Page 38 of Never Say Never

I bite my bottom lip as I place my hand in his. He tugs me out of the truck, closing the door behind me, then he’s walking us through the gate at the side of his parents’ house to the backyard. That’s when I realize my aunt and uncle are probably asleep inside.

“Tuck!” I say suddenly, careful to keep my voice down. “I’m not skinny dipping with your parents 20 feet away. What do we do if they wake up?”

“No need to whisper, rebel. They’re not here, so you don’t have to worry… they won’t be home until late tomorrow.”

My heart races in my chest, but I keep my hand in his as I follow him to the backyard where he turns on the outdoor heat lamps. A million memories flood my mind of all the hoursTucker and I spent in this same swimming pool under this same midnight sky.

I stop breathing when Tucker drops my hand and lifts his T-shirt over his head, dropping it onto a lounge chair. His runners go next along with his socks, and he’s standing bare-chested in front of me in nothing but a pair of jeans. Even in the darkness, I can see how much he’s changed since we were kids. His shoulders are broad, pecs defined with a fine dusting of chest hair that ends at his ribs then begins again above the waist of his jeans. My eyes unabashedly roam his muscular chest, his inked arms, the grooves of his sculpted abs.

Tucker Collins is literal perfection.

“Are you coming in?” His fingers move to the button on his jeans, and it feels like I might combust right here on the pool deck. He shoves his jeans down his legs and steps out of them, leaving him in just his dark navy briefs.

My brain short circuits at how good he looks. And it’s impossible for him to hide what he’s packing behind the thin fabric of his boxer briefs that hug the imprint of his thick cock.

“Daisy. Are you coming?”

My nerves kick up, but somehow my answer is sure. “Yes.”

“In your dress?”

My heart thumps inside my chest. I’ve gone skinny dipping plenty of times before, but never with Tuck. In all the years we’ve known each other, he’s never seen me undressed before. I take a deep breath as I toe out of my shoes, then reach for the zipper of my dress with trembling hands. As I slip the straps from my shoulders, I glance at Tucker to find his eyes are glued to me. I let the straps of my dress fall slowly down my arms. My dress slides over my hips and thighs to land in a puddle at my feet, leaving me standing in front of Tucker in nothing but a strapless bra and matching lace thong. My skin pebbles as the cool night air blows over me.

“Jesus, Dais.” His eyes roam greedily over my body.

And then his fingers hook into the waistband of his briefs, tugging them down his thighs until he’s completely naked.

Lord, help me.

His cock is thick and heavy, proudly on display for me with neatly groomed dark hair and tight balls. I shouldn’t be staring, but I can’t look away. A pulse throbs between my legs when I notice his dick twitch.

“Do you want me to close my eyes?” His gaze tips to my chest.

My shaking hands reach around to my back where I find the two hooks on my bra.

“Good girl.” His eyes are pinned on mine. “Go slow for me, Dais.”

That’s all it takes for the apex of my thighs to react in arousal. I swallow thickly and with an exhale, I unclasp my bra, the garment falling from my chest onto the deck. Tucker’s gaze dips to my chest, his Adam’s Apple bobbing in his throat. He makes no attempt to hide the fact that he’s staring at me, and I try not to blush. When his eyes drag up my torso to meet mine, his lips are parted.

“Fucking perfect.”

The pulse between my legs begins to throb at his praise. The look of pure appreciation in Tucker’s eyes is all I need to find the courage to hook my fingers into the lace at my hips and shimmy my thong down to my ankles.

Then we’re both bare for one another, our eyes exploring every inch of one another as if we’re seeing each other for the first time. Because we are. As intimately as I’ve known Tucker, we have never seen one another without clothes.

I’m surprised that I’m not covering myself with my hands or taking off for the pool. I like the way it feels, having his eyes take in every part of me. His arousal is evident when his length begins to harden even more.

“I have never seen anything more beautiful,” he says quietly, and my skin heats all over at the compliment. The rasp in his voice has my heart pumping. I have the sudden urge to run my fingertips slowly over every muscle of his torso, his inked arms, his thighs.

“I mean it, Dais. You are perfect. Come on, just like old times.” Then he’s turning for the pool, diving into the clear water, coming up for air in the deep end. When he surfaces, he floats on his back for a few seconds like he doesn’t have a care in the world before he starts to tread water, dragging his hands through his wet hair.

“Get in here, Daisy. The water is perfect.”

Walking to the shallow end of the rectangular pool, I take the three steps down, sucking in a breath when the cool water hits my stomach. Then I push off the bottom of the pool, slicing my body through the water, holding my breath for as long as the air in my lungs will take me. It feels exhilarating to be naked in the turquoise water under a vast inky sky. My muscles relax and when I break the surface, the nerves that were fluttering in my belly earlier are gone and things between Tucker and I feel like they did when we were young.

“I forgot how warm your parents keep their pool,” I say, my mouth barely above the surface.

“Do you remember when I used to swim underneath you and grab your feet?” He’s treading water a few feet away, his eyes on me. “You used to scream, and I’d have to pull you under so you wouldn’t wake up my parents.”

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