She eyes the water. “Is this safe for swimming?” she asks, her cheeks still tinged pink from her orgasm just moments ago.
My brows furrow, glancing at the lake behind me. “Yeah, wh—” is all I get out before I’m shoved. I lose my footing, and I’m greeted by chilly water soaking me from head to toe. My head breaks the surface, and I’m greeted with the sweetest sound. Collins’ laughter. I can’t help but join in as I make my way back to the edge of the rock.
She’s on all fours, leaning down so that her face is just inches from mine.
“What was that for?” I eye her curiously from below.
She shrugs. “Forgiveness.” Then, she smiles, and it’s full of mischief, “I also thought you could use some help with cleaning the mess you made.”
I bark a laugh when she winks at me, chuckling under her breath. I feel heat creep up through my cheeks, but I hide it by pressing my lips against hers.
“I love you,” I murmur against her warm mouth, “so fucking much that I’ll beg your forgiveness again.”
“For what?”
I smirk, and her eyes widen just as I grip her shoulders.
“This,” and I pull her into the water with me, a silent shriek huffing from her lips before she goes under.
She emerges, clinging to me as I devour her wet lips, our shared laughter making it messy, but so fucking perfect.
Chapter 37
Creed
“I’M GLAD YOU’RE HOME. I MADE PANCAKES.”
Ipluck the strings of my acoustic Gretsch, but when my shaky fingers hit my thirteenth sour note, I’m over it. I make a face at the neck where I’m holding a basic G note, like it’s the guitar’s fault that I’m an anxious mess. But I’m not worried for the reasons I should be.
I hadn’t dozed off for very long after Collins went off in search of Riley. This house is big, but it’s awfully cavernous with the tall ceilings and stone floors, so sound travels when you leave the doors open. Even from the second floor, I could hear an intense conversation between Collins and Riley. They’ve never even so much as bickered at one another before, so the heated tones of their voices had me concerned.
My girl can hold her own in an argument, so when I crept downstairs, I had every intention of leaving her alone to handle whatever was happening.
I almost intervened, though. When I saw Riley standing with his back to her, fucking duffle bags at his feet, ready to leave? I was prepared to throw him over my shoulder and blackmail him into staying in bed with snacks and orgasms until he rid himself of the silly idea that we would ever be better off without him.
Butof courseCollins handled it in a way that onlyshecould. It’s one of the millions of things I love about her. When she’s in your corner, she’s there for life. She’s a people pleaser, but she’d sacrifice her own pride to fight for what or who she loves.
Much like when she sat in my lap on this very couch and braved telling me just how badly she’d always wanted me and didn’t back down.
When she whispered words to him, I could see the fight leave his body. He wasn’t going anywhere. Not without her, at least.
Riley had kissed her like his life depended on it before scooping her up and stealing her away in the night. I know…I knowthey’re okay, but their absence from this house is driving my anxiety downhill at breakneck speeds… and there are no breaks. Logic tells me that they’re okay, that they’re coming back. But the traumatized part of my brain is berating me for not following them. The threat to their lives is gone, but I still worry. I’m not sure that will ever stop.
Just as I set my guitar to the side, giving up on trying to play to distract myself for now, Asher saunters into the room, pulling a gray shirt over his head.
“Good morning,Princess,” I tease, and he gifts me with two middle fingers as he flops down next to me on the couch.Sound travels, remember? And boy did I hear some shit coming from their room last night.I chuckle at his swollen lips and disheveled state. “You look like you had a long…hardnight, bestie.”
His face scrunches in disgust. “Creed?—”
“How much sleep you get? Eight, nine inches? I meanhours?”
He opens his mouth to probably tell me to fuck off, but Blair enters the room and plops down in Asher’s lap, dragging his hot pink, short nails through his hair. “Nine and a half, actually.”
“Jesus fucking Christ,” Asher hisses, burying his reddening face in his free hand. “Can you not?” he says, but there’s no threat behind it. He might be a badass, but he’s a delicate little flower when it comes to his relationship and sex life.
He’s not entirely used to the playful teasing after starting anew with Blair.
I might goad Ash for falling for Blair, but I love and support him and their growing relationship. While we do our best not to allow the siblings to overhear each other behind closed doors, we don’t judge when shit slips out.
