Page 103 of Barefoot Lake

I’m moving more quickly now, and Jake raises his hips to meet me, thrust for thrust.

“Alice— fuck— I love you so damn much.”

I silence him by pressing my lips to his. Those words make this feel like so much more. His hand stills between us as I ride him harder. He licks at my bottom lip, and I unravel for him. I’d lay every part of my soul bare for this man.

Jake thrusts up hard into me, and I feel him shudder through his release. I slow my hips, letting him ride this out.

He kisses the side of my mouth, my cheek, under my chin. His beard is rough on my neck, and it makes me feel alive. I roll my hips against him, and he presses his fingers against me again. I grind down harder.

His other hand leaves my hip and slides up my torso under my tight tank top. He roughly shoves my bra above my breast and cups me, pinching my sensitive nipple. I gasp, and he bites the skin where my neck meets my shoulder. The rush of feeling zips down my body, and I want to squeeze my legs together, but there is still a large man between my thighs.

Jake kisses over the stinging spot on my shoulder before licking and biting his way up my neck. He’s still inside me, and his fingers continue to work between my legs. He rolls his hips up, and every place he’s touching me feels like it’s charged with electricity. He rolls my nipple between his thumb and forefinger and drags my earlobe between his teeth.

It’s overwhelming. I feel him everywhere on my body, breathing in my ear, his heart pounding in time with my own, his fingers drawing pleasure from my body like he needs it, his length filling me completely.

It’s sudden, and I’m freefalling over that edge once more. My nails dig into his chest, and I roll my head until his temple is pressed against mine. My orgasm crashes into me again and again.

I feel like I’ve run a marathon, out of breath, heart hammering. My bones have obviously been replaced with Jell-O.

“I love you, too, Jake,” I breathe.

Jake must feel me drifting because he slowly removes his hand from under my shirt, shifts my bra and top back into place, and pulls his other hand from between us.

“Come on, let’s go inside,” he whispers.

I force myself to lift and shift back into the passenger seat, whimpering when Jake slides out of me.

We should get this car detailed.

Jake efficiently lifts his hips to slide his pants back up and promptly hops out of the car. I realize his top is still on the seat under me. I’m trying to sort out my leggings since one leg got pulled inside out while Jake darts to the side door of his house to unlock it and then comes back to the passenger side of the car.

I squeal when he pulls open the door because I am not decent, but he just laughs, bending over me to wrap his sweater around my lap and then scoop me up. I snatch up my bag as I’m being lifted from the car, but my shoes and other clothes are left behind.

“Jake!” I yelp. I lower my voice even though there’s nobody within earshot in any direction and our homes are completely secluded in their little clearing. “My pants!”

Jake just adjusts me against his chest, nudges the car door closed, and walks to the house.

“You don’t need them. I’d just be taking them back off anyway.”

He carries me inside and right up to his bedroom, where he lays me out on his bed like his own personal feast.

Jake

EPILOGUE

THE FOLLOWING MAY

“Jake…” I vaguely recognize the voice calling my name, but it sounds distant. My brain doesn’t want to wake up yet, but the voice is persistent.

“Jaaaaaaake. Wake up, honey.”

Honey…

A smile spreads across my lips when I realize the voice belongs to Alice. She must have let herself in with the key I gave her months ago.

Today is her first day officially living full-time in Wilcox Grove after going back and forth to Boston for the spring semester. While she was in Boston, Alice was thankfully able to stay with Piper. Since Piper’s actual roommate was almost always at her new boyfriend’s house, as long as Alice contributed to the upkeep of the apartment and occasionally filled the fridge, the other girl was ok with Alice crashing from time to time.

We visited William frequently. He had settled in well at the new facility, and even though he still nearly always thought Alice was a student, they’ve been able to share a lot of good days.