CHAPTER 40
River
She closed the last of their containers and placed them back into the picnic basket, which she’d had to borrow from Calista since she and Ashton liked going to the park to have their lunch there on occasion, and River hadn’t ever been on a picnic in her life.
She’d never even thought of taking Lacey on a picnic date in a backyard like this or to the park or a beach or anywhere else, but when she’d been thinking about where to take Kennedy, given their situation, it had hit her instantly that this might be the best option for them.
She hadn’t even entertained the idea of ordering in and eating on the couch, which there was nothing wrong with, but she hadn’t wanted that for their first date.
She also hadn’t entertained the idea of buying pre-made food for this basket and had actually taken time away from the shop to cook and prepare the meal for them, which wasn’t like her in the best way.
Hearing Kennedy talk about how much she liked her shop and that she actually wanted to spend more time there had River recalling past conversations with Lacey about the same thing.
Lacey hadn’t minded being there, but it hadn’t been one of her favorite places to be, so the fact that Kennedy did like it, along with the fact that she had put on a uniform shirt and had walked out front with no idea what to do and the possible risk or being recognized just to help her, meant a lot to River, and it wasn’t something Lacey had ever done.
Yes, it was only their first date, but River knew that she was already starting to fall in love with Kennedy, and she couldn’t help it.
She needed to accept it and see where this went because not doing that felt like it was no longer an option for her unless she wanted to miss out on something that could be very special and very, very real.
“Do you still want to go swimming?” Kennedy asked.
“What?”
“Swimming. Do you want to go?”
“Oh, I was just kidding. I didn’t know you had a pool. That’s all.”
“Answer the question, River. I mean, when was the last time you went swimming? You didn’t even go in the ocean when we were at the beach house.”
“I don’t really like the ocean for swimming.”
“I remember.”
“And with a pool, it’s been a while,” she admitted.
“Then, let’s do it.”
“What?” River chuckled. “Why?”
“Why not? There’s a pool here.”
Kennedy motioned to it.
“We just ate, and you’re supposed to wait twenty minutes after a meal before going swimming.”
“First of all, that’s all crap that they tell kids. But second of all, we’re not racing the hundred-meter freestyle, River. We’re probably just going to be standing more than anything. Come on. Let’s go.”
“I don’t have a suit,” she reminded.
“So? You have underwear. You do have underwear on, right?” Kennedy asked.
“What would you do if I said no to that?”
“Pass out,” Kennedy joked.
River laughed and replied, “I am wearing underwear.”
“Bummer,” Kennedy returned.
River laughed harder and said, “You can’t have it both ways, babe.”
“Go swimming with me.”
The expression on Kennedy’s face told River that this meant more to her than just two people hopping into a pool. River didn’t understand why, exactly, but she wanted to give this to Kennedy anyway.
“Okay,” she agreed.
“Great. I’ll go put my suit on.”
Kennedy went to stand.
“Oh, no, you won’t,” River replied and put a hand on Kennedy’s forearm. “If I’m going in my underwear, you are, too, gorgeous. Fair is fair.”
“But I’m guessing you’re not wearing a thong.”
“You’re wearing a thong?” River half-yelled.
“River!” Kennedy clamped a hand over her mouth and laughed. “Babe, don’t yell that in a backyard.”
“You’re wearing a thong?” she mumbled through Kennedy’s hand. “I might pass out,” she added when Kennedy’s hand moved away.
“Are you still in?” Kennedy asked.
“I’m extra in now. You’re wearing a thong.”
“Stop saying thong,” Kennedy replied and stood up. “I didn’t want a panty line in this dress.”
River looked up at the long toned legs in front of her and watched as Kennedy reached for the zipper at the side of the dress.
“Should we really be doing this back here?” she asked. “There are other houses around.”
“It’ll just look like a suit. And no one knows I’m here. I rented this in another name.”
The zipper was all the way down now, and so was the dress, which was kicked off until it sat in a pile on the blanket at Kennedy’s feet. River swallowed hard because Kennedy Gannon was standing in front of her in a red, lace thong and a matching bra.
“You’re trying to kill me,” she said. “Best assassination attempt ever.”
Kennedy smiled at her and held out her hands, which River took and stood up.
“Your turn. Can I help?” Kennedy asked, and without waiting, she began unbuttoning River’s shirt.
River tossed her jacket to the ground and pulled off her tie while Kennedy worked. This was, hands down, the most sexually charged swimming experience River had ever had, and they hadn’t even made it into the pool yet.
“Sports bra?”
“I didn’t know you’d be seeing it,” she replied once she was left only in her pants and bra.
“I like it,” Kennedy said and ran her hands over it, not stopping to cup the breasts beneath, but that didn’t prevent River’s nipples from growing hard. “It works for you. Pants now.”
River kicked off her shoes and removed her socks unglamorously before she unbuttoned and unzipped her slacks, letting them fall, too.
Then, she stood in only her gray sports bra and not matching black boy shorts.
Kennedy looked her up and down and licked her lips, and River had no idea what was happening anymore.
She had only expected to have their picnic and to make out for a while if she got lucky.
She hadn’t even anticipated Kennedy asking her to stay over, but this was different.
“Ken, what’s happening here, exactly?” she asked when Kennedy took her hand and walked her over to the pool.
“We’re going swimming,” Kennedy replied and walked down into the pool.
“Okay. Why?”
“Because I want to, and I’m trying this new thing where I do what I want and trust myself with it.”
River nodded and entered the water. They stood in the center of the pool a moment later, staring at each other for a long time, before Kennedy wrapped her arms around River’s neck and River put her own around Kennedy’s waist. The kiss started slowly, and it built from there.
When Kennedy lifted herself, River held on to her and let Kennedy wrap her legs around her body.
River moaned when she cupped Kennedy’s ass to hold her up close, and she moved them until Kennedy was pressed to the side of the pool.
She was careful to press gently so as not to hurt Kennedy as her lips moved to Kennedy’s neck, tasting chlorine while she licked and sucked the flesh.
She wanted to only taste Kennedy, but that could come later.
“God, River,” Kennedy let out, and her hands moved into River’s hair. “I want you.”
River’s eyes went wide, and she said, “I want you, too, but you said you wanted us to take things slow.”
“Haven’t we been doing that already?” Kennedy asked with a little laugh and moved River’s face back to her own to stare into her eyes. “I’m trusting myself.”
“Okay,” River said and cupped her cheek. “I trust you, too. I trust me. I can wait, though, Kennedy. I don’t just want that with you.”
“I know,” Kennedy said with a shy smile. “I don’t just want that, either, so we’re on the same page here. I know this is technically date number one, but it’s not, really; is it?”
River shook her head and thought back to making fudge in the kitchen of the beach house and that night in the sand when she’d wanted to take Kennedy’s hand and had resisted because it would’ve been wrong. It wasn’t wrong anymore. They could have this.
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“Yes,” Kennedy replied.
“Do you want to get out of the pool and go inside?”
Kennedy looked around, and now that it was dark, the only light nearby was from the lantern-shaped light by the sliding glass door.
Even the moon was but a sliver in the sky and offered nothing to illuminate them.
River guessed that the pool also had lights, but neither of them had thought to turn them on.
“No,” Kennedy told her. “Later, yes, but not now.”
River nodded. She’d never had sex in a pool, but she was more than happy to touch Kennedy in here first before they went inside to do it all again.
She kissed Kennedy hard and let her legs fall from around her waist. Kennedy spread her legs under the water, so River moved her thigh between them before she began to slowly roll into her.
She kissed Kennedy’s neck and let her hands roam freely now that she could finally do this: touch Kennedy, knowing that they were in this together, with no one else between them.
Kennedy was the one who reached behind herself to unclasp her own bra, and River was the one to watch her take it off and toss it to the concrete behind them.
River allowed herself a few seconds to stare down at the perfect breasts with hard nipples, either from the cool water in the pool or because Kennedy was that turned on, maybe a bit of both, but then she couldn’t resist any longer, so she lowered herself to suck a nipple into her mouth.
“Yes,” Kennedy whispered and put both of her hands on the back of River’s head. “God, I need you.”
River stopped. She smiled. Then, she sucked.
She had never heard those words directed at her before in this context.
She had been with a few women over the years, and she couldn’t recall a single one of them telling her that they had needed her.
She couldn’t believe Kennedy did, but then, Kennedy’s hand was grasping River’s and moving it for her.
“Here,” Kennedy said as she pressed River’s hand to her own center.
“Fuck,” River replied, cupping her. “Can I?”
“Yes, please. We can have slow later. I need you now,” Kennedy said. “Please touch me.”