Chapter 30
Brody
"Do you think that alligator is really still out here?" Cora asked as she reclined against the front of the boat. Her long golden legs lay stretched out toward me, and I was ready to park the boat and get over to her. Foreign emotions raged through me, and even though I knew I should sort through them, I didn't want to. Just enjoying the newness of being with someone for more than once or twice was thrilling enough.
"I don't know, but we'll go over near the shallow area. There's not nearly enough water over there for them." I got up and dropped the first anchor off the back of the boat.
"I was hoping to go skinny dipping again." She got up and walked toward me, sliding her hands under my shirt and scraping her nails down my back softly.
Warmth spread through my center, and I gripped her sides before leaning over and kissing her a few times. "We can still go skinny dipping, baby. I don't think we have much to worry about. Besides, if it comes near us, you run, and I'll stay behind and whoop its ass."
"Oh yeah? You'd do that for me?" She smiled and moved back as I grabbed the second anchor.
"Are you kidding? I'd beat a hundred alligators back for you." I wagged my eyebrows, hoping to make her smile more than anything.
"You're such a brute." She sat on the front of the boat again, but put her back to me and let her long legs dangle into the water below. "It's beautiful out here. The sun is going to set soon. Do you see the sky starting to turn red and orange over there?"
I pulled out a beer and a bag of chips and joined her at the front of the boat. I sat down and handed her the chips as I took a quick drink before offering her the bottle. "It's beautiful, but it's got nothing on you."
She laughed. "I thought you weren't the kind of guy to spout about all that poetic stuff?"
"People change." I ran my hand over her taunt thigh before squeezing softly and releasing her. "Well, some do."
"Do you want to change, though? It's not like the lifestyle you had a few weeks back was a dull one. It had to be stimulating, in more ways than one." She laughed again, and I couldn't help but smile.
"It was the only life I knew." I shrugged. "I honestly didn't think I would ever be the kind of guy that could settle down, but you know what I realized yesterday?"
"What?" She reached over and intertwined her fingers with mine, looking like an angel beside me.
"I could be that guy. A hot chick that wanted my attention hit me up and I almost felt ill at the thought of even hitting on her. It was refreshing. She didn't look attractive, at all, but like a random girl that was just...there." I shook my head. "You've ruined me. You've ruined me, and now you're stuck with me."
Lights flashed just behind us, and I turned to see a patrol boat pulling up.
"You guys alright out here?" One of the cops on the boat called out from the side of it.
"Yes, Sir. We were just watching the sunset." I released Cora and moved over to the side closest to them. "Is that not alright?"
"It's fine, but don't get in the water over here. We had a few sightings of one of our more aggressive gators. Just be careful, and try to stick to the more populated areas for swimming. Alright?" He crossed his arms over his chest, eying me like he believed me to be the hoodlum I usually was.
"Yeah, no problem. Thanks for letting us know." I waved at him before dropping back down by Cora, who had pulled her feet into the boat. I laughed and squeezed her thigh. "Let's watch the sunset together and then we'll go back to the house. I got a stack of movies that Daniel and Clay picked up a few days back. It's all action and adventure type stuff, but I'm thinking it might do us some good to change things up a little."
She smirked and snuggled up beside me. "I'm good with whatever you want to do."
I let my eyes move out toward the sunset and let out a sigh. "Man, this place is almost majestic."
"I agree, but the thought of an alligator moving through the water around us kind of leaves me worried that some other horny idiots will come out here to skinny dip and not get so lucky as we did." She turned toward me, and I reached out and brushed my fingers by the side of her cheek.
"Are we horny idiots?" I asked as a smirk lifted my lips.
"I am. I'm not sure about you." She leaned in closer and kissed me, stealing my breath and sucking the humor from the moment. Passion rolled through me as I pulled her into my lap and ran my hands over her back and down her legs as I licked and sucked at her mouth.
She moaned softly and turned to straddle me. "Let's go back to the house. I don't want anyone coming up on us while we're not watching."
"You should have thought about that before you straddled me." I brushed my fingers over her mound and brought her in for another long string of kisses as I petted her.
The lights flashed behind me, and I jumped, laughing as the cops passing back by us laughed, too.
"Assholes," I mumbled with a smile on my lips and helped her move off my lap.
"Nope. Just horny idiots like us." She wagged her eyebrows and moved over to take the driver's seat. "I'm driving, so hold on."
*
She wasn't kidding about holding on.
I saw my life flash before my eyes a few times on the way back to the cabin with the crazy girl driving. She seemed to be enjoying herself, and there was no way in hell I was showing any more insecurities for a while. I gripped the side of the boat like it had the power to save me should we flip over.
"There. No big deal, right?" She smiled as we pulled up to the dock.
"Yeah, you're not allowed to drive anymore." I tied the boat up and pulled myself onto the dock before offering her a hand.
"What? That was fun." She pulled herself up and wrapped her arms around me. "You seemed to like the thought of action and adventure. I was just giving us a thrill."
"On T.V." I kissed her nose and turned, taking her hand and walking us across the street. "You wanna go into town and grab something to eat or see what the guys are up to and make a quick sandwich?"
She glanced down at her watch and let out a cute little yawn. "Let's just make a sandwich and go snuggle in your bed."
"You mean have wild sex that leaves us both lusting for more, right?"
"Is that what we're telling our friends?" She gave me a cocky smirk and walked up the stairs just in front of me.
I popped her butt and laughed. "We can, but I was half serious."
"Your lust knows no bounds, does it?" She paused at the door and glanced over her shoulder, stealing my heart with her beauty.
"With you? Fuck no." I reached around her, brushing my arm by her breasts and opening the door. "Behave in here. I don't want anyone looking your way. I'd hate to kick a man's ass tonight. Especially a friend."
"Kick whose ass?" Derek glanced over his shoulder as he sat at the kitchen table to our right. They guys were playing dominoes and had at least three empty beer bottles sitting beside each of them.
"Your ass." I wrapped my arm around Cora's shoulders as we moved up beside the table. "Did you guys eat anything?"
"Yeah." Clay glanced up and winked at Cora. "There's a couple of burgers on the stove. Help yourselves."
"And then, get in here and help me whoop these idiots at their own game." Daniel pulled the toothpick from his mouth and smiled. "Bring Cora, too. The more of us playing, the better odds of me winning."
"That's ‘cause you're a chump." Derek laughed. "Take a few risks and you'll win. Shit. How many times have we told you this?"
"You've been teaching him our trade secrets for winning?" I asked and tugged Cora into the kitchen.
"You win because you cheat," Clay called after me.
"Lies. All lies." I pulled the buns from the cabinet above our heads. "Get the mustard and cheese out of the fridge, baby. We'll make these burgers and then head to my bedroom."
"I wanna play dominoes. Can you teach me how you guys do it?" She glanced back toward the table as the guys let out a loud holler and someone slammed their dominoes down.
"Hell yeah, I can." I worked on my burger and watched her out of the corner of my eye as my chest filled with pride. She was the whole deal: the perfect woman as far as I was concerned. It was scary to think that I had something so close to perfection in my grasp, and yet there was a high chance that I was going to fuck it up.
She took a big bite of her burger and nodded toward the fridge. "There was beer in there. Grab two and come in here with me. I want to watch the game for a few rounds and then I can jump in if the guys will let me."
"Oh, they'll let you." I smirked and grabbed the beers. "They think you're going to be an easy target, so get ready. They might be gentleman on the lake, but around a game of bones? Fucking forget it."
She laughed and turned to walk back into the dining room. "You guys mind if I watch and then join in?"
I rolled my eyes as I sat down beside her. All of them were chattering loudly about her playing and them wanting to help her learn the game.
"We're not playing for money, so stop offering up your virginity. Idiots." I took a big bite of my burger and smirked at Clay who rolled his eyes at me.
"You're just pissy because you lost the last three games." He gave me a mischievous look.
Cora glanced over at me, her eyebrow lifted. "You lost to these guys?"
"Yeah, he did." Derek snorted before his smile faded. "Wait...these guys?"
Cora laughed and moved her burger out of her way. "Never mind me watching you. Deal me a hand. I think I can do this. Shouldn't be too hard to take you guys out and teach you a few lessons while I'm doing it."
My cock hardened at her words—and even more so at her confidence.
"Oh hell no, she didn't." Derek pulled the dominoes back over toward him and looked my way. "You in, Brody?"
"Nope. I want to eat and watch my girl school you bastards." I shrugged and took another bite as Cora's hand moved up my thigh and squeezed my dick.
"Watch and learn." She smiled, and I almost thought to warn her. My group of friends had been playing for years together. There was no way she was going to win.
"Okay, baby. I'm looking forward to it." I glanced over at Clay and mouthed for him to go easy on her.
He snorted, and I knew we were in for a really good time—or a serious ass battle. I leaned back and let things progress as they would.
It was three hours later and two games down, and Cora had not only beaten all my boys, but forced each of them to pony up the twenty dollars they'd each bet against her before the start of the second round.
I laughed so hard that my sides hurt as they drug themselves down the hall and proclaimed her as queen of the table.
She stood and turned to me as I finished my beer. "Alright. Queen of the Table wants King of the Bedroom to make the night complete."
I nodded and reached for her. "What my queen wants, she gets."