Page 43 of Our Secret Moments

“Doing what?”

“Clearing the area any time another guy is near me and acting like you want me all to yourself,” she says.

“Who said I’m acting?” I challenge. She barks out a laugh, rolling her pretty eyes at me. I shift in the seat of the hot tub, spreading my legs open a little. “Come here, Catherine.”

“Why? So, you can tell me how much you want me?” she mocks, tucking her wet hair behind her ear. Still, I can see thetiny movements she’s making to get closer to me. Her body wants this just as much as her brain does.

“No,” I say, shaking my head. “I want you tofeelwhat you’re doing to me, sweetheart. Then maybe you’ll see that none of this is for show.”

I shred the space between us, wrapping both of my hands around her waist and I pull her into me, settling her right on my lap. Now,thisview is fucking fantastic.

Her pretty, perfect tits are in my face now, straining behind the tiny silky material of her purple bikini. Her brown skin glimmers with droplets of water as I push her closer to me and she can feel exactly how hard I am for her. I buck my hips slightly, knowing my length will hit her core just right.

“Connor.”

The desperate sound of my name leaving her lips as she looks down at me is a sight and sound I’ve been imagining for years. I run my hands from her hips up her back until I reach her shoulders, smoothing my hands over her collarbone instead as she braces her hands on my shoulders.

“You see, Catherine, the difference between you and me is, I have a lot more self-control than you do.” I run my thumb over the material of her bikini, my thumb catches on her hard nipple and the sweetest moan leaves her lips. My dick twitches at the sound. “Do you think I’m wrong? Because I’ve spent weeks, months, fuckingyears,trying my hardest not to touch you and if I really wanted to, I could make you snap in an instant.”

She lets out another needy whimper when I graze my thumb over her nipple again. “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” she breathes out.

“Doesn’t it get tiring, pretending that you don’t want me?” I ask, lowering my mouth to her neck where her pulse is hammering. I’m so sick of this game – this back and forth.

I taste her, kissing across her neck as her body leans into mine, slowly shredding the pieces of control she has left.

Her grip on my shoulder tightens. “I’m not– I’m not pretending.”

I bite the sensitive part of her neck, my teeth sinking into her slightly and she gives me another sweet sound. “No?”

“You’re infuriating.”

I chuckle into her skin. “Tell me you’ve not thought about this. About me touching you, kissing you, having you so close to me that you can feel exactly what you’re doing to me.”

“Connor, I—”

“…Love you and that’s all I really know. I talked to your dad and…” We both freeze to see Wes who was loudly singing the Taylor Swift song he’s been obsessed with since we made that TikTok. His voice trails off as he sees us. Cat is still in my lap, my head was buried into her neck seconds ago, but of course, Wes has to ruin the moment. “Oh, my bad. I didn’t know you were–”

“Just leaving,” Cat says, climbing off my lap and stepping out of the water. I run my hands down my face, not knowing what to do or say.

“You’re coming to the game on Tuesday, right?” Wes asks and I’m grateful he can actually formulate words because all I think about is the woman leaving the tub.

“Of course,” she says before saying a quick goodbye and not giving me a second glance. Wes sighs loudly once the back door closes and slides in beside me.

“You’re playing a very dangerous game, Connie boy,” he says, shaking his head at me. “She’s your sister’sbest friend. If she finds out, she’s going to freak the fuck out.”

“She’s not going to find out anything because nothing is happening,” I mutter.

“That’s not what it looked like to me just then. I’m not an idiot,” he says. Well, he is an idiot. “All I’m saying is to be carefulwithwhateverit is that you’re doing because I will not be able to function if our system breaks down because of you.”

“What system?” I ask.

“You keep your hands off Cat and I stay away from Nora. It’s an unwritten rule.”See?He’s an idiot.

“Well, that’s bullshit because my sister has a boyfriend and Cat doesn’t,” I say, groaning.

“Right, so if Nora was single and I made a move on her you wouldn’t care?”

“She would never be single.”

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