Chapter Twenty-Six
Anson
W e have dinner with Parker and Audrey, sharing laughs about the state they found us in, before they have to leave for Whiskey Joe’s—the bar that Audrey manages.
While I’m rinsing a plate at the sink, Parker comes up and clasps my shoulder. “We’re going to spend one last night at Audrey’s apartment before she turns in the keys tomorrow. So, you and Tabby enjoy yourselves.”
I nod as he leads Audrey to the door. They step outside and close it, but it immediately swings back open, and Parker’s head pops back inside.
“But no body painting in the house,” he says, then disappears again.
I turn to Tabby, who is seated at the table. “What shall we do now?” I ask.
She reaches for a fortune cookie and breaks it open. “Let’s see what the cookie writer has to say.” She pops one of the broken pieces of cookie into her mouth while retrieving the slip of paper. After stretching it out, she reads aloud the hidden message, “ Keep chasing sunsets .” She looks up at me and smiles. “Sounds like a solid suggestion to me.”
I nod. “I’ll grab a bottle of wine and a cold beer and meet you on the deck.”
She sits across from me in one of the outdoor chairs, a small table separating us. Her legs tucked under her and she’s wearing one of my hoodies over her bikini. She looks effortlessly beautiful, her sun-kissed skin glowing under the porch lights. I reach for the bottle and pour the last of the pinot into her glass. We’ve been sitting here, watching the sunset, just enjoying the late summer night.
I stretch my legs out, cracking open a fresh beer. “All right, we’ve had a great day—painting, food, and our first coed shower.”
“It was literally just us scrubbing paint off each other,” she quips.
“But I think it’s time we make this night legendary.”
She raises an eyebrow. “Not sure Parker and Audrey can handle much more,” she says. And I smirk. “What are you up to?”
“One simple word— poker .”
She groans, “I’m not a gambler.”
“Don’t worry; I’ll teach you,” I say.
She gives me a look. “Right.”
“Bet I’m better at teaching you how to play poker than you are at teaching me how to paint.”
She huffs. “I can’t help you’re an impossible student. Besides, I don’t trust you, Anson Leggett. I’ve heard you cheat, and I’m not crazy enough to lose my money.”
I press a hand to my chest, feigning offense. “Wow. You wound me. But I was actually thinking”—I pause for dramatic effect—“strip poker.”
Tabby blinks at me. “Are you serious?”
“As a heart attack.” I give her my best roguish grin. “Think about it. A friendly competition, a little high-stakes excitement, and if I play my cards right—literally—you’ll be forced to remove that hoodie, which is a tragic crime against your bikini.”
Glancing around, she brings her eyes back to me. “You have neighbors who can see us.”
I shrug. “Nothing they haven’t seen before. Besides, I’ll take it easy on you.”
She smirks, tilting her head. “You really think this is going to go the way you want it to, don’t you?”
I nod. “Oh, I know it is.”
She sighs like she’s doing me a favor. “Fine.”
I rub my hands together. “Perfect. Prepare to be absolutely destroyed,” I say.
I run to fetch the deck of cards and throw on another layer of clothing. Then I deal the first hand.
Ten minutes later, I am sitting in nothing but my swim trunks.
Tabby, on the other hand, has lost exactly one article.
One.
An anklet.
That she deliberately chose to remove.
I blink at the cards in my hand, trying to understand how this has happened.
“You all right there, Anson?” Tabby asks, resting her chin in her hand, her smirk so smug that I briefly consider tossing my cards over the railing.
“I—yes. Totally fine.” I swallow my pride, along with a sip of beer. “Just … recalibrating my strategy.”
She hums. “Interesting. I was under the impression that you were good at this.”
I narrow my eyes. “I am good. I’m just taking it easy on you. As promised.”
She snorts. “Anson, you keep betting like a man who has never played poker in his life.”
“That’s not true!”
“Oh? Then, tell me,” she says, eyes glinting with amusement, “what hand were you hoping to beat me with last round?”
I glance at the discarded pile of cards. “A pair of threes.”
She throws her head back and laughs. It’s the kind of laugh that fills the night air, rich and unrestrained, the sight making this complete fiasco worth it.
She wipes a tear from her eye. “Oh, baby, you’re adorable.”
I groan, “All right, you’ve made your point.”
But she just grins, shuffling the deck effortlessly between her fingers. Suspiciously effortlessly.
My eyes narrow. “Where exactly did you learn to shuffle like that?”
“Oh, you know”—she shrugs—“here and there.”
“Trouble …”
She flashes an innocent smile. “Did I forget to mention that my grandpa was a professional gambler?”
I nearly choke on my drink. “I—excuse me?”
She leans forward, resting her elbows on the table. “Yeah. He used to take me to underground poker games when I was a teenager. Said I had ‘natural talent.’” She sighs dramatically. “It’s really a shame, you know? All this talent going to waste.”
I stare at her. “You’re a card shark.”
She winks. “Shall we do this? Or do you want to just hand me those trunks now and save yourself the humiliation?”
I groan again, running a hand through my hair. “Hustling the hustler. I’ve created a monster.”
“Yeah,” she says, lazily shuffling the deck once more. “But watching you realize it in real time was so worth it.”
I reach over and snatch the deck from her fingers. “As much as I’d love to mount an epic comeback, pulling off an underdog win and leaving you flustered and speechless,” I say, “or at the very least, make you take off something other than your jewelry—rule number one of any hustler is to know when to quit.”
She shrugs, stretching her legs out in the most suggestive manner I’ve ever seen. “I tried to warn you,” she quips. “Sore loser.”
I narrow my eyes. “Okay. New bet.”
Her brows lift. “Oh?”
I lean forward, resting my forearms on the table. “Double or nothing.”
She smirks. “Anson, you don’t have anything left to bet.”
I point a finger at her. “Wrong. If I lose this time, I have to go down to the beach and jump into the ocean right now.”
She considers this. “And if you win?”
I grin. “You have to remove it all.”
She exhales, tilting her head as if weighing her options.
Then, she smirks. “You’re on.”
Five minutes later, I am sprinting down the wooden steps of the deck and toward the freezing cold ocean in nothing but my birthday suit, my hand cupping my manhood, while Tabby cackles behind me.
I don’t stop. Don’t hesitate. I just throw myself into the waves, the water shocking every nerve in my body.
When I surface, sputtering and swearing, I hear Tabby’s laughter echoing across the sand.
I shove my hair out of my face. “I hope you’re pleased with yourself,” I yell.
“Extremely,” she calls back, arms crossed as she watches from the shore, all smiles like she just won the lottery.
I stomp dramatically back onto the beach, dripping and shivering, while she barely suppresses another laugh.
I narrow my eyes at her. “I will get revenge for this.”
She smirks as her eyes do a lazy trail down my body and back up.
I hold her gaze for a moment. Then, with a wicked grin, I shake myself off like a wet dog—spraying her with cold, salty water.
She shrieks, jumping back.
I smirk. “Oops.”
She glares at me. “That was a mistake.”
And before I can react, she pulls the hoodie over her head and tackles me.
I yelp as we both hit the sand, her hands going straight for my ribs in a ruthless tickle attack.
I’m laughing too hard to fight back.
She finally relents, sliding to the side and sitting up, beaming down at me, her hair wild, her face glowing with victory.
And even though I lost spectacularly tonight, as I lie there, looking up at her, all I can think is, Damn, I really like this girl.
I get up, turning to look at the water, and tug her over into my lap. Waves roll in, lazy and gentle, licking at the sand, and the air is thick with the hum of the evening tide. The beach is empty, except for us sitting at the water’s edge, our toes sinking into the wet sand as the foamy surf rushes forward to kiss our feet.
I brush the top of her head with my lips. She’s breathtaking in her black bikini, which hugs every perfect curve. Her long blonde hair is loose, catching the breeze, strands sticking to my damp chest. When she turns to look at me, her eyes are playful, her lips curved in that teasing, knowing way that makes my pulse pick up.
“Well?” she prompts, tilting her head. “Are we just gonna sit here, or are you getting in with me?”
I raise a brow. “You want to go swimming? Now?”
“Yeah, night is the best time.”
I lean down and whisper in her ear, “I don’t know. You might need to convince me.”
She rolls her eyes but smiles. Then, she turns in my arms, the heat of her body inches from mine. “What if I told you I’m an excellent swimmer?” She reaches out, running a finger down the center of my chest.
“You’re good at everything,” I say, keeping my voice even, though every nerve in my body is screaming.
She quirks an eyebrow. “And what if I told you I could beat you to that buoy out there?” She points to the bobbing red marker a little ways offshore, her tone full of challenge.
Now, I grin. “Oh, you think so?”
“I know so.”
I glance at the waves, measuring the distance. The water’s warm, the current mild—just enough to make it interesting. My competitive side stirs to life again at the thought of redemption.
“All right,” I say, “race you to the buoy.”
Before I even stand, she’s on her feet and taking off with a delighted squeal, kicking up water as she splashes in ahead of me.
“Cheater!” I yell, launching in after her.
The ocean closes around me like a second skin. I push forward, slicing through the waves, the sound of our laughter mixing with the rhythmic crash of the surf. Tabby’s ahead by a few strokes, but I’m stronger, faster, and this water has been my playground my entire life. I gain on her, watching the smooth movement of her arms, the way the moonlight catches in the droplets on her back.
She glances over her shoulder just as I reach her, her face lighting up. “Oh no, you don’t!”
She kicks out, splashing me directly in the face.
I cough, sputtering. “That’s how we’re playing?”
She just giggles, pushing forward, her body sleek and fast through the water. But now, it’s on. I surge ahead, closing the distance, reaching for her ankle. She lets out a surprised yelp as I grab hold, tugging her backward.
“Anson!”
She twists, trying to shake me off, but I’m holding on, enjoying the way she wriggles, the way her laugh bubbles up, even as she fights me to keep swimming.
“You wanted a race,” I remind her, my grip playful but firm.
She kicks again, slipping free, and we both break into a full sprint toward the buoy. It’s close, but I reach it a second before she does, slapping my palm against the cool surface.
“Winner!” I announce, as I tread water.
She scowls. “You cheated.”
“You cheated first.”
She huffs, crossing her arms, but it only makes her bob lower in the water, and she has to flail a little to stay afloat. “I demand a rematch.”
I chuckle. “Don’t be a sore loser.”
Her eyes narrow. And then, before I can react, she surges forward and shoves both hands against my shoulders, dunking me under.
Saltwater floods my senses for a split second before I break the surface with a gasp. “Oh, you’re in trouble now.”
She’s already swimming away, laughing so hard that she can barely stay above water. I chase after her, catching her waist and pulling her back against me when we reach a depth where I can stand.
She squeals.
We’re close now. Her back is to my chest, her body slick and warm against mine. The laughter fades into something quieter, something charged. I can hear the shallow hitch of her breath, feel the way her heartbeat flutters against my arm.
“Let me go,” she whispers, but she doesn’t mean it.
I tighten my grip slightly, my lips near her ear. “Not a chance.”
She turns in my hold slowly. Her hands find my shoulders, fingers pressing lightly against my damp skin. I meet her gaze, and for a moment, everything else disappears—the waves, the sky, the world beyond this stretch of ocean.
“You like winning, don’t you?” she murmurs.
“Love it.”
She smirks, tilting her head. “And what do I owe you?”
I swallow, my pulse hammering. I reach up, tracing a drop of water as it trails down the curve of her cheek.
“Maybe another game,” I say, my voice low.
Her breath catches. “What kind of game?”
“Truth or dare, Trouble?”
She eyes me suspiciously. “Dare,” she says, pushing her wet hair back.
I chuckle. “How did I know you’d pick dare?” I ask as her arms come around my neck. “Have you ever been skinny-dipping in the ocean?”
She shakes her head.
I nip at her bottom lip, then I issue the command, “I dare you to get naked and swim with me.”
She narrows her eyes, and then one hand disappears into the water. A second later, it comes back up, holding her bottoms. She hooks them around my shoulders, then she reaches down and unclasps the top. The wet material falls from her breasts, and I catch it before the tide can carry it away.
“Your turn,” she says.
I keep one arm around her while I peel my trunks off with the other. I ball them up with her bikini pieces and sling them onto the shore. Her legs wrap around my hips as her mouth finds my throat. I stand, gripping her bare ass as I try to keep us from being knocked over in the gentle surf as she kisses her way up to my jaw.
I suck her bottom lip between my teeth and bite it gently before crashing my mouth to hers. I slide one hand up to cup her breast and knead the tender flesh as our tongues tangle in a heated kiss while the water laps around us.
I break the kiss, dragging my lips down to her collarbone, and she throws her head back to give me better access, which causes her breasts to peek out of the water. I bend and suck a pink tip between my teeth and give it a rough tug. She bucks against me. I release it and lick and blow across it. It tightens to a hard peak, and I wrap my lips around it once more. Her hips start to rock into mine until she finds the contact she is searching for. Her heat feels so good, gliding up and down my achingly hard erection.
I move my mouth to the other breast and give it attention as she continues to glide up and down my eager cock. When I can take no more, I bite down on her nipple, causing her to gasp, and she opens her eyes to glare at me. I slide my hands around her back and hoist her up, bringing her closer.
“Give me your mouth, Trouble,” I command.
She wraps her arms tighter around me and does just that.
Fuck, she drives me crazy.
I take all her weight as she loses herself to pleasure again. I feel her body begin to tremble and find her clit in the water. I circle it with my thumb as she quickens her movements.
Her legs tighten around me, and she begins to shudder as she gets closer. I release her mouth so that I can watch as she finally shatters. Her cries floating into the night air and echoing around us.
It’s the most beautiful sound.
I exhale, steadying myself, but it’s impossible. Not when she’s this close, her lips parted, with that satisfied look on her face.
So, I clutch her to me and march us out of the water and straight to the house. Not giving a damn if the neighbors see us.