Chapter 16
sixteen
. . .
Gracie
“Do you think we should write the terms down so that we don’t cross any lines?” I asked as I pulled a notebook and a pen out of my backpack on the bench in his mudroom and followed him into the kitchen.
I. Was. Freaking. Out.
Yes, I’d suggested we continue with this arrangement of ours, but I hadn’t expected his response to be so…sexy. So detailed. As if he’d been thinking about this every day, just like I had.
And now it was happening.
It. Was. Happening.
So, my nerves were on edge thinking about what we were going to do, and I needed some form of control in this situation.
A notebook and pen were usually the answer.
His lips turned up in the corners. “I don’t know, Jeege. I usually just sort of go with it. I’ve never written up terms before hooking up with someone.”
“Well, you aren’t hooking up with someone. This is me and you. That makes everything different, right?” I sat on a barstool and flipped to the first page in my notebook, noting the way my hand trembled the slightest bit. “Rule number one, there is an expiration date. That’s important, right?”
“Obviously.” His heated gaze took me in, and his tone was laced with sarcasm, making it clear that he thought I was being ridiculous about writing up the rules.
I was going to enter the grayest of gray areas with my best friend. We needed to have clear lines in place. It was only logical.
“September thirtieth will be the last day of our agreement; however, we can terminate the contract at any time before then if we choose to.” I tapped my pen on the pad of paper a few times before jotting it down, looking up to find him watching me.
Dark eyes, and a sexy-as-sin smirk on his lips.
I forced myself to stay focused. “That means, if you happen to meet someone you’re interested in, and you’d like to explore things with another woman—our deal ends immediately. We don’t want to complicate things.”
“All right. Same goes for you. I won’t be sharing you with anyone else.”
“Okay. That works for me.” I felt my cheeks heat, and I could swear my palms were suddenly sweaty, so I quickly turned my attention back to the notebook and jotted down number two. “But I do think it’s important to be very clear. Everything is on the table, aside from sex, right?”
He leaned back slightly, and my pulse skipped a beat when his lips curved into that slow, deliberate smile that always made my stomach do strange things.
“I mean… Are you asking me?” His gaze held mine, and I could feel the warmth in his eyes.
The way that he was entirely focused on me.
“You know I’m a fan of sex,” he said, but there was a softness there too.
“But I’m more interested in what makes you comfortable.
What makes you feel good. Everything else—every inch of you, every thought, every desire, every moment—if you’re feeling it, I’m all in. ”
My breath hitched in my throat, and I was suddenly desperate to lean closer, even though I was nervous.
Everything about him right now—the tone of his voice, the heated look in his eyes, that slight movement as if he could close the distance at any second—had me thinking in ways I wasn’t supposed to.
My hand was shaking so bad that I settled my other hand over it to make it less obvious. I’d thought making this list would calm my nerves, but looking at him now, hearing the words coming from his mouth, it was impossible to think straight.
Focus, Gracie.
“I think sex would complicate things. At least for me it would.” I blew out a breath, because the thought of experiencing good sex for the first time in my life was definitely intriguing.
But we were already playing with fire. Rules were put in place for a reason, and my gut told me this was one I should stick to.
“Then it’s definitely off the table. But everything else is fair game.
” His lips lifted in a teasing curve, and I squeezed my thighs together in response.
He was ridiculously sexy. Unfairly sexy.
He pushed to his feet, his movement fluid, confident, and my eyes couldn’t help but follow.
He walked to the door and looked outside at the night sky, tilting his head back, letting the moonlight catch the edge of his jaw.
“Let’s go for a swim,” he said, and there was that low, intoxicating edge in his voice.
“I love jumping in the lake before bed.”
My stomach fluttered—every glance, every word from him felt like it was meant just for me.
And that was dangerous.
I desperately tried to keep it together, clearing my throat before holding up the pen for him. “Okay, let’s just both sign this, and we can make changes or additions as we go if we see fit.”
He walked toward me, showing all the confidence in the world with each stride as he closed the distance between us. He took the pen from my hand, his fingers grazing along mine and lighting a fire in me just from the simple touch.
He signed it without hesitation, and I signed my name beneath his before he motioned for the back door.
“I need to go grab my swimsuit,” I said, turning toward the hallway, but then he wrapped his large hand around my wrist.
“My backyard is completely private. No swimsuits. Everything is on the table, remember? So let’s start with a little skinny-dipping.” He dropped my wrist and walked backward toward the door. “Isn’t this what Operation Exploration is all about?”
“You want to go skinny-dipping?” Why did my voice sound three octaves higher than usual?
“I do.” His voice was gravelly. “Trust me. You’ll enjoy it, Jeege. Unless you’re afraid to be naked with me?”
For a moment I thought I’d stopped breathing, and I blew out a breath to pull myself together. My pulse raced, and my body heated in a way I’d never experienced.
I was going to do this.
I was going to skinny-dip with Cutler, and allow myself to do whatever I wanted.
I cleared my throat, tipping my chin up. “I’m not afraid. I just don’t love cold water.”
His tongue swept out to wet his bottom lip, and I had to force myself not to react. “Trust me. You won’t be cold for long. Come on.”
I followed him outside. The leaves on the large trees in his backyard were rustling in the slight breeze, but it was still warm outside. It was dark, and I tipped my head up, taking in all the stars in the sky.
It was so peaceful out here—something I’d miss terribly when I moved to New York.
Los Angeles was always loud and bustling, and I’d craved the quiet that I’d grown up with when I’d lived there.
The quiet that you usually found in a small town where there wasn’t traffic and the sound of horns blaring at all hours.
We made our way down to the dock, and the dark blue water looked almost black.
The only light was coming from the stars and the moon, along with a few of Cutler’s patio lights in the distance.
He didn’t hesitate as he tore his tee over his head, giving me a perfect view of his muscled chest and chiseled abs.
And then, before I could process anything, he tugged his shorts off right along with his briefs, kicking them to the side as he stood completely naked in front of me.
He just grinned and raised a brow as if he was waiting, and I stood there gaping at him.
My God.
The man was just—not normal.
His body was complete perfection.
And his penis was as impressive as it had been a few weeks ago.
“I’ll meet you in the water, Jeege.” He turned, giving me a spectacular view of his hard, muscled ass, just before he dove into the water. He came up to the surface and shook his head and howled. “It’s great. Get in here.”
My breaths were shallow, and I forced myself to pull it together as I yanked down the straps of my tank top, then shimmied out of my jean skirt as it fell in a puddle on the deck beneath my feet.
I unsnapped my bra, glancing in the water to see Cutler standing with his elbows resting on the deck and his eyes on me.
Watching me.
The heat and want and desire impossible to miss in his gaze.
I let my bra fall and then used my thumbs to tug my panties down my legs, kicking them to the side.
I am really doing this.
I wanted to experience things that I hadn’t experienced, and jumping in the lake at night naked with a man was definitely not something I’d ever done before.
A ladder was attached to the deck, and I turned around, chuckling internally that my ass was just a foot away from his face.
As I took the first step down, his hands found my waist and he pulled me down, submerging us both beneath the water.
I used my arms and surged to the surface as I gasped and laughed at the same time.
“Not nice, Bear.” I splashed water at his face as I moved my arms and legs in circles to keep my head above the surface, while he stood with ease.
I pointed my toes and tried to touch the bottom, but Cutler had almost a foot on me, so only one of us could reach the bottom, and it certainly wasn’t me.
“Listen, Jeege. You tried to enter the water the same way you write contracts. Very slowly. I’m an impatient man.”
He looked ridiculously sexy with the top of his chest exposed, his dark hair pushed away from his handsome face as water droplets fell down his cheeks.
I was working hard to stay afloat, and he stepped closer. “Stop being stubborn and hold on to me.”
“I’m not being stubborn,” I said, my breathing labored, because yes, I was being stubborn. “I thought I would try to get some exercise in. You know I love to multitask.”
I reached for his shoulders, still keeping my body a few inches away from pressing against him as I locked my gaze with his.
He smirked. “I think you’re afraid to be naked with me.”
“Why would I be afraid to be naked with you? I’m the one who came up with this plan.”
“I don’t know. You tell me,” he said. His voice was smooth like silk, and he oozed confidence. “Are you afraid of the way that I make you feel?”
I sighed. “No. I like the way you make me feel. We’ve just never been naked in front of one another since we were kids.”
His hands moved to my hips, his tongue moving slowly along his bottom lip. “Can I touch you?”
“Yes,” I said, and it came out all breathy and embarrassingly needy.
He pulled me against his body slowly, my breasts pressed to his chest, and my legs wrapped around his waist on instinct.
Wow. This was proving even better than I’d imagined, and we hadn’t done anything yet.
So why am I breathing so heavy?
His hands moved up my back before tangling in my long wet hair. He wrapped the ends around his hand and gently tugged my head to the side before his lips found my neck. My body immediately came alive, but I forced myself to breathe.
And then he moved his lips to the other side of my neck, taking his time as he gently trailed across my skin.
He moved along my collarbone, his breath warm, as if his lips were cataloguing every single inch of me.
I was desperate for his mouth to be on mine as my head fell back and my breaths grew more labored.
But he took his time, and I’d never been more turned on in my life.
When he pulled back to look at me, his eyes searched mine, and I felt like he could see every thought I’d ever tried to hide.
As if he could see just how badly I wanted him right now.
My heart thudded against my ribs, loud enough that I was certain he could hear it, feel it.
He leaned in slowly, just a whisper closer, and I couldn’t breathe.
My lips tingled with anticipation, and I felt it as every single nerve came to life.
His nose brushed against mine, tentative, gentle, like he was testing the water.
I could feel the warmth of his face against mine, the soft rise and fall of his chest. My hands hovered on his shoulders as I hesitated.
Unsure where I should touch him, my pulse racing as the world around us melted away.
His hand came up to the side of my face, pushing the wet hair behind my ear as his calloused fingers traced along my jaw.
“I want your mouth on mine. Now,” he said, his voice commanding and gruff.
I leaned forward, and his mouth crashed into mine. It was frantic and needy, my lips parting as his tongue slipped inside, tangling with mine.
Cutler definitely knew how to kiss.
It was urgent and needy as our teeth clashed, tasting, exploring, as if we couldn’t get enough.
My fingers tangled in his hair, tugging him closer.
His hands found my hips, shifting me the slightest bit as he glided me slowly at first, up and down his erection. I was basically dry-humping this man in the water, and I was too turned on to be embarrassed about it.
I nipped at his mouth and moaned as I ground against him shamelessly.
My body was acting of its own volition now.
He pulled his mouth from mine, and I missed his lips immediately.
He just watched me with this heated gaze in his eyes as he continued guiding me up and down.
Over and over.
It was the most erotic experience of my life.
“Look how fucking sexy you are grinding up against me,” he said, his voice deep and gravelly. “Use my cock, just like that.”
I leaned down, needing to feel his lips on mine again, and I moaned into his mouth as I moved faster. Greedily chasing my own pleasure.
Our tongues tangled, lips desperate to get closer, and this building pressure between my legs was almost overwhelming.
My head fell back on a gasp as I exploded, nails digging into his shoulders as bright lights exploded behind my eyes, and I continued grinding against him as I rode out every last bit of pleasure.
My body was still tingling when my breathing finally slowed, and I opened my eyes and looked down at him.
“Hey,” I said.
“Hey, beautiful. How do you feel?” His lips turned up in the corners, and he looked so incredibly sexy it nearly took my breath away.
“I’m a big fan of skinny-dipping, Bear,” I whispered.
“Yeah, me too, Jeege. Me too.”
“I’d say this first lesson was a big success,” I chuckled.
“Agreed.” He wrapped his arms around me tighter. “If I can make you come once a day while we’re doing this, then it’s a win.”
“I want to return the favor,” I said.
“You don’t even realize how much pleasure I just got out of that. Tonight isn’t the night for returning the favor. But trust me, Jeege. We’re just getting started.”
I smiled at the insinuation.
Because I was here for it.
I was here for all of it.