By the time we eat dinner and clean up the kitchen, it’s after nine o’clock. With her fingers enclosed in mine, I pull her out to the back porch. There’s a wide swath of lawn that makes up the yard. One side is flanked by the lake and the other by dense foliage. In the middle of the space is a firepit with brightly painted Adirondack chairs scattered around it. Steps away from the back door is a small hot tub. I pull back the cover and check the temperature. It’s set to one hundred degrees, which, in this weather, is perfect.
A smile simmers around my lips as I yank off my T-shirt and drop it to my feet.
Sydney jerks her thumb toward the house. “I need to go inside and change into my suit.”
“That’s not necessary,” I say with a smirk.
She shakes her head before peering into the darkness that surrounds us with narrowed eyes.
“There’s not a neighbor around for miles,” I remind.
“What about the psycho killers?”
“I’m pretty sure they’ve got the night off.”
She snorts out a laugh before dragging her shirt over her head. Then she shoves the denim material down her legs before stepping out of it until she’s standing before me in nothing more than a black sports bra and thong.
Holy shit. Sydney has proven that a sports bra can be just as sexy as one made out of lace. The sight of her is enough to bring me to my knees. My mouth dries as I shove my jeans down and kick them away so that I’m left standing in my boxer briefs.
With her attention fastened on me, she reaches around her back and flicks open the clasp of her bra. The straps slide down her arms, revealing slightly rounded breasts with small, dusky-colored nipples.
My gaze travels over her greedily, touching upon every single inch of her naked flesh. The lights from the house cast her in a mixture of soft light and shadow. Does Sydney have any idea how fucking beautiful she is? Or how much I want her? How much I’ve always wanted her? Even when I was trying to fool myself into believing that I didn’t.
Her fingers hover at the elastic band around her hips.
Before she can slip them beneath the stretchy material, I break the heavy silence that has fallen over us. “Let me do that.”
It only takes three steps to close the distance. I sink to my knees, tilting my head and staring up at her until our gazes catch and hold. Anticipation thrums through me as I slip my fingers beneath the band and slowly slide the tiny scrap down her hips until her perfectly shaved pussy is revealed. Once the thong has been removed, I press a kiss against the top of her slit.
Sydney’s fingers tangle in my hair as I slip my tongue between her lower lips. A sigh of contentment erupts from her, and she tightens her hold. Doesn’t this girl realize that the grip is unnecessary? There’s no way in hell I’m going anywhere. For the first time in my life, I’m exactly where I want to be, and that’s with her.
I spread her lips before running the flat of my tongue over her softness. Another whimper escapes as she arches her pelvis. I focus my attention on her clit, licking and sucking the tiny bundle of nerves into my mouth until she explodes. I work her delicate flesh until her muscles finally loosen. Only then do I rise to my feet and shove the boxers down my legs before picking her up and carrying her to the hot tub. She rests her head against my chest as we sink into the warm water.
With her tucked close, I realize this is the happiest I’ve been since my father died.
And that has everything to do with this girl.
The one who has changed everything for me.
Chapter Thirty-One
Sydney
I wake to the steady rhythm of raindrops hitting the windows. I have no idea what time it is, but the skies are a dark, leaden gray. It only makes me want to snuggle against Brayden and stay in bed, cocooned in his blankets for the entire day. And since we don’t have any plans, we can do exactly that.
Yesterday turned out to be one of the most enjoyable afternoons I’ve ever experienced. My parents never took us camping, so this is the closest I’ve come to it. In no way am I saying that I’d like to pitch a tent and sleep outdoors, but this is a good compromise. I’m not going to lie, the idea that we’re so far from civilization is a little disconcerting. If I opened my window at home and yelled, half a dozen people would come running. Here, I could probably scream my head off and not a soul would hear me.