Page 29 of My Best Friend Prince Charming

Shannon sniffed her pits and made a face. “You wouldn’t say that if you could smell me.”

“I’m sure you smell amazing.”

“Psh. Yeah, right. You’re living in a fantasy world.” Shannon got up and went to her dresser, gathering a tank top, shorts, and an electric pink bikini I rememberedverywell from last summer.

Yep. It was going to be a good day.

“I’m headed to the shower. Go grab a bowl of cereal or something,” Shannon said.

I went to the kitchen and scrounged around until I found an orange and a package of strawberry PopTarts. I ripped open the package and dropped them in the toaster so they could warm up while I peeled the orange.

By the time I’d dusted off the final crumbs of the PopTarts, Shannon emerged from the bathroom. She had on the black tank top. I could see the straps of her pink bikini tied behind her neck. Her ripped cutoff shorts showed miles of legs. I swallowed. I couldn’t believe I’d been lucky enough to be kissing this girl.

“Ready to go?” I asked, tossing my wrapper and orange peel into the garbage.

“Yep. I just have to grab my bag.” Shannon disappeared into her room and came out with a drawstring bag. “I wanted to make sure I had my towel. Remember when I forgot my towel last year?”

“Yeah. But I gave you mine, so it worked out.”

“Except you had to dry off with it after I’d already gotten it cold and wet.”

I smiled. “I didn’t mind.”

She blushed. “You’re a weirdo. Let’s go.”

* * *

“Just jump in the water,”I said. “Quit being a wimp, or I’ll push you in.”

Shannon stood in front of me in her tank top and shorts, studying the water from the boulder where we stood. The waterfall crashed majestically before us.

“Okay. I can do this. I do it every year.” She unzipped her ripped denim shorts and kicked them off, revealing even more of her beautiful legs. She peeled off her tank top, and, holy macaroni, I couldn’t take my eyes off her.

She swung her arms back and forth like she was planning to make a running jump for it.

“Actually,” she looked at me with a sheepish expression on her face. “I think I might need you to push me in. I don’t think I can do it on my own.”

“Well, in that case,” I said, shoving my hands against her bare back. She practically burned the skin off my hands with how amazing she felt. She went flying off the ledge, a screech emitting from her lungs before splashing into the water below. Her head bobbed above the surface, and she pushed her wet hair back from her face. She disappeared below the surface again, reappearing with her head tipped back so her hair was washed back from her face this time. She rotated in the water so she could see me still up on the boulder.

“Now who’s the wimp?”

A wide smile spread across my face. I peeled off my shirt and smiled bigger when I noticed Shannon’s reaction to seeing my bare torso. In that one moment, all the time I’d spent lifting weights for the past two years had been completely worth it. I hadn’t really seen results from my time in the gym the first year, but over the last twelve months, I’d seemed to really begin to fill out. I had a feeling that would only increase over the next few years. Mr. Christopher probably wouldn't have been very happy with my breakfast choice this morning. But I figured I’d better enjoy my last few weeks of freedom while I could.

I leaped from the rock, the cold mountain water engulfing me. I kicked my way up to the surface and threw my fists into the air with a whoop after emerging.

Shannon threw her head back and laughed. She swam over to me, and as she came close, I could see a sudden shyness come over her. She placed her hands on my chest under the water and ran them down my abs. I shivered under her feather-light touch. The way she moved her hands over my body made it seem like she was afraid to feel me. We stayed like that for a moment, kicking in the water to stay afloat. She reached her hands around my neck and pulled herself to me, close enough for our foreheads and noses to touch. Little rivers of water ran down her face from her hairline. Unable to stand a moment longer without her lips on me, I took her mouth in mine and kissed her tenderly, slowly intensifying the heat until she was moaning against my mouth and twisting her fingers up in my hair.

We pulled apart and swam to the smaller boulders that bordered the water. We climbed out, and Shannon took my hand, tugging me toward the falls. Every year we went to the falls since we were little, we had a tradition of standing under the water together. I followed Shannon over the slippery rocks to the moss-and-algae-covered spot where the water pounded on the flat rock below.

“Ready?” she yelled over the powerful pounding of the water.

I threw our joined hands into the air and whooped. She joined in our war cry and led me into the water. I gasped at the weight of the water as it beat down on my head and shoulders. Even though I’d done this every year, I always forgot just how intense it really was.

We stepped out of the water, laughing, and I pulled Shannon into a tight embrace, her body slippery against mine. She wrapped her arms around my neck, and I kissed her soundly. A moment later, we pulled apart smiling.

Something flashed in the corner of my vision, and I turned to see a shape crouched in the bushes.

“Shannon,” I said in her ear. “You should get your shorts on.”

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