Page 35 of Heart Strings
Cielo stares atme like I’ve grown a second head. “A swim? Now?”
“Right now.” Laps in her gym’s indoor pool always helped her recalibrate. And I’m not ready to say good night yet.
Her eyes narrow. “What for?”
“Old times’ sake.”
“I just can’t believe you’re already nostalgic about falling into the creek. That was only a couple hours ago. Don’t you remember how cold it was?”
“Come on.” I gently brush her arm. “Let’s sneak out. The rehearsal dinner is already over.”
“It’s dark outside,” she says, but she’s smiling a little. She wants to be talked into it. I can do that.
The hall window reveals a pale moon rising in a late September sky. I gesture to the pristine garden beyond. The tables of the wedding party are illuminated by string lights, but the guests are filing out. Shafts of pale light stream through the fruit trees, andthe flower blossoms are pinched closed for the night. “Tomorrow is a full moon. There’s plenty of light to see.”
Lo steps closer to the window—and me—to get a better look. Moonlight spills across her cheekbones and she is divine. “It is pretty out there.”
I grab her hand. “Come with me.”
She doesn’t jerk out of my grasp. “I didn’t bring a bathing suit.”
“It’s practically pitch-black out there. I won’t see a thing.” I wink.
She laughs and I can feel some of the tension leave her.
After a quick detour to my room to grab bath towels, we are on our way. Most of the guests have settled into their rooms for the evening. We slip past the courtyard and it takes a moment for my vision to acclimate, but once it does the sparkle in Lo’s eyes is enough to rival any star.
She hasn’t looked at me in this way in so long. I keep my big mouth shut on the walk there so I don’t mess this up. The back of Cielo’s hand nearly brushes mine again as our arms naturally swing with an unrushed pace. My fingers itch to reach out and wrap around hers.
Lush grass releases its fresh, heady scent under our feet with each step. Frogs croak around us as we amble in silence, filled with wonder at the beautiful night. From here, the castle is impressively lit, spotlights on each majestic ash tree along the grand entrance; it looks like something from a storybook. But now that we’ve turned off the lit footpath to follow the creek itself, everything is darker and a little less refined.
Clusters of reeds grow thickly, and it takes some time to find an easier route to the water’s edge. I’ve no idea if the creek is deepenough for a proper swim but that doesn’t seem to matter now. I’d splash around in a paddling pool just for a few more minutes with her.
Cielo pauses when we reach a gap in the reeds, giving me a sidelong glance. “Is this whole thing a ploy to get me undressed?”
“Don’t worry, I can’t see you in the dark, anyway.”
This earns me a flash of her teeth because obviously we can see each other just fine. Lo wrings her towel in her hands, either dreading a dip into the freezing water or hesitant to get her kit off in front of me. Definitely the latter. Murmuring water is the only sound for a few moments.
A low branch close to the water’s edge is a good place for the towels. I hang mine over it and whip my shirt off, tossing it over a bush.
“Are we going the full monty?” I ask, unfastening my belt.
“Does it really matter in pitch-black darkness?” Now she gives me a sarcastic wink and I can’t help but laugh.
“Suppose not.”
For a second, it looks like Lo will lose her nerve, but she pulls her dress over her head. The navel ring at the center of her soft belly glints in the light, and I’m reminded of her telling me about piercing it as her first small act of rebellion when she turned eighteen. A lacy bra I don’t recognize cups her full breasts. Of course she’s bought new underwear since we were together. I squash the possessive jealousy that flares through me. I’ve no right, though it doesn’t stop the feeling. This is a racy one, made to be enjoyed with the eyes, touched by the hands, stripped off by teeth. God, I want to do all those things. Though I’ve always had a soft spot for her simple cotton knickers that hugged her round arse just so.
“You okay?” she asks.
I suddenly realize that I’ve been standing here with my belt in my hand, just watching her strip, but can anyone blame me? She’s a vision. I quickly push my trousers down and then notice that I’m still wearing my shoes. I step out of them and only remember my socks when they squish against the moist soil. “Grand.”
Lo tosses her dress over a handy bush and kicks her sandals near it. She considers me for a moment. A greedy part of me hopes she’ll undress further. She doesn’t. This is enough. More than enough, more than I expected or deserve.
She steps toward the water in her knickers, and I reach my hand out to help her along the murky bank. A hiss escapes her lips when she dips her foot into the chilled water, then a bubbling laugh that breaks the tension. This is ridiculous. Two adults sneaking out in the night to wade in a little creek. Yet I’m almost as excited as I was when I performed as a headliner for the first time.
“Ahh, that’s cold!” I bark when it hits me. My dick practically inverts by the time the water is waist-height. Stones shift under our feet and make it a slow journey, which is fine by me—I want this moment to last. Cielo’s hand in mine, a smile on her face, the silver moon watching overhead.
