Page 125 of Worthy

“Come on, Mason. The water’s great,” he says, his feet dipping into the lake just behind his house. Yes, we went to his house after stopping by my cabin very briefly to grab my trunks.

Sarah wasn’t there, but she’d texted me that she had an interview at the store where she applied, so that wasn’t a surprise. But if she’d have been there, I have no doubt she’d have been all over this.

But I’m not here to get laid.

I mean...

No.

I try to shake off that thought. I’m absolutelynothere to get laid. It’s just a new experience. Obviously, I’ve been swimming before, even in a lake, but not the Lake of the Ozarks. And with a totally hot guy who—okay, I’ll admit it—makes me drool.

I finally get my legs to work and wade into the warm water. “It’s really great.”

He smiles at me, the water now stopping at his waist, and I try like crazy not to stare at the sculpted muscles of his abs and pecs and arms... Yeah, I’m not doing such a great job at not staring.

“So you think you’ll like it here?” he asks conversationally as we splash around in the water.

“Yeah. I like it so far. And I think Sarah has a job locked down already.”

“What about you?”

I shake my head, going deeper into the water. “Not yet.”

“Any thoughts on what you want to do?”

I haven’t really thought about it. When I was growing up, I assumed I’d work in the oilfield or maybe farming, but now I’m not so sure. “I don’t know.”

He shrugs like that isn’t a big deal at all. “You’re eighteen. There’s plenty of time to figure it out.”

“Did you always want to own your own restaurant?” I mean, for twenty-seven, that’s pretty impressive.

“Nah. I went all over the map with career choices. From teacher to sports agent. To wanting to be an accountant.” I snort a laugh because I can’t really picture him being any of those things. “But when I moved here, I worked at that restaurant and worked my way up to manager pretty fast. When the owner decided to sell, I just went for it.”

“That’s kind of incredible.”

He just grins at me before using his hand to splash me with water, and then it’s on. We chase each other in the water, splashing and laughing for a really long time before I call a truce, and before I know it, I’m in his strong arms, his mouth a breath away from mine.

“This okay?” he asks, and I nod stupidly before his firm lips press against mine. It’s awkward at first because I have no idea what I’m doing, but I quickly find the rhythm and follow his lead with his lips soft and guiding.

I can feel his hard cock through his trunks against mine, but neither of us do anything about it. We just kiss for what feels like blissful hours, but it’s really only a few minutes. Then we go back to swimming.

When we get out, he hands me a towel to dry off and invites me inside for dinner. I agree, sending Sarah a quick text to let her know where I am. Unsurprisingly, I get a long list of emojis, mostly fire, some wet. Some of a tongue.

I laugh at my best friend’s antics and then put my phone away, heading into his bathroom to change into my dry clothes. He does the same in his bedroom before we meet back in the kitchen.

“Steak okay? I can fire up the grill.”

“That sounds amazing,” I say and help him gather steak, potatoes, and things to make a salad before we move out to his deck overlooking the lake. He starts the grill while I make the salad.

It feels so natural, and when we sit down for dinner, I find myself lost in the scenery and good food. We chat a little, but it’s almost like we don’t have to. We can just be.

Which is new for me with most people other than Sarah.

After dinner, I help him clean up, but my heart races with anticipation, wanting to kiss him again. Wondering if he’ll kiss me or if I should go for it. What if that’s what he’s waiting for?

He did make the first move, after all. I should probably make the second.

But what if that’s not what he wants? What if I wasn’t very good at it?

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