Chapter Thirty-Two
She hated it when he let her take the lead. All she could think about was how big her ass looked in her running shorts and just how much more jiggle there was now than there was when she was young. When she made the mistake of glancing back at him, she was mortified to see he was focusing on exactly what she was hoping he wouldn’t notice.
“Turn around before you run into a tree.” He smirked. She took his advice as he edged up beside her. “Would you like me to take the lead so you can stare at my ass?” It was her turn to smirk. He passed her and took off, pushing her just a bit harder than the pace she’d set.
He was remarkably better at ignoring her, and he charged on, not the least self-conscious of where her eyes might be roving. She made the mistake of thinking she could handle the pace and check out his ass at the same time. She learned quickly, she couldn’t. She stumbled over nothing at all, and as the pace of her feet fell behind the pace of her upper body, she started falling forward. She pumped her feet, barely getting them back under her in time to keep herself from going down.
He looked back, catching her stumble, and as soon as she was righted and moving the right direction, she could hear him chuckling in front of her. She kicked her ass into gear, gaining on him slowly, and when she passed him, she smacked the incredibly nice ass that had nearly caused her to fall on her face. She didn’t bother looking back, partly because her little victory would lose something if she did, and partly because she didn’t want to tempt fate. Knowing her luck, she’d run smack into a tree and give herself a concussion.
By the time they reached the rock outcropping, she thought she might pass out. She walked in circles with her hands on the top of her head, and he did the same. She was sweating like a pig, and her face was on fire. It took a good ten minutes for her heart rate to slow and for her face to cool. When she felt his hands on her waist, she panicked. She was wet. Every ounce of fabric on her skin was saturated in sweat, and she could imagine no worse time to be touched by a man.
“Darren, I’m so sweaty.” She was still breathing deeply as she spoke.
He leaned to her neck, pulling his body up close to hers, and when he pushed his groin against her bottom, she groaned. It was half pleasure, half mortification. When he licked her neck from her shoulder up to the incredibly sensitive spot behind her ear, the half-mortification turned to all-out pleasure. “I’m not worried about a bit of sweat. Take a walk with me.”
“Isn’t that what we’re doing?”
“Down to the water.”
He led her down the steep hillside, winding them through thick trees until they came out at the water’s edge. It was a cove, small and quiet, and it was surrounded with a sandy beach. The cove was a hidden gem on this lake, and she was guessing few knew about it. There was no real access except for the water or the fairly impassable path through the woods.
“You do remember you’re an exceptional swimmer, right?” He was behind her again, crowding against her body enticingly as he spoke against her ear. “I used to enjoy your swim meets as much for your ass in a swimsuit as the actual swimming itself. Now how about you show me that ass? Take your clothes off.”
Her heart raced and her body coursed with warm need that far exceeded the heat of the day. “Not sure you aren’t going to grab my clothes and take off so I’m forced to run home naked.” She was stalling.
“Taking off implies I’d be in front of you, and stealing your clothes would only be fun if I got to watch you run home naked—a difficult thing to accomplish if I’m ahead of you. Now, take your clothes off.” His voice was warm and seductive, and she was very easily falling prey to his moves.
She slipped her shoes and socks off, and he took them from her hands, tossing them farther up the beach so they were well away from the water. She did the same with her shirt, sports bra, running shorts, and eventually, though she stalled for a moment, her underwear.
When she was finally standing naked in front of him, her back to him, he ran his hands slowly down her back to her hips and then over the cheeks of her bottom. He caressed, gently at first, and then he gripped and groped, and she listened as he groaned.
“I have to say, these are a bit rounder than I recall.”
“Don’t remind me.”
“I was paying you a compliment.”
“Well, in that case—” He nipped her neck as she spoke, and she yelped.
“I’ve always liked your figure, and it suits you. You’re not a kid anymore, so you shouldn’t be built like one.”
“I’m feeling a little awkward being the only naked one here.”
“Still worried I’m going to ditch you?”
“Maybe.” She was almost serious.
She could feel the fabric of his shirt brush past her back, and she listened to the rustling of fabric as he undressed and tossed his clothes and shoes up by hers. He pulled her bottom back to his groin, grinding his pelvis into her butt. She could feel the hard length of him settling between the very top cleft of her butt cheeks and her lower back. He was toying with her.
“Is that better?”
“Yes.” Her voice was getting that pathetic breathiness that only popped up when she was falling apart.
He nuzzled into her neck for a moment before passing her, grabbing her hand, and leading her into the water. Her feet sank into the sand as she waded through the cooling water. He was slightly in front of her, denying her the view from the front. She was starting to think it was intentional. Soon they were chest deep, and she lifted her feet, forcing herself to tread water. She let herself sink into the water, wetting her hair and cooling her face. She surfaced, and he was five feet away, watching her.
She swam to him, and he pulled her into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. She was forced to feel his arousal with her body without the benefit of sight or touch, but when she tried to run her hand down his stomach to touch him, he grabbed her hand, and his eyes seared into her.
“Why won’t you let me touch you?”
“How about you let me go at my own pace?”
“That doesn’t really answer my question.”
“If I let you touch me, I’m afraid I won’t be able to stop.”
“Because you want to stop?”
“Are you asking my dick or my brain?”
She pulled back, needing to put some space between them. It felt like a rejection, though the rock-hard length of him held tight between their bodies said otherwise. But he didn’t let her pull away. He stilled her where she was.
“I just don’t know if it’s a good idea. I don’t want to do something either one of us will regret.”
She did manage to pull away that time, and he let her. She swam away from him into deeper water, speaking over her shoulder. “How about you speak for yourself and stop making decisions for me. If you don’t want to do this, then fine. Stop touching me.” She kept swimming, and when she finally turned around, he was walking up the shore.
She watched, even in her disappointment and unease, as he walked. He was so stunning and intimidating to see. He was the perfect height, and his body was all strength. He was fit, but not bulky. He was so perfectly balanced. His ass was round and strong, and his legs lean and powerful. He dressed quickly without turning back to her, and when she swam back to shore and walked toward him, he watched her just as intently.