Maybe it was irresponsible. Maybe my optimism was misplaced. Hell, I could’ve been in complete denial.
I didn’t care.
Part of my daily routine was focusing on what mattered. Today, spending time with Jamie felt crucial. Knowing our secret club meeting could end just as quickly as it began drove me to make the most of the moment.
The sun was shining. The spring weather was more like early summer. Life outside the hospital was vibrant and active.
I needed this. I needed to feel like a real person instead of a zombie. I needed to watch Jamie as she shed her fears and anxieties, stepping into the world of the living.
The world of the sick and dying would still be there, waiting. Jamie and I weren’t dead yet. We just needed to remind ourselves of that.
When I suggested the beach for our next excursion, Jamie agreed without hesitation. I wanted to see the Bay up close.
I hadn’t been to the shore once in the five months since I’d moved here. Considering my parents’ home was only a fifteen-minute walk from the beach, it felt ridiculous that I hadn’t managed the trip.
“Do you think it’s too early for swimming?” I stood on the boardwalk, looking out at the smooth, calm waters.
“Umm, yeah. You’d freeze your nuts off.” Her tone was saucy, like she thought I should’ve known better.
“You make it sound so enticing.” I laughed, but the sun was hot against my back, and the water looked tempting. Irresistible, even. “I think I’m going to chance it.”
“What?”
I was already pulling my shirt over my head, enjoying the way her eyes tracked the movement. “Come on, how many opportunities do you get to do something fun like this?”
“Fun? You think jumping into an ice bath is fun? Eric, there’s no way you’re dragging me into that water.”
“Jamie, Jamie, Jamie.” I stepped closer, watching her pupils dilate. “I’ll make a deal with you.”
“No. No more deals.” But her voice lacked conviction, and she didn’t move away when I invaded her personal space.
“I seem to recall our last deal worked out in your favor. How many orgasms were involved? Three or four?”
“Eric.” She looked around, as if someone might be listening. “That was different. Besides, our last deal worked out in your favor too. I highly doubt this one will be enjoyable for either of us.”
“So quick to assume. You know what they say about assumptions…” I could see her preparing to object, so I reached out, catching her chin between my fingers. “You can always say no, but you have to hear my offer first.”
The way she melted into my touch sent satisfaction coursing through me.
“The deal is, you agree to get in that water with me.” I held up my hand, stopping her protest. “You only have to go up to your knees. If you make it that far with me, then later, when we head over to your dad’s place, I’ll help you make some new memories of your childhood home.”
She looked skeptical, so I leaned closer, my thumb brushing across her bottom lip. “We could give that cozy little twin bed of yours some action. I bet I can fuck you hard enough to break it. Want to find out?”
She was blushing again, and I refused to believe it was just the sun’s heat. She sucked her bottom lip between her teeth, and if she wasn’t careful, I’d be dragging her into the water and trying to make her come at the same time.
“Well, beautiful? What do you say to that deal?”
“I think you’ve got your work cut out for you. My childhood bed is a double, not a twin.” She practically moaned the words.
We raced each other to the shore, tossing our shoes and socks aside. When we reached the water, Jamie stalled to roll up her pant legs, but I hoisted her over my shoulder, carrying her in as she squealed.
Only seconds later, I wanted to squeal too. “Shit, it’s cold.”
Jamie only laughed. Perched over my shoulder, she was unaffected by the frigid temperature.
It felt like a million tiny knives were poking at my legs, but I refused to back down, plowing on until the water reached my knees.
“What’s the matter? Is the water a little chilly?”
