Page 57 of The Sweetest Risk

Tess pours the rest of the wine bottle into my glass. “But seriously, there is something about Oakley that is so appealing to me. He’s so sweet and I normally don’t go for guys like that. I would’ve gone for someone like Hastings in the past, but I likethe mystery that Oakley has to offer.” She wiggles her eyebrows and smirks deviously. “Maybe I’ll make a move tonight.”

“May I remind you that you are a little drunk? I have heard that Oakley is a sweetheart and he seems really innocent. So if you do try anything with him, go easy on him, please.” What I have heard from Brad and Tristan, he is the ultimate golden retriever and never hooks up with girls.

“I can’t promise you that.” We giggle.

My head feels a little hazy. I sadly have become a lightweight since college. I think my eyes are deceiving me when I see a shirtless Tristan walk up to us. He still has his hat on and the sight of this perfect, muscular man makes me warm inside. I missed him and although I am having an amazing time with my best friend, I would have loved to go on this trip just with him, so we could spend some time alone, without any distraction.

“Oh hey, Tristan. How is it going?” Tess is the first one to speak because apparently I am unable to form words. I know what Tristan has to offer now and I want all of it. I thought he was another dumb jock with a rotating queue of women at his disposal. Turns out this man has been pining for me for ten years. I have learned his only fault is not pursuing me sooner so I could’ve spent more time falling for him than hating him. Ironically, I hate him for that. I also want to make him suffer a little for that. I want to be the one in control this time.

Tristan’s eyes look extra golden tonight in this lighting, like pools of honey. His eyes rake over me. I knew when I packed this bikini that it was going to drive him crazy. There is very little left to the imagination and by the wolfish look on Tristan’s face, I have him right in my crosshairs. Wanting more.

“It’s going pretty good, Tess.” He takes his eyes off me for a millisecond to answer Tess’ question, and then returns his gaze to me. I am going to spontaneously combust if he doesn’t join me in this hot tub soon. I bite my lip and take another sip of wine,as Tristan slips off his flip-flops and adjusts his swim trunks. I watch as his thumbs slide into the top hem of his shorts, which are dangerously low–so low, in fact, that I can almost see where the lines of his V are closing in on each other. I swallow hard and nudge Tess in the side.

She laughs and places her empty wine glass on the sideboard of the hot tub. “Okay, I better get out of here before you two pounce on each other.” She winks at me before getting out of the tub. She wraps herself in a towel and walks toward the house.

“Is everyone asleep already, Lawson?”

“Oakley is the only one awake right now. Brad and Jen went to their room and crashed out about thirty minutes ago.”

“Oh goodie!” Tess claps out of excitement. “Now you two have fun and don’t make too much noise. It would be a shame if y’all got caught.” She pats Tristan twice on his immaculate pec and saunters into the house.

Tristan steps into the hot tub and glides toward me. “So…Tess knows about us?”

I shrug. “Yeah, I had to tell someone. I was going to burst! I didn’t want to accidentally blurt it out at Sunday dinner.”

“Now that would be an interesting Sunday night dinner conversation.”

“One I am not even close to being ready for.” I suddenly feel guilty for revealing our secret. I liked the bubble we created for ourselves. “Are you mad I told Tess?”

“Not at all. And don’t be mad, but pretty much the whole team, other than your brother, knows how I feel about you and I guess have known for years. According to all the guys, it was obvious. They are surprised Bradley has never caught on.” The steam rising from the water is not helping how hot Tristan looks right now. He looks like he is in one of his promo videos–only shirtless.

“Hmm… I’m not mad, either.” I finish off my glass. Tristan takes it from me and sets it aside. He glides closer to me and pins me against the side of the hot tub. The water bubbles against his tattoos, which I am loving more and more every time I get to see them up close. I graze my finger against my favorite one on his left rib. Then I skim my finger down each ridge of his abs and playfully trace the V I was admiring earlier.

One of his hands meets mine and he says, “How many glasses of wine have you had tonight, Cupcake?”

“Tess and I drank a bottle out here so I guess, I don’t know, four or five total, including what I had at dinner. Why?”

“Just want to make sure you are in your right mind to do what you want to do with me tonight. I saw you undress me with your eyes a few minutes ago.”

“It’s too early in whatever this is to know what me undressing you with my eyes looks like.” I point back and forth between us.

“Too bad, because I know that expression all too well. I invented that look when I mentally undress you every time I see you.”

This man.

I lift my legs and wrap them around his lower back, pulling him toward me. I want to feel his body against mine. I missed his hard sculpted body. I reach up and take off his backwards hat. “Although I am a sucker for you in a backwards hat, I really like grabbing your hair more.” I run my fingers through his hair and press my lips to his.

His scruff tickles my face and he pushes back some tendrils behind my ears. He is soft and gentle with his movements with me. Almost like he knows I am teasing him and he is playing the same game. His tongue grazes mine and my core is liquid and all I want to do from this moment on is to keep my fingers running through Tristan’s hair and pull him closer to me and not let go.

Tristan trails kisses along my collarbone, making it harder to focus. His rough calloused hands caress my back and play with the strings of my hot pink bikini. “You should not be allowed to wear this bikini, Cupcake.”

“Well maybe you should take it off, Hot Shot.” I playfully trace every ridge of his abs. I can feel them tighten under my touch as I go lower and lower.

He laughs against my lips. “You realize your brother is inside right? Areyoutrying to get caught? Because I’m not above taking you right here and now.”

“I really don’t care if we get caught anymore.” My hand slides into his swim trunks and I wrap my hand around his already hard dick.

Tristan exhales sharply. “Cupcake. What are you doing?”

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