and ride him so bad, I’m practically vibrating.

His hands move to my chest, squeezing and cupping my breasts, his fingers playing with my nipples. My breathing is ragged, and a tremble runs through me as an orgasm draws near.

Henry doesn’t miss a thing. He pulls me to his chest and whispers in my ear. “Come for me, baby.”

His hands return to my ass, and he begins thrusting his pelvis, bringing his knees up for leverage, as if he were really fucking me, the rhythm steady and powerful.

“Yes, yes!” My cry fills the small space, and his pace quickens. I wrap my arms around his neck and surrender to his movements as he uses his strong body and hard, hot cock to bring me to climax.

* * *

The rain has finally stopped, and the clouds have moved out, revealing a dark sky full of glittery stars. Henry had unfolded a dry tarp on the deck of the boat, and we’re lying on it, wrapped in a blanket, looking up at the heavens.

The air is cool from the rain, and a light breeze is drifting over us, but Henry’s hot body is snuggled up next to mine under the blanket. It could be snowing buckets on us right now, and I wouldn’t care.

Neither of us has said anything in a long while. The silence is comfortable, but the quiet night air is filled with a million things I want to say, but don’t dare.

I know Henry’s not the kind of guy who does romantic feelings — not the silly, sentimental kind, not the deep, forever and ever kind, and not the complicated, messy, desperate kinds. So, he definitely doesn’t want to hear about all these sticky, messy, desperate feelings I’ve been having. And I’m not supposed to be having them in the first place, so it’s best just to keep my mouth shut and not ruin the fun we’re having together.

“We should head back soon,” I whisper.

“We should,” he agrees, but he doesn’t move.

I tilt my head up to look at him. “A while longer?”

He pulls me closer and kisses my forehead. “A while longer.”