Page 109 of The Thought of You

My stomach churns.

While I can appreciate the sentiment of clinging to joy—it’s a beautiful notion—he left his daughter.

He moved away and started a new life without Addie.

The underlying sadness in her voice suggests she might feel the same, but I don’t press her on it. Who am I to tell her how she feels?

“Maybe that’s one thing we don’t have in common.” Her laugh is unsteady and hesitant. “He at least figured out how to be happy.”

“What would make you happy, Lockhart?” I urge, peering into her eyes, which glisten under the bulbs of light strung around my deck.

Her expression softens as a slow, wicked smile spreads. “Right now, a little dip in the hot tub would make me happy.”

I clap and stand. “Beat you in there.”

“You’re on!” She jumps to her feet and wiggles out of her clothes, nearly stumbling with her panties around her ankles on her way to the hot tub.

I race past her, fling my shirt off, and climb into the hot tub, grateful I already slid the cover off earlier this afternoon for some maintenance.

This is perfect hot tub weather, and the soak works wonders for my knee, not that it’s at the forefront of my mind.

What’s more important is the naked fucking angel dipping into the water next to me.

“Hey!” Addie sinks into the hot water until the steam rises around her flushed cheeks. “You didn’t win. You’re still wearing shorts.”

“The rule was to beat me in here. We didn’t specify with or without clothing.” I chuckle as the wheels in her head clearly turn for a rebuttal.

Guess she doesn’t have one, but she does pout. Her bottom lip juts out as she splashes me with water.

I splash her back, lunging toward her and cornering her.

Addie’s wet hair and dripping breasts call to me.

As I capture her mouth with mine, I cup her tits in each hand and tease, knead, and pluck her nipples.

Even in one-hundred-degree water, she shudders under my touch, and I savor every one of her moans and whimpers as the cool breeze nips at my shoulders.

She pulls my shorts down, which go easily with the water, and she urges me backward until I hit the opposite corner.

The jets massage my back as she floats over me, straddling my hips while she continues kissing me. I’m hard underneath her, and I grunt as she positions me right where I need her.

She sinks onto me, and my relief is immediate, like I’m lost when I’m not inside her.

I dig my fingers into her slippery skin as she rises and falls, and her head lulls to the side with each movement.

Her hair falls over her face, and I slip my fingers through it until I gather a fistful of her strands at the back of her head, tugging on them just as she likes.

This earns me a heavy moan.

And I grow even harder inside her as she rides me faster and wilder, the water sloshing over the edges next to us.

My head spins as I give myself to her yet again, hoping like fuck that I can be the one who makes her happy for days, weeks, and months to come.

And beyond.

chapter

thirty-five

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