Chapter 13
Thirteen
Quincy
The Fourth of July festivities at Merlin Lake carried on after the cancellation of the boat race.
As the sun set on the ridge, boaters set out to recover lost vessels, then gathered to help Reef and me do temporary repairs to some of the posts that had come loose during the storm. A few of the boaters, without asking, secured a tarp over the roof of the Minnow Bucket where a leak had started.
After that, it was time to eat flag cake, drink, and celebrate that everyone was safe.
Reef and I changed out of our wet things in the stock room, with me pulling on an oversized souvenir T-shirt that we sell to customers at the store, and matching baggy soccer shorts.
Alas, the Minnow Bucket sells no underwear, so I have to go commando.
The docks glow with the string lights and the bunting that had survived the storm, and laughter from the patio of the Heron’s Nest carries across the lake.
Reef snags us a porch table in a quiet corner of the lakeside restaurant so we can cozy up together to watch the fireworks, and he drags two cushioned chairs together.
The humidity has mostly dissipated now, making cuddling a much nicer prospect.
The crowd cheers as they watch the fireworks show, but Reef is much more interested in staring at me.
And kissing me. And touching me. And talking about us.
He lays everything out so clearly; I have no doubt what he wants.
“Are you ready for this? Because as a boss, you know I can be a lot. As a boyfriend, I plan to be ten times more obnoxious.” He winks.
“I doubt that’s possible.”
“Sorry if I scared you on your first day.”
I scoff. “Please. I teach high school history. You can’t scare me.”
The next firework explodes into silver and gold in the sky as Reef leans in to kiss me. It's warm, confident, and I know in that kiss, he’s completely mine.
After the last of the boaters leave and we’ve locked up the Minnow Bucket, I follow Reef up the moonlit path to his house.
Fireflies distract me from thoughts about mosquitoes and snakes and anything else that lurks in these parts.
As long as the bugs and the night birds keep up their singing and hooting, everything’s fine.
And I have to admit, holding Reef’s hand makes the dark feel more like home.
His house is no bigger than a basic fishing cabin, tucked into a stand of loblolly pines in between towering lakefront mansions.
Inside, it smells like cedar. The kitchen is nothing more than a camping stove and a small fridge, but the bed looks ample and cozy.
“Home sweet home,” he murmurs, closing the door behind us. “It’s not much, but it’s only been me since I was 18. Whiskey?”
I nod, and he pours us each a nightcap.
“You’ve been here alone since you were 18?”
He nods and hands me a glass. Together, we curl up on the worn leather sofa.
“It was my grandpa’s hunting cabin. Grandma Barb let me stay there after my parents kicked me out. They said it was time to be an adult. No other explanation. I went to work for Captain Mack, and I took care of Grandma and never looked back.”
“That’s so sweet of you.”
“She practically raised me. It was the least I could do. As far as being alone for ten years, well, not exactly.”
“You’re telling me you had a roommate in here? There’s only one bed.”
“Not roommates, exactly."
Reef stares at me as I’m taking a sip of the whiskey, and I nearly choke on it when I finally realize. “You don’t need to tell me about your exes.”
I’m more jealous than I should be. What is this, day one?
It’s been less than 24 hours since we hooked up.
Less than 12 hours since we established what we are.
And yet the thought of another woman having his full attention before I came along makes me irrationally jealous.
It’s uncalled for, totally unreasonable, so I keep that an inside thought.
“Not exes, really,” he clarifies. “More like occasional, non-committal summer flings. No one local. Is that bad?”
I think about that. For some reason, that sits better in my spirit than thinking about past committed relationships.
“It feels like less drama for both of us. No one’s gonna come sniffing around, are they?”
A smirk pulls at his lips as he downs the rest of his whiskey. He sets the glass on a rustic side table with a thunk. “Would that make you jealous?”
“Maybe. A little.”
“That’s cute.” He leans in, and I lean away. “It’s not funny.”
“You’re laughing.”
“I’m not laughing.”
“What if I told you that every year when I help with the spring play, one of the single dad volunteers always asks for my number?”
“Hmmm,” he growls, nosing aside the collar of the oversized souvenir T-shirt that I’m wearing, lazily snuffling my upper chest. He’s trying to distract me, and it’s almost working.
“And…what if I told you even after his kid graduated, he came back year after year and visited me backstage before opening night?”
Reef leans back a little and looks at me. “Really?”
“And what if I finally gave in and went on a date with him, and it was terrible, and he still didn’t get the message after I tried ghosting him?”
“I’d say you have a stalker.”
Something dangerous flashes in his eyes, and before I can resist, Reef has me on his lap with my legs planted on either side of his hips. His big hands cup my ass possessively, jolting me with renewed excitement.
“How does that make you feel? Not funny, right? You’re jealous.”
“Not jealous. Just pissed. Like I’m ready to fight somebody.”
I pout and let one finger toy with the soft hairs at the notch between his collarbones. “Not even a little bit jealous?”
“Maybe a little.”
He captures my pouty lip between his teeth, biting just enough to make my inner muscles tighten needfully.
I remember what his tongue felt like right there. I know, from taking that big cock down my throat, that this guy is going to more than satisfy that need.
“So we’re even,” I tease.
He squeezes, hitching me closer, leaving no doubt about his intentions tonight. That hard length rubs right between my legs, and I can’t deny myself the wanton response to grind against it.
His pupils are blown out, and his lips are a whisper away from mine as he murmurs, “Don’t want to fucking talk about anybody else tonight.”
Those hands drag up to the waistband of the baggy shorts I’m wearing, and he slips his fingers inside the elastic. I shift upward, putting my weight on my knees to let him tug the shorts down enough to get at my ass.
A low rumble sounds in his chest as he runs his hands over the bare skin, each hand taking full possession of my curves. My jiggly bits? He loves them.
His attention draws out my need to kiss him greedily, and I moan into his mouth. The moan grows louder when I feel the tips of his caressing fingers shift over to my crack. Hell yes. I practically drool all over him.
“I need to fuck you now, Reef. I need you to fuck me. Take me to the bed.”