Page 76 of Broken Player

Connor tookhis horse back to the barn to check in with his team once we finished my secret project. The sun hung low in the sky, and by the time I got back home, everyone would be gone, scattered to their own hotel rooms and assignments.

I pulled out my phone and shot Quinn a text.

Maddox: Send Freckles to the pond

Quinn: Say please

Maddox: ...now

Quinn: So bossy

Maddox: Make sure she has a swimsuit

Quinn: Yes, sir

A smirk played across my lips as I imagined the level of snark in that last text. Quinn was quickly becoming one of my favorite people. I made sure Hex was tied up before pulling my shirt off and slipping out of my jeans. My swim trunks molded to my body in a flattering as fuck way, and I couldn't wait to watch Ryan's eyes rake over my body.

The way her eyes both lit up and darkened at the same time whenever she looked at me set my body ablaze. My heart was thrumming steadily faster in my chest as I watched the horizon with sunglass-covered eyes, waiting for any sign of my girl.

Finally, a fucking eternity later, she and Quinn both on the back of Daisy came into view. What the fuck was he doing here? Had my instructions been anything but clear? I gritted my teeth, not wanting to let Quinn's tagging along ruin my good mood.

Finally, they came to a stop a few steps away, Ryan moving to dismount the horse but Quinn didn't move to get down. He smirked knowingly at me, tiling the rim of his cowboy hat down briefly. "Thought I'd drop our girl off." He let his eyes wander all over my body. I didn't give a shit if Quinn wanted to look at me. Better me than my girl.

Ryan stepped up close so that the soft curves of her body were pressed against me. She rested both palms on my bare chest, her hands running up to clasp together behind my neck, stopping only briefly to flick against the ring I wore in my right nipple.

I ran my hands down her back, which was still covered by a thin cotton t-shirt, my fingers itching to touch her bare skin. I couldn't resist the urge anymore and snuck my thumb underneath the hem of her shirt, stroking the silky skin underneath.

The sound of fading hooves was the only signal Quinn left us as Ryan and I stared into each other's eyes. I lowered my head while she pushed up on her toes, and our mouths met in the middle, wildly clashing together, tongues colliding in a frantic kiss that completely consumed me.

A reminder of why we were out here popped up in my mind, and I debated whether I should ignore that shit, but I couldn't wait to see the look on Ryan's face when she saw what I did. Pulling back from the kiss by placing some soft, gentle kisses first on her lips, then on either side of her mouth, and finally on both cheeks before kissing the tip of her nose, I looked down at her darkened eyes and swollen lips as pride swelled up inside me.

But I beat it back and instead gripped her hand in mine. "Miss me, Freckles?" I breathed as I ran my nose along the curve of her neck and inhaled. She smelled like fresh air and creamsicles. Summer personified. I couldn't stay away from her, I was fucking addicted.

"Isn't it obvious?" she hummed, leaning into me. She was like fucking gasoline, and I was a match. With every touch, she reacted, and the chemistry between us blazed to life.

"If we don't stop, we both know where this is going to lead, and I didn't bring you out here to fuck you."

She stepped back, a naughty grin on her face. "Whydidyou bring me out here?"

"Close your eyes," I demanded instead of answering.

Her eyelids fluttered closed without hesitation, and I fucking preened at how far we'd come in the trust department over the last month. Stepping over the soft grass and patches of dusty dirt, I slowly led her up a small hill with a tree on the top of it that had somehow grown out over the deep part of the pond. I stopped her right underneath the tree, close to the trunk. Moving behind her and pressing my chest up against her back,I lowered my hands to grip her hips. I leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "Open your eyes."

I watched as she shivered at my breath drifting over her skin. I chuckled softly, watching her blink her eyes open before they widened. "Oh, my god. Did you…" She turned to me, her eyes sparkling. "I can't believe you did this!" she squealed, throwing herself against me again and squeezing me hard.

"Better strip out of those clothes, Freckles, so you can try it out," I suggested, leaning against the tree and folding my arms over my chest, settling in for the show. Her eyes met mine as she pulled the shirt over her head and tossed it aside. She wore a tiny black bikini that barely covered her fucking nipples, and I found myself moving toward her.

"You don't wear this for anyone but me," I growled out the demand, and her eyes flashed with a fiery challenge.

"Oh? And what if I wear it to the beach?" she asked innocently, knowing exactly what she was fucking doing to me.

"I'd have to take you home, strip you out of it," I promised, dropping kisses to her shoulder. "And remind you exactly who you belong to."

"Mmm," she murmured in agreement, and fuck if it didn't make me so goddamn hard how she reveled in my possessiveness.

"Okay, Freckles. Time to give it a try." I moved away from her and toward the tree, gripping the rope swing Connor, and I put up and reinforced in the thickest branch earlier today. The lust cleared from her eyes as she took the rope into her hands, stepping backward slowly.

With every step, the smile on her face grew bigger. Finally, she ran forward, jumping at the last second and landing on the step at the end of the rope, swinging out over the water. Her joyful screaming echoed around us and made me laugh. Her elation was infectious as she let go of the rope at the perfectmoment and splashed into the water, disappearing under the inky surface.

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