Page 116 of What About Us
“Wrenley, get Hank to show Hudson that spitting thing you like. It’d be a nice, little warm-up. Like, diet kink.” Ginger doesn’t even look up from her phone and her voice is casual, like she’s talking about the weather.
I choke on my water and shoot Wren a look, who gapes wide-eyed at the top of Ginger’s head. “Ginger! I told you that in confidence!” she hisses, but her lips twitch with a smile.
Ginger laughs. “Oh, relax. We all know your man has a filthy mouth. It stands to reason he’d like it dirty in the sack.”
When neither of us says anything, she looks up, splitting a glance between us. “What?”
I smack Wren’s arm with the back of my hand. “Did she say ‘spit?’”
Wren sighs and I look over in time to see Ginger shrug. “What? Sounds hot as fuck.”
My head turns on a slow swivel to look back at Wren. Her expression is baffled as she cuts a glance at me. “What um… Where—” I stammer, because this is such a weird conversation. But, like, I also want to know about the spitting. “Where…does he spit?”
“The spitting is more Wren’s wheelhouse. I’m more of a pussy slap kinda gal.” Another shrug as she studies her phone.
“Pardon me?” I manage to choke out around a laugh.
“Oh, yeah,” she drawls and winks at me. “Just a quick slap right on the clit. Works like a charm.”
“Pussy Slaps and Spitting: A Beginner’s Introduction to Kinkby Ginger Westbrook,” Wren says with a cackle, and we all dissolve into laughter.
Chapter 41
Hudson
When I emerge fromthe tent after changing my clothes and checking on Paige, who’s been out for at least two hours, the fire is burning low in the pit, and it’s just Hutch and Hales left still sitting around it. The twins have likely gone to their own tent for the night, and Ginger and her boys left with Hank and Wren about an hour ago.
“Where’s Finn?” I ask, picking up and draining the rest of my beer as I look around.
Hutch tips his head in the direction of the water. “Think she went that way,” he says, poking at the dwindling fire with a long branch he’s smoothed out for a fire stirrer.
Hales gives me a small smile, her mug of spiked hot cocoa held between both hands. She looks younger than her thirty years, with her messy blond hair tied up in a lopsided bun and a blanket draped over her shoulders. We’re all sleepy and more than relaxed after a day in the sun, followed by some alcohol and a little weed we all smoked after Hank—the dad of the group—took Wrenley, Ginger, and the boys home.
I haven’t had much time to talk to Hales one-on-one since she got back from her trip a few days ago. “You have a good time in LA?”
She laughs lightly, staring down into her mug, then looks back up at me. “Yeah. The girls loved it. Thanks for the hookup with the team,” she says.
“No problem. Noah said you guys had a blast,” I say, picking up a blanket and draping it over my arm. He’d called me the other day to let me know how it went. “He said you’re welcome to tickets to a game any time.”
“Yeah, he was great,” she says, her voice sounding wistful. Hales has always been sweet. Comes with being the baby of the family.
“I’m glad they pulled out that win there at the end. It would have sucked to travel all that way to LA to watch them lose,” I say, throwing away my empty beer bottle.
“Yeah, me too,” she says and then stretches, standing up. “Well, I’m gonna hit the sack.”
After saying goodnight to both my brother and sister, I head off in the direction of the lake. The trail down is dark, with just enough moonlight shifting through the trees to see, before the shimmering lake comes into view.
Even in summer, at this elevation, it’s cool at this time of night. So, I’m glad I grabbed a blanket from one of the chairs around the fire pit. I’m sure Finn is still in her swimsuit top and jean shorts, with nothing more than flip-flops on her feet. It’s fine when we’re around the fire, but she’ll be freezing down here.
I spot her sitting on the dock in the exact spot we said ‘I do,’ with her feet tucked up underneath her, leaning back on her hands. I wonder if I’ll ever see this dock and not think of that day. I wonder if she feels the same?
She’s undone her braids, and her hair falls in a curtain over her back. A smile lights my face, because as I approach, I can see she’s wearing the hoodie I was just looking for in the tent. It looks better on her, anyway.Besides being naked and underneath me, it’s one of my favorite looks on her. God, that’s a strange but delicious thought after imagining it for so many years and having it a reality now.
She doesn’t turn to look at me or move an inch, until I drop down on the dock next to her. Then, her head automatically finds my shoulder.
“How come you’re out here all alone, pretty girl?” I ask, wrapping an arm around her and hugging her close to my side.
“I love it out here,” she says, sighing longingly.
