Page 40 of The Cabin

“What exactly do you think this is, then? Enlighten me. I’d love to know.”

“I don’t know…” he shakes his hand in my direction, gesturing to the suit. “A couple of strings put together?” Oh my goodness. He is being so dramatic. It’s a high waisted bikini! And there’s really only two strings that crisscross under the actual top part of the suit and tie in the back.

“I thought you could ‘take the heat’, Grayson.” I slink in the rest of the way until we’re standing in front of each other. I can just barely touch, but his whole chest is out of the water.

He takes a few steps back. “I’m just worried you’re going to get bit by a snake in here or something.”

Immediate screaming. Immediate splashing away.

I’ve just gotten to a place where I can actually get my footing and am about to all out book it (ethics be damned), but I’m pulled back in by the freaking strings that are holding my bathing suit top together. They, obviously, because my life has turned into one big joke since coming up here, untie right as I smack into Grayson’s chest.

Speaking of snakes, he hugs me around my shoulders and his forearms sit just above my boobs. “I was kidding, Sol. There probably aren’t any snakes in here.”

“Probably?! Are you nuts?” I have my hands pressed against my chest so nothing makes an unwanted appearance.

But, as always, I’m fighting for my life out here. Grayson spins me to face him. This leaves me very little choice and I have to wrap my legs around his hips so I don’t freaking drown without the ability to use my hands. I can’t just tread water with no hands. Okay, maybe I could, but it’s hard to think logically right now. And it is particularlyhardbecause I can now feel what I was too distracted to notice before. I can feel Grayson underneath me and he’s…excited.

You know the term, ‘morning wood’? Is there a similar phenomenon for getting into bodies of water? I’m assuming that’s a yes, considering the shower incident.

“What are you doing?” ME? What about YOU?

“I was trying to escape!”

“No, what are you doing…?” He looks down to where I’m holding my boobs up.

“Uh, attempting to not give the world a peep show?” When he still looks confused I add, “Grayson, you untied my top.”

His fingers tickle up my back and it inadvertently has me tightening my legs around him. He tries very, very hard to not let his soft intake of breath out, but I hear it. I see it when his lips part. “Damn, I’ve still got it.”

“Cute.” My face reads anything but impressed.

He just laughs at me and wades us towards where it’s shallower. I drop my legs once we’re in a spot where I can comfortably get my feet on the ground.

Circling around me, he murmurs, “Here,” and grabs both strings and puts them back together. “Too tight?” All I’m capable of in this moment is a shake of my head back and forth. “Good.”

As soon as the words are out of his mouth I’m being chucked into the deep end.

Choking on water I scream, “You are such an ass, you know that?”

“Ditto.”

—

“I am not doing that.”

“Sol, live a little!”

“Again, that’s what I’m trying to make sure I do.”

“Swing on the rope!” I look at it nervously. It’s like a hundred years old and I’m just not sure I have that kind of arm strength these days. Does bringing a wine glass up to my lips count as bicep curls? And I’m definitely not sure this frayed ass, old ass rope can holdmyass. Or any asses for that matter. I’m not sure it has many asses left in its life.

Grayson smacks the water. “C’mon. One, two, three, go!” I don’t move. His eyes narrow at me. “It’s not gonna break, lollipop.”

Do you think if I can swing out far enough I can fall on him and make him forget the stupid fucking word ‘lollipop’?

“Just because you say it out loud doesn’t mean it’s true.”

“It held me just fine.”

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