Page 37 of Jumping In

She’s frozen, not focused on me or this moment, but on whatever happened. “MJ, talk to me.”

Her eyes lock on mine, filled with unshed tears. I let her take a breath and then she tells me a story about when she was younger, and her brother got caught up on the swing and almost drowned. They were both pretty young, but somehow, she was able to unhook him from the swing where his swimsuit got caught and he was okay. She was so fucking brave to go through that and save her brother. But that explains why he stopped coming down to the water years ago, and why she never jumps off the swing.

“Baby,” the nickname tumbles from of my lips too naturally. “Your brother was being reckless. Blake, Austin, and I—we never try to jump in the way Brad did on our stomachs. And for good reason.” She sniffs and nods, knowing my words to be true. “You wouldn’t try to jump off the swing that way, right?” I ask, and she shakes her head, eyes wide. “It’s okay to be scared. I get it. You are so brave. But just know, I’d be right there to catch you. I’d never let anything happen to you. Ever.” I move through the water to get closer to her and rub my hands over her arms.

She looks up at me, her eyes shining. Not a tear has fallen, though. She nods and then just above a whisper says, “Okay.”

Her hair is now darkened and curled by the water, and I reach up to brush loose strands out of her face and cup her cheek. Her pink tongue darts out, wetting her full lips. She looks up at me again, her eyes clear of tears and now full of something else. Something I am all too familiar with. Want.

Licking my lips, I slide my hand down from her cheek to her neck, my thumb grazing her jawline. Am I reading her wrong? If I am, this could ruin our friendship before we’ve even fixed it. But if I’m right . . . “Fuck it,” I whisper before pulling her into me. Her legs wrap around my waist like it’s second nature and I crash my lips to hers.

Our bodies mold together as she kisses me back, her arms around my neck. It’s fast and fierce. Both of us starved for each other after all these years. I kiss her deeper, slipping my tongue across her lips and she parts them, letting me in. Our tongues meet and I groan against her mouth. She tastes like she smells, like strawberries and sunshine and I’ll be kicking myself until the day I die for making myself wait to kiss Emmalynn Jane just like this.

Chapter 15

MJ

Kissing Mac is nothing and everything like I expected. He tastes like citrus and mint, and I can’t get enough. Even though we can both touch the bottom, I am held tight in the water by his powerful arms. The current is weak, but he clings tightly as if I’ll be swept away. With my legs wrapped around his waist, I pull him closer, relishing the sensation of his kisses on my lips, cheek, and neck. His cock grows hard between us and if it weren’t for the water, I would be slick with arousal.

A soft moan escapes my lips as he kisses down to my collarbone. As he kisses back up my neck to my lips, his lips quirk into a smile. We are a tangle of limbs and heat, pouring everything into this moment. The fear of it being over in an instant forces me to give him everything. Pulling away from each other, panting, his arms tighten around me, almost in reassurance. Chests heaving, hearts beating wildly, our eyes lock.

We don’t need words. All my words were in that kiss. Everything he’s not saying is in his blue-green eyes. I slide my hands up into his hair. Gripping him, I pull his face toward mine again and kiss him softly, tentatively. Peppering kisses across his cheek, jawline to under his ear, I feel him huff out a laugh.

Kissing back to his lips, he smiles against mine and hugs me tight, his voice raspy. “We should probably get you home.”

Nodding, I dislodge myself from his body, instantly missing his warmth. Water splashes as we wade out of the creek, and he leads me back to his car. Grabbing our clothes from the stump, he sets them on the hood and opens the back door. “Figure this will work. I’m not prepared like you.” He holds up a large sweatshirt and opens it up for me to step into.

“It’ll work.” I step into him, and he wraps it around me, rubbing my shoulders. Satisfied I’m dry enough, he runs the sweatshirt over his body and I slide my dress back on. Handing him his clothes, I watch his muscles ripple as he bends and twists to get dressed while not fully dry.

Mac drives slowly back to my parents’ house, where he parks and looks over at me. He looks tired, and I feel tired, but I don’t want this night to end. I reach down to grab my bag.

“So, did you decide?” Mac asks, quirking his eyebrow.

“Decide what?”

A grin completely takes over his face. “Did you decide if this was a date or not?”

I huff out a laugh. Unbuckling my seatbelt, I lean across the center console into his space and look him dead in the eyes and whisper, “Best first date ever.”

“Thank fuck,” hegroans before leaning into me and kissing me as passionately as he did down in the creek. His hands tangle in my damp hair as he tugs me toward him. Without disconnecting our lips, I maneuver my body through the labyrinth that is the inside of his Chevelle. Careful not to nudge the stick shift or any other buttons or knobs, I end up straddling him in the driver’s seat.

He’s hard beneath me, the outline of his cock rubbing deliciously against my core through my panties, and I moan against his lips. He lowers his hand from the back of my head to the side of my neck, the other fists my dress as he slips his tongue inside my mouth. I moan as my hips rock back and forth. A guttural sound escapes him, and he nips at my bottom lip.

“MJ, we—” he’s breathing heavily, “we can’t.”

I groan, knowing he’s right, but not wanting to stop. “Please, Mac, just . . .” I trail off and kiss him again. My mind is foggy. I’m not thinking straight because I am overwhelmed with desire and pure need at this point. I rock my hips again and press my body into his, feeling the friction of his jeans hit me right where I need.

Mac lifts his hips to meet mine, and he groans before kissing down my neck to my collarbone. “You like rubbing yourself on my cock?” he mumbles. I nod my head as my hips move faster, pressing down on him even harder.

“Yes. Oh, my god . . .” Both of Mac’s hands are on my hips now. He’s lifting his hips up and pushing mine down to give me the most friction possible, and I think I might lose my mind.

“Good girl, use me. Take what you need.” And that’s all it takes. My body flushes, the orgasm barreling through me like a wildfire in the middle of summer, and I moan. I think I say his name. My words are incoherent as I come down from the peak he’s just taken me to.

Mac lessens his grip on my hips, bringing one hand up to my neck again and holds me as I slump against him. “I’ve got you,” he reassures me. I curl into him, my breathing leveling out, coming down from the high. He strokes my hair, his cock still huge and thick beneath me. I slide my hand between us, down to his belt buckle, wanting to return the favor.

He grabs my hand, lacing our fingers together, and holds it between our bodies, shaking his head. I jut out my bottom lip. “But—”

“No, baby, I’m good. I’m more than good.” He leans in and kisses my lips again, and I sigh.

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