Page 65 of Rebellious

Mud baths must be enjoyed together

Bennett

She doesn’t stick with being a cheerleader.

Instead, we move from football to frisbee. Neither were good for the raging boner I was constantly tucking away. But we had fun. Aspen and Fenn eventually teamed up, though they still lost. Drew and I may not play the same sports, but our competitive nature is unrivaled.

However, when dark clouds rolled in, we cut the evening short, agreeing to go back tomorrow. Unlike before, Aspen didn’t argue when I took the keys and drove back. I think she knew I couldn’t handle another trip with her ass in my lap.

She took mercy on me and for that, she’s getting dinner. Now that I’m showered and a lot less tense, I bang on her bedroom door—the one she’s not sleeping in tonight.

“Hey,” I say through the crack. “You hungry?”

I hear rustling and then the lock flips and the door is opened just a crack. Pushing it open, I take in the scene before me. Aspen is at her mirror, her arms covering her breasts as she looks over her shoulder at the angry, reddened skin.

My chest tightens. “Are you in pain?”

The silky strands of hair slide over her shoulder while her head turns, the blue of her eyes seemingly the same color of the darkened sky outside. “No, I’m fine. It’s just a little sunburn.”

She’s lying.

My eyes narrow at the half-smile she’s giving me. “Don’t lie. I’m not in the mood.”

Her half-smile widens into a genuine one, the one she lets loose when she knows she’s being annoyingly frustrating. “So what if it hurts? What are you planning to do about it, Bennett Jameson?”

See? Using my first and last name like she knows it slices through my patience. Flashing her a bored look, I eat up the space between us in a few long strides. Giving her a gentle push toward the bathroom, I say, “Take your pants off. I’ll be back.”

I know the minute her eyes widen, and her smile reaches her eyes, she’s going to give me hell. “I’m liking where this is going, BJ.” She walks farther into the bathroom. “Go, do what you need to do. I’ll be in here, naked, and waiting for further instructions.”

Heaven help me.

I shake my head and close the door as I make my way to the kitchen. As a kid, I didn’t get sunburned often, but I did once when I fell asleep by the pool. My mom made me sit in an oatmeal bath that I bitched about the entire time. But in all honesty, I felt much better afterwards.

Rooting around in the pantry, I find what I need: green tea bags and whole oats. I grab a pot to boil water for the tea and the grinder for the oats. When the tea boils, I take the tea bags and put them in a cup full of cool water. It takes me less than fifteen minutes, but knowing Aspen, she’s already showered and crawled into bed.

“Asp?” I say, knocking on the door one-handed. “You ready?”

“Are you ready, Bennett?” Her tone is teasing and immediately puts me at ease. It’s not like I was coming in here to see her naked, but my body reacted like that’s exactly what we wanted to see.

I push open the door and take a breath before I look up and see Aspen sitting on the counter, wrapped in a towel. “I gave it some thought, and the tomato tan takes away from the appeal.”

I arch my brows and set the ingredients on the counter. “Is this you being insecure?” I ask, confused.

I don’t think I’ve seen Aspen nervous or insecure, ever.

She shrugs. “I mean, maybe if we were like eighty and you’d seen the same pair of tits for fifty years, I wouldn’t give a crap but seeing how this is the first time you’re seeing all of me without the glass…”

I stare at her honest eyes, the color of a stormy day, and move closer, invading her space. “I think if I saw this body every day for fifty years, I’d still be in awe of its beauty.”

She swallows and smiles. “Whew, BJ. You better keep those little sentiments to yourself or you’ll find a wife with that mouth.”

She’s awkward and trying to force the reality of our relationship in my face. “Rule Number Whatever: you will never be more beautiful than you are right now, being honest and vulnerable.”

She rolls her eyes. “That’s not a rule.”

“Sure it is.”

“You know,” she sighs, “I think you just like making shit up and calling it a rule.”

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