Page 13 of Skid
She flipped her hand at him, rolling her eyes and scoffing. “Please. You can’t make it one day without me and you know it.”
He laughed at her silliness, and I could feel her anxiety lessen the longer we sat on the porch. Eddie was able to pull her from the darkness that overtook her, and I was going to have to talk to him if I wanted to learn how to pull her back into the light. He may tell me to go to hell, but I hoped he saw that I only wanted to help her.
Grace stood from her chair and looked at us. “I’m going to start dinner. You two need anything?”
We both shook our heads, and she smiled before walking inside. A radio turned on from the kitchen, and I could see her through the doorway as she began to prep the meal. I looked at Eddie and spoke quietly, not wanting her to hear me.
“Can I stop by tomorrow and talk to you about something private?”
He eyes me up and down before leaning in. “I’ve never seen her take to anyone as quickly as she’s taken to you, so I’m going to say this once. If you’re just trying to get into her pants, leave now and don’t bother that sweet girl ever again. If your motives are less than pure where she’s concerned, she will cut you off and never give anyone else the chance to get to know her. Do not damage her. She deserves more than that.”
“I meant what I said last night. I won’t hurt her or any woman. I’m not looking for something quick. I’m looking for forever.”
“Then I’ll see you at noon tomorrow,” he replied and stood from the chair to stretch his back.
Eddie walked inside, and a minute later, Grace walked out with a puzzled look on her face. “He said to take the boat out while he’s cooking and not to bother him while he works his magic.”
“Do you feel like going on a boat ride?” I asked, and she looked over her shoulder before turning back to me.
“I guess so.”
Extending my hand toward the water, I instructed, “Lead the way.”
We walked an overgrown path to the water and tucked to the side was a small dock with a pontoon boat tied up. She climbed on board, and I followed, helping her untie the mooring lines and pushing the floating party barge away from the shore. She took the wheel and started the motor before turning the boat and motoring into the river.
The sun was warm, and I removed my cut, gently placing it over a chair near the wheel. She looked at me, and for the first time, I could see desire staring back at me as she took in my toned arms covered in ink. Needles did the work on my sleeves, and from her gaze, she appreciated my ink.
“There’s extra swim trunks under the seat if you want to change. Don’t worry, I won’t look.”
Swim trunks sounded nice, so I stepped behind her and whispered, “You can look all you want.”
She blushed and tucked her chin down as I lifted the bench seat and pulled out a pair of shorts. Looking around the river, there was one other boat on the water, but they were far enough away not to be able to see me, so I kicked off my boots and pushed my jeans down my legs. The trunks were a little tight in the front, so I left my shirt on, hoping to hide the embarrassing hard-on I’d been fighting since the first moment I laid eyes on Grace.
When I was redressed, I approached her. “I can take the wheel if you want to get changed.”
She looked over her shoulder at me and her blue eyes twinkled in the early afternoon sun. “Thanks.”
I fought to keep my eyes straight as I heard her open and close the seat. I wanted to see her beautiful perfection but wasn’t going to ogle her, so I slowed the boat and waited for her to signal she was dressed. Her small body stepped up beside me and she was wearing a black one-piece suit and a pair of shorts. Her pert breasts pushed against the top and her hard nipples poked through the material.
I slid to the side, and she took the wheel as I settled in next to her. She maneuvered the boat down the river and into the lake before parking us under some shade trees and tossing the anchor. She reached into a cooler and pulled out two bottles of water before handing me one. We moved into the sun, and she stretched her legs out across the bench as we sipped on our drinks.
The sun shining on her hair gave her an angelic glow, and I wanted nothing more than to kiss her, to feel her lips pressed to mine. She was beautiful without a stitch of makeup on, and I could only imagine how sexy she would look in a pair of leather pants and a Death Hounds tank top, professing her commitment to me.
I was putting the cart well before the horse, so I placed my drink down and looked at her. “You’re beautiful, Grace.”
“Thank you,” she muttered and bit into her lip. “You said you were in town for business?” she asked, and I nodded. “What kind of business are you in, or is that something I’m not allowed to ask?”
“I work for Callahan Cyber Security as a code writer and do odd jobs for the club when needed.” My answer was vague but honest.
“I’ve heard of Callahan Cyber. That’s an impressive job,” she commented , and I shrugged, not used to anyone being impressed with me.
We sunbathed, and when it got too hot, we jumped into the lake, cooling off and splashing water on each other. We laughed and smiled so much, I feared my cheeks would hurt the next day. When it was time to return to Eddie’s for dinner, she let me drive while she kicked back in the captain’s seat and instructed me on which way to take the boat.
Eddie was sitting on the back porch when we returned and walked down to the dock to help secure the boat. He kissed Grace on the cheek before she walked to the house to change, leaving him and me alone.
“She looks happier than I’ve ever seen her.”
“I hope so. I want to keep that smile on her beautiful face.
