“We can try but I’ll just end up falling asleep on your shoulder.”
His eyes study me, as the gentle sway of the water rocks us against one another, and I’m greedy for his attention. “I’m sure I could find ways to keep you awake.”
There’s a challenge in his words that makes my entire body shiver, and I want him to show me now. To take those hands and explore my body. To make every nerve ending alight with sensation. I hook my legs around his torso, making me weightless as he holds me up in the water.
“I’ve dreamed about this for so long,” he says, his fingers trailing up my spine. “About me and you, together.”
“Is it as good as you imagined?” I ask, his eyes lingering on my lips.
“It’s better,” he says, raking a hand through my hair, guiding my mouth to his. Eager to make up for lost time, to thaw the cold shoulder I’ve been giving him, I squeeze my legs around him until I’m flush against his chest. I can feel the heat against his skin as my lips move to his neck, and up towards his ear, gently biting against it.
“Mmm,” he moans as I run my nails along the back of his neck, nibbling at the bruise I left there. He sighs into my touch and I bite down harder.
The last time we were together like this I rushed through it, letting adrenaline take over, but today I can take my time. I pull at the back of his hair and am thrilled when he moans the same way he had outside of Finn’s.
“That’s not fair,” he says, his cheeks flushed so vibrantly I wish I could bottle the color and paint my ceiling with it.
With no space between us, I can feel him harden against me as I slide my hand below his waistband, moving to stroke the length of him. He breathes my name and I grind against him, using the water’s buoyancy to our advantage.
“Mira,” he pleads, as I continue working him over.
I know we should stop, that we we’re exposed out in the open like this, but with nothing between us, I want all of him.
24 Hudson
“Fuck,” I breathe, holding her steady against me. In all my life, of all the years I’ve spent outdoors, I’ve never been one for exhibitionism, but at this moment, I don’t care who sees—all I want is to have her, right here right now.
Threading my hand through her hair, I keep her steady against me, my fingers placed against the nape of her neck. She’s holding onto me tightly with one arm locked behind me, while the other moves over me in a heady rhythm that makes me dizzy.
Her skin is warm against the chill water as I explore her body like uncharted topography. From the valley of her spine to the flowing river of her hips and the worlds held within her hazel eyes, I want to map every line and curve of her.
I shift our weight, I slide her body up my thigh, giving myself a moment of reprieve. The moment is short-lived when I feel the warmth radiating between her thighs, my hand moving between them to rub my palm against the thin cotton of her underwear. I try to contain myself, to not go too far, especially because I’m well aware of the legal ramifications of getting caught in such a state in a national park, but when Mira moves my hand underneath the fabric, her teeth grazing against my lip, I forget propriety.
All I want is to stay in this moment as long as we can. We can forget about my shitshow of a family, the wedding, and make camp here. Spend these next two days exploring one another.
Mira must want it too, because she reaches for my waistband, pulling me free, just as a voice shouts at us from the shore.
“Hey, you guys can’t do that here!”
We both turn to see a disgruntled park ranger glaring at us, his arms crossed against his chest in stern disappointment.
Mira breaks apart from me, giving me a moment to put everything back in place as she swims towards him. “Apologies,” she calls back, “the beauty of the day just got to us.”
“Just get yourselves together and get out of there,” he warns, waving us out.
I remind myself that the last thing I need to start my first week as CEO is a sex scandal. I focus on the cold of the water as I swim back to shore. The ranger gives us enough space to save our dignity as we gather our things.
Mira shakes excess water out of her hair. Droplets fall onto her shoulders, glistening in the sunlight. I wish I could stay here and watch as they evaporate one by one, but the ranger lingers, making sure we actually vacate the premises.
“Have a great day,” Mira waves to the ranger, and I can see the crimson on his cheeks from here.
My heart pounds as we race back to the Jeep in our underwear, laughing.
“I haven’t had that much excitement in God knows how long,” I say, unlatching the trunk and digging through my travel bag.
“I can’t say I have either,” she says as I hand her a dehydrated towel from my pack. She stares at it quizzically.
“What’s this?” she asks, examining the compressed fabric.
