Page 64 of Revelry
“Hang on, I’m coming!” he cried, worry lining his voice that I would definitely feel guilty over later. He tugged his coat off and pulled his black sweater over his head and when I went under water again, it was purely to wash away the filthy thoughts I had.
He pulled his jeans down, leaving him standing there in black boxers which were holding back something very large.
“Oh damn,” I sighed.
“I’m coming Gertrude,” he declared, every inch my hero, and leapt into the water. He came up spluttering, gasping, “Fuck! That’s so warm!”
“I know, isn’t it great?”
He swam towards me in long strokes and was by my side in seconds, wrapping an arm around my waist and one under my knees.
“Great?” he asked, peering down at me, droplets on his lashes, trickling down his cheeks and landing in his Cupid’s bow.
“Hang on a minute.” His eyes narrowed. “Did you fake that to get me in the water?”
“Um, no?” I lied, unconvincingly.
He reared back. “Jesus, Gertrude, I thought you were drowning!”
I wrapped my arms around his neck. “And you saved me, my hero!”
He shook his head, horror on his expression before I saw a playful gleam in his eye. “You’re unbelievable.”
“Thanks.”
He laughed before lifting us up out of the water and tossing me further out. I shrieked as I landed none too gracefully, thewater going over my head. I came up spluttering and swiping my hair out of my eyes.
“You asshole!”
“Oh yeah,I’mthe asshole right now!” He swam over and then dunked me. I came up spluttering again and laughing as I pinched his side.
“Ow!” he cried and grabbed my feet, tickling them.
I shrieked loudly, “No Tate, not my feet please! I’ll scream, I’ll cry, I’ll potentially pee myself.”
“It’s fine, we’re already in warm water so no one will know,” he jeered comically and then mercilessly continued to tickle while I writhed and giggled. I managed to link an arm around his neck and tug his hair. He released my foot, and I pushed his shoulders down under water. I held him down, not in adrowning youway but just for a second longer than needed. I felt his fingers dance along my waist and then a gentle nibble at my side that had me moaning, not squealing.
I released his head, and he surfaced right in front of me, water sluicing down his face, before wrapping an arm around my hips to keep us locked together.
“You’re right, I feel so much more alert,” he murmured, eyes flicking down to my lips.
“Me too.Soalert,” I said, my eyes dropping to his, wanting to trace a water droplet with my tongue. Tension filled the wide-open space as he splayed his hand on my back and I felt tiny, delicate in his hands. Again, I was struck by the contrast of how I felt with Tate than I had with any other man before.
My eyes lifted to his, his tongue ran over his lips and had me fighting another moan. I was pressed against him, my arm slid around his shoulders and our bodies lined up. His breath trekked over my face, and he tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear, lingering on the lobe. I leaned forward, all my warningsand instincts screaming in my ears but I ignored them. His lashes fluttered closed, and we were a second apart.
Then movement on the bank caught my eye.
I gasped, pushing away from Tate.
“No, Bert, no!” I shouted at the asshole bison who had just kicked the last of our clothes over the edge of the rocky platform. He had such a smug expression on his stupid bison face, part of Tate’s sweater was dangling out of his mouth. I started swimming back to the shoreline to give him a piece of my mind.
“I told you we were being watched!” Tate shouted as he swam after me. I had a head start but Tate, with his long, muscular arms, caught up in no time. When I was able to stand, I charged up the bank.
“Are you kidding me?” Tate yelled, sliding an arm around my waist and lifting me off my feet. “Are you going to confront a two-thousand-pound bison?”
I spun in Tate’s arms, my anger snapping out. “Bert’s not a bison, he’s an asshole! Kat was right.”
“He’s a wild animal who could flatten you! I know you’re a little feisty sometimes but surely you can see that you shouldn’t go over to him?” Tate reasoned, rubbing his free arm over mine to ward off the chill.
