Chapter Twenty-One
Cora
Damn him. I hated more than anything to lose a battle, and even though my actions would solidify the fact that I knew we were eventually going to end up in bed together, I was tired of moping. I was ballsy and controlling and got what the fuck I wanted out of life, too. He wasn't the only one with game.
Laughter bubbled up out of me as I ripped my top off and stopped at the edge of the water to tug my bottoms down. I glanced back to see him standing there stark naked with his eyes wide.
"Shit. You win; I'll give you anything you want." His voice was airy as he brushed his hand over his chest. His body was hidden by the darkness, but the bits I could make out from the shadows of the moonlight were delicious. Cut abs and thick thighs framed his large cock, which stood erect and ready for attention.
"Fuck," I muttered and turned around, walking into the warmth of the lake. "Come on. I won. Guess what position I choose."
I turned to watch him walk in after me, stalking me like a hungry predator might his prey.
"Tell me. I'm dying to know." He moved into the water until it covered his waist and stopped. "You're so fucking beautiful. Did you know that? I need to apologize.”
"No, you don't." I took a few more steps back and sunk down until the water covered my chest.
"What position, Cora?" He moved closer as voices called at us from the shoreline.
"None." I laughed and swam over to the side a little. "Come on, guys. Feels great."
"Did you guys really just strip down?" Emily picked up my bikini and held it up against the moonlight.
"That's what skinny dipping is." I tried to ignore the nervousness as Brody moved closer to me. He stopped just beside me and turned to look at our friends.
"Stop being chicken shits and come on. You guys wanted this."
I yelped as something nipped at my butt, and I shot out of the water. "What the hell?"
"That was me." He smiled and reached for my hand. "Come here. Let's pretend we're still pissy with each other and that sleeping together is the farthest thing from our minds."
"I'm not sleeping with you. You have a million women.” I yelped again as he tugged me toward him, his body pressing flush against mine. Desire raced through me in thick waves as I reached out and rested my hands to his shoulders.
His strong hands wrapped around my waist and pulled me in tight. "Hush."
"What? Where is this coming from?" I turned my head a little as my heart worked to beat its way out of my chest. I'd slept with plenty of guys over the years, and yet this guy left me feeling like a virgin all over again.
"It's the buildup of a long week of thinking about nothing but you. I fucked up. Badly." He moved back and pulled at my hand. "Come on. Swim over to this alcove with me."
"Brody. You know this isn't good for either of us." I let him pull me along, not really wanting to dive back into whatever was starting between us, and yet not able to deny him. I was interested and wanted to see where it would go, even if it ended with one of us hurt. It was even harder to fight against myself naked in the water with him beckoning me.
"That's why we should just go with it." He released my hand and moved into an open area where the moonlight bathed the water. "I said I was sorry for the other night. I fucked up because I was trying so damn hard to be someone I wasn't."
"The good guy?" I kept my chest under the water and moved toward him.
"No, Cora. That was me at dinner, but by the time we'd gotten to the beach, I'd talked myself out of trying to seduce you. I didn't want you to look at me like everyone else does. I'm a dick, yeah, great, but there's more to me than that. At least, I think there is. I want there to be."
I moved closer to him, unable to help myself. His thick shoulders bobbed above the water's edge, and the wicked smile on his lips left my thoughts diving into depravity.
"So you turning me down wasn't about me not being good enough to take to bed?" I stood up, letting the curve of my breasts touch the top of the water. "I mean, you've taken everyone else to bed from what I hear. Why not me?"
He offered his hand. "Is that a joke? You're the hottest girl on this fucking lake, and I've not slept with everyone on the lake. Almost, but I'm not quite there yet. You showing up kinda thwarted my plans."
"Whore," I whispered as I took his hand and let him pull me toward him.
"Help me change that?" He slid his hands over my hips and up my back, surprising me a little. I half assume he would cop-a-feel the minute he got a chance.
"Something tells me I would only add to-”
"There you guys are!" Emily's voice pulled me from the moment, stunning me a little. I moved back and turned from Brody, almost grateful for the break. I was ready to forgo my promises to keep away from the sexy bastard and just dive in deep, if even for a night.
"Now who's being shy?" Derek laughed and moved through the water with the rest of the group in tow.
"I was hoping to show Cora a different side of my personality. That I'm not just all heat and tension, muscle and manliness." Brody moved up beside me, still keeping his hands to himself.
"Yeah right. We've heard all your lines before buddy." Clay moved to my left and pulled Emily to rest against his side as he glanced up at the sky. "It's beautiful out here. How did we get so lucky?"
"I don't know, but someone must be doing something right." Daniel's voice was nothing more than a whisper.
I reached out and brushed my hand down Brody's arm until I found his palm. I wrapped my hand around his and moved closer as I gazed up. I wanted what everyone else had, I just was choosing the wrong man to have it with. On one hand, it was a good thing, seeing that I wouldn't be breaking tradition, but on the other hand... could I survive a guy like him?
He squeezed my hand under the water and cleared his throat. "What's the plan for tomorrow night? Are we going to the big bash in town or doing something together, just the eight of us?"
"Let's do both." Cindy wrapped her arms around Derek's neck and pressed herself to his back. He growled softly, causing all of us too chuckle.
"I agree. Both sounds fun." Dedra turned to Daniel and smiled. "I'll race you to the dock across the lake?"
"I'm a good swimmer. You sure about that?" He smiled, looking incredibly handsome without his glasses.
"Can you see a fucking thing?" Brody asked, smirking.
"Nope, but there's no need to when I'm swimming, you ass." Daniel moved toward Dedra. "Winner gets to choose where we eat tomorrow night."
"You're on." They took off as we all watched in anticipation of Dedra smoking him.
"Why did he offer something like dinner, and you offered-” I started, but Brody cut me off.
"Because he's a really, really nice guy. I'm just a nice guy." He turned to face me and smiled. "Let's find some place we can talk. Just us."
"And, by ‘talk’ he means…” Clay started, but Emily cut him off.
"Alright, you. Let's go back toward the boats and make out. Stop cock-blocking." She pulled him away, and Cindy and Derek followed them.
"She's gotten a little more ballsy since you guys got here, hm?" Brody turned to me and smiled, pulling me closer.
I brushed my hands up his chest and stifled the need to sigh at how fucking good he felt against me.
"She's getting comfortable around you guys, which is always a good thing." I slid my foot down the outside of his leg and brushed my hands up to cup his neck. "I'm not sure them leaving us alone is a good thing, though."
"I agree." He moved closer and touched the side of my face. "But there's no point in not taking full advantage of it."
I couldn't think of anything but how good it would feel to have his mouth on mine again, his body pressed against mine.
His hands tightened on my hips as I leaned in and pressed my lips to his.
A groan left both of us, and I opened myself up, inviting his tongue deep into my mouth. As badly as I wanted to wrap my legs around his waist and grind against him, I held back. Fucking in the lake sounded hot, but it wouldn't at all be the experience I wanted for us—at least for our first time. I could only hope that somewhere in the recess of his thoughts, he imagined more than one time with me.
Pull back. You know he's just like Brandon. He even looks like him. He had some chick on his lap a few hours ago.
"God, you're so damn hot, Cora." He kissed down the side of my neck, his lips soft and tongue warm as he lapped at me.
A million images rushed through my mind, most of them fantasies I wanted to play out in the closest bedroom with the sexy bastard.
"I'm not sleeping with you," I murmured and sucked his earlobe into my mouth.
"You're right. There's not going to be any sleeping." He chuckled and pressed his teeth against my neck, causing goosebumps to break out along my exposed skin.
"You're so damn corrupt." I almost melted when his hands finally moved down my back and over my ass, cupping it tightly as he tugged at the back of my thighs.
As much as I promised myself that I wouldn't, I wrapped my legs around him and slid my arms around his neck, gliding along the thickness of his erection as a whimper left me.
"Mmmm...now we're talking my language." He licked up the long column of my neck and pressed his lips to my ear. "How long has it been since a man took care of you?"
"Too long." I turned toward him and gripped the back of his head as I pressed my lips against his again. His fingers tightened on my soft skin and tugged me up and down, massaging his cock with the softness of my body.
"Ouch!" He jerked forward as his expression changed.
"What?" I glanced around, fear filling me where desire once was.
"Fuck. Something is in here with us, Cora. Let's go. To the shore. Fucking fast. It's big." He grabbed my hand and waded through the water as I ran beside him, my heart racing as panic filled me.
I glanced back to see something dark moving through the water and screamed, releasing his hand and hauling ass back up to the shore.
"Holy shit." He stopped beside me as he walked to the edge of the water. "It's a fucking alligator. I thought they didn't come around people."
"We gotta tell everyone." I cupped my breasts and ran around the shore, yelling at the top of my lungs. "There's an alligator in the water. Get out. Now!"
Brody did the same, and by the time we got back to the fire, everyone was covering themselves and laughing nervously.
"Unbelievable." Clay walked down to the water's edge and peered out as Brody joined him. I took advantage of the opportunity to get dressed, but most of the guys seem to not have a care in the world about walking around naked.
"Where are Dee and Daniel?" Brody turned to look at me, disappointment flooding his features as I fixed my top and stood up dressed.
"Across the lake." I moved up beside him and ignored just how incredibly hot he looked standing there completely naked as rivets of water ran down his tanned skin. Now wasn't the time. I cupped my face and looked around to see them sitting on the far side of the lake on the shore. Sitting?
"Are they making out?" Brody chuckled and moved away from me, grabbing his swimsuit.
"They sure are." Clay turned and smiled at me before cupping himself. "Shit. Sorry, Cora."
"It's all good." I walked back over to the fire and helped Emily tie her top back into place. "Well, that was an adventure. Not the kind I'd regularly sign up for, but something to remember the trip by, nevertheless."
"Remember the trip by? I'm not enough?" Brody pulled his shirt over his head and gave me a sexy smile.
"That's yet to be determined, mister." I dropped down on a log and pulled out the marshmallows. "Alright. Obviously, we're not supposed to make-out tonight, so back to stories and treats?"
The resounding grumbles around me were humorous, but the gleam in Brody's eye as he dropped down next to me and turned my way was all-consuming.
"Let's get out of here. Go back to the house and pick up where we left off?" He leaned in and slid his hand down my back, cupping my butt as if we were a sure thing.
"Nope. You had your chance, and you decided to let the little alligator scare you off. Puss." I shrugged and pulled out some marshmallows as everyone laughed.
"Little alligator?" He moved back and took hold of the bag, popping a few of the sugary treats into his mouth. "I don't want to even hear the lies you're willing to tell about me after I give you the best night of your life."
"Oh Lord, here we go again." Clay walked behind us and popped Brody in the back of the head.
"What? I'm capable of that." He licked his lips and glanced toward me. "You don't believe that alligator was little, right? That thing was fucking huge."
"So were you, but I'm not telling anyone that, either." I licked at my fingers and smiled as he chuckled and moved closer.