Page 167 of Rules of Association

When Ceci returned wearing black leggings and a tight black compression shirt, I had the distinct thought that maybe this outfit wasn’t much better. The way the tight fabric clung to her shape would be good for bouncing off any sand that happened to whip at her on the buggee, but damn.

“How’s this?” she asked as she materialized in the same spot I swear she’d just left. That may have been the fastest I’d ever seen her get ready.

Looking down at her, I tried not to peek at her ass in those leggings as I inspected her outfit. I failed. It looked too good, all rounded and toned from her working out recently. I wanted to run my hands along it. Squeeze it like I’d done before. But as open as she’d been to me pinning her down, I wasn’t so sure about blatant fondling.

…And now I was blatantly staring, Ceci catching me with her eyebrow raised in a mixture of smugness and surprise.

“Were you just—”

I cleared my throat and reached into the vehicle before she could finish whatever she was saying. Pulling out the equipment I’d ordered way in advance for her and presenting them to her like a prize. Her eyes seemed to forget my ogling and widened in amusement.

She snorted. “We’re not going mountain biking, Con. I don’t need full headgear.”

I smiled. “You’ll wear whatever I say you’ll wear. Now, hold out your hands.”

She did, and I slid the blue motorcycle gloves onto her small hands, strapping them up tight. The snort she produced was even bigger when I brought the big blue helmet down over her head. She giggled and bounced the entire time.

“Stop moving,” I murmured through my own smile. Finding the bottom strap, I worked at securing it underneath her chin.

When I was done, she flipped the eye shield up so she could look at me. “Do I look cool?”

It was my turn to laugh as I flipped her shield back down. “You look like a dork. Let’s go.”

“Can I drive?” she asked, already trying to work her way into a driving position.

Using her hips, I guided her up onto the seat, and then using a hand on her low back, I slid her forward. Making room for myself behind her. “No way in hell, Fernandez. Nice try.”

I couldn’t tell what her face looked like but I could hear her laughing. God, it was like a drug, that sound. I’d turn myself into a fool for her just to hear it on repeat.

After getting my own helmet on, I lifted myself and eased on after her. Spreading my legs around her, I swallowed as my groin settled against the swollen back of her, my thighs closing in tight beside hers.

“All set,” I said.

Wind licked at my arms and legs as I pulled out of the garage and around the back entrance of the beach. My stretch of land was large, but I did share it with the spread of neighbors surrounding me. They were old, usually only coming out on the beach in the mornings to walk. Now it was sunset. The big ball of fire somewhere off on the other side of the house, not currently visible but casting a sherbet hue along the coastline. A lingering blue mixing with pinks and yellows and oranges over the lapping waters. Out back, the beach was clear.

In front of me, Cee was doing that buzzing thing again. The one where she bounced and looked around like she’d never been on a Seaside beach a day in her life. I rubbed at her thighs, wishing thick gloves and thin cloth weren’t separating my skin from her skin.

“Stop squirming,” I said through a laugh this time. Leaning into her back, I asked, “Ready?”

“No.”Bounce, bounce, bounce. “Iwant to drive.”

“You’ll drive us straight into the ocean just to see if we’ll float.”

Giggle. “I won’t!”

I leaned into her even further, mesmerized. “You’ll go a hundred miles an hour.”

Another giggle. “I won’t, I promise Connor!Pleeease?”

My heart pinched, and I caved like I always did.

“Okay, but listen up, psycho,” I started as I slipped my hands from around the handlebars and set them over hers instead. Pushing her hands down I gave her control of the gears that steered the buggee. “You can drive but we’re going to go slow and—”

Yeah right.

Ceci clamped down on the throttle and jolted us forward before we yanked abruptly to a stop. She tried again, this time kicking up dust as she spun the back wheels in place. I let her try one more unsuccessful time before I pressed my hands down over hers and took control, using my grip to position her hands where I wanted them.

“You see. This is why welisten.” This got me an elbow to the gut, and I laughed. Then, with control of both of our hands, I moved the throttle on both sides and sped us forward onto the beach, “Use both handles, honey.”

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