Page 54 of Stick Around,
She put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes. “I’ll never tell.”
In response, I angled the hose again, this time my aim calculated. The stream caught her square in the chest, making her light pink tank top see-through.
“Oh, it’s on!” She lunged for the second bucket, picked it up, and tossed the contents at me.
I ducked, but that didn’t matter. Cold water hit my back; the sensation was shocking and... freeing.
For a brief moment, I stared at her, watching droplets trace their way down her face, her expression a mixture of defiance and glee. Something that had been wound tight for longer than I could remember loosened.
Without overthinking, I set the hose to a gentler spray and aimed again, chasing her around Tater Tot, who seemed remarkably tolerant of our impromptu water fight.
Quinn darted forward, making a grab for the hose. I lifted it out of reach, but she caught my wrist instead, trying to redirect the spray. We tussled playfully, water arcing in chaotic patterns around us as we both got progressively more soaked.
She slipped, and I caught her without thinking, one arm locking around her waist. Her laugh faltered as our eyes met. The hose kept spraying, but the world narrowed to the space between us.
Her hands gripped my forearms, steadying herself. We stood frozen, her body pressed against mine, both of us breathing hard.
I became hyperaware of every detail of this moment: the way her tank top clung to her curves, how her throat worked as she swallowed, the flecks of gold in her eyes as she looked up at me.
A droplet slid from her hairline down her cheek, and I caught it with my thumb. Her breath hitched, and her hand came up, lightly brushing wet hair from my forehead.
I leaned down, hesitating a breath away from her lips, giving her time to pull back. Her eyes fluttered closed in an invitation I couldn’t resist.
My lips found hers, gentle at first, then deepening as she pressed closer. My hands slid from her waist to her back, drawing her against me.
Tater Tot picked the perfect moment to remind us he existed, shaking off with a dramatic spray. We broke apart, laughing and sputtering.
“I think that’s his way of saying bath time is over.” Quinn giggled, pushing damp hair from her face.
I nodded, trying to reorient myself. We were both dripping, our clothes plastered to our skin, standing in a muddy puddle beside an equally wet horse. It should have been uncomfortable, but instead, I felt lighter.
“We should probably finish up.” I picked up the hose and turned off the spray.
After drying off Tater Tot and putting him out to pasture for the rest of the day, we headed toward the main house to change.
I tried not to stare at the way her wet clothes clung to her curves. We’d stopped dripping for the most part, but wet jeans were torture.
“Hold up.” I pointed to our mud-caked boots before she could step onto the porch. “Kellan will have a conniption if we track mud everywhere. He is on mopping and sweeping duty this week.”
She looked down. “Good call.”
We both leaned against the railing to pull off our boots. She balanced on one leg like a flamingo, her tongue caught between her teeth in concentration. I smiled at her determination.
After setting our boots neatly beside the door, we entered through the kitchen. I turned to suggest we make lunch after changing, but the words got stuck as she casually gripped the hem of her tank top and peeled it upward.
“What are you…” My voice cracked embarrassingly.
Her tank top hit the floor as she stood there in a simple white bra that had gone completely see-through from our water fight.
“What?” Her fingers moved to the button of her jeans. “They might drip water everywhere, and we can’t have that.”
My mouth went dry as she shimmied out of her jeans, revealing matching white cotton underwear. I stood rooted to the spot, unable to tear my eyes from her.
“You’re staring, Enzo.” Her smile was all heat.
I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. “Sorry.”
“I didn’t say I minded.” She stepped closer, leaving her discarded clothes in a heap on the floor. “We should probably get you out of these wet clothes too.”
