I say nothing, returning my attention forward and pulling her on through the overgrowth. When Hannah and I reach the lake, I stop and take it in, never failing to be knocked back by its tranquil beauty and calmness. The sun sits just above the treetops, shimmering across the calm water. It’s perfect.
I turn and tug Hannah forward, taking the hem of her dress and pulling it up over her head. ‘What are you doing?’ she asks, though she doesn’t stop me doing it. I crouch and take her ankle, lifting her foot and removing her Birkenstock, and then repeat on the other side. ‘Ryan?’
I cast my eyes up the length of her legs until I find her gazing down at me, a look of uncertainty splashed across her face. I take the sides of her knickers, drawing them slowly down, and when I make it to her ankles, she lifts each foot in turn without the need for me to request it. I lean in and kiss her hip bone, and she folds at the waist, reaching forward to take my shoulders. Her touch energizes me. Pushes me forward. Gives me strength and courage.
I rise slowly, reaching behind her to find the clasp of her bra, kissing between her breasts as I slip the catch. ‘Ryan,’ she breathes again. She can keep saying my name. I need to hear it. I pull the straps down her arms and move back as she extends them to help.
And then she’s naked. An endless expanse of silky-smooth skin stands before me, calling to me, begging me to feel, touch, kiss every inch. I swallow on a gulp and toe my boots off, unbuttoning my fly and pushing my jeans down my thighs as I pretty much rip my T-shirt up over my head. She bites her lip. Fuck me, she bites her lip and it’s like rocket fuel to my groin. I need to get her in the lake before my plan goes to shit and I tackle her to the ground here and now.
I extend my hand. She takes it. And I start walking backward toward the shore, relishing the mixture of intrigue and anticipation on her face. She lets our arms reach full length before she moves, taking small steps with me. The water meets my ankles, though I don’t feel the chill. But I hope Hannah does. I hope it wakes up every nerve, every muscle, every brain cell. I want her the most alert she’s ever been.
‘Ryan,’ she says on a sharp inhale when the water meets her toes. Keep walking, baby. I see her chest expanding more and more the higher the water climbs up her body, and when it skims her breasts, I yank her forward and push her legs around my waist, holding the small of her back. Her arms find my neck easily. Everything is so fucking easy with Hannah.
I bend my knees and take us down until the water passes our shoulders and reaches our necks. And when she inhales, I kiss her. I kiss her with all the words I want to say crowding my mouth, waiting to be said. To be heard. And they will be. But for now, I just need to kiss her with all the crazy passion I’m feeling. There are kisses. And there are kisses. I’ve had many of the latter with Hannah, the type of kiss that makes you forget everything except the feel of that person’s mouth on yours. Kisses that make all other kisses seem inconsequential. Kisses that make you ache. That rule you. That breathe clarity and purpose into you.
But this kiss has carried me past even that. This kiss has me signing over my life to this woman. ‘Hannah,’ I whisper around her exorable tongue, trying to retreat. She pushes herself higher, increasing the pressure of our mouths. I tilt my head back, allowing her to continue this earth-moving kiss. Her unwillingness to pull herself from this exquisite moment only emboldens me to be the one to end it. It’s fine. There will be more.
I turn my head and rest my mouth on her shoulder, feeling her lips now at my ear. The whoosh of her breath as she pants against me makes me shiver, and I latch onto the soft flesh of her shoulder, biting down lightly, finding the restraint I need. It takes me a few controlled inhales and a lot of inner strength. But then she catches me off guard and pulls herself up, shifting her hips, and like a radar my cock finds her. She sinks down on a whimper, and I choke on all the words I want to say. My feet push against the bed of the lake, my tense legs straightening. I rise with Hannah attached to my front, a rush of water pouring from us. I need to stand. I need an anchor, something solid beneath my feet. Her internal walls are pulsing around me eagerly as I hold her still against me, trying to catch a breath. ‘You ruined my plan,’ I say raggedly, my face buried in her wet neck.