“Yep.”
“I figured.”
“She’s always been mine.”
“I just assumed it’s been a while….” His voice trails off.
“When it comes to McKenna and assumptions, always assume that it’s me. Always.”
“What are you two whispering about over there?” Laramie asks from the table across from us.
“He’s trying to steal my girl,” I say, placing my arm around McKenna’s shoulders.
“Stop.” She snickers and pushes me away.
“Rope swing challenge,” Corbin says before shoving the remainder of his sandwich into his mouth.
“You know Rip’s going to win,” Russ tells him. “He always does.”
“Maybe not this time.” Corbin smiles with glee, which tells me he’s up to something.
“You been working on your technique?” I tease.
“Don’t you worry about me, Callahan.”
“What are the rules?” Josh, another friend of ours, asks.
“What are you talking about?” Stephanie, Josh’s date, asks.
“We have rope swing challenges to see who can jump the farthest into the water.”
“From where?” Stephanie asks.
“Up there.” Colby points to the huge oak tree that stands tall on the far side of the lake.
“Do you two do it?” Stephanie looks at Laramie and then McKenna.
“Yeah.” McKenna shrugs. “It’s a good time.”
“You can jump with me,” Josh assures Stephanie.
“Together?”
“Yep.” He wags his eyebrows.
“How do you get up there?” she asks, pointing toward the tree.
“We’ve created a well-worn path over the years,” Laramie tells her.
“I’m not sure I can do it.”
“It’s easy. I’ll go first.” McKenna stands and pulls her tank top over her head. I swallow my tongue as I take her in. Fuck me. She’s a goddess.
“Here.” Corbin hands me a napkin, barely containing his laughter.
I wad it up and toss it on the table. “You think you’ve still got it?” I ask McKenna as she unzips her shorts and pulls them over her legs. My eyes trail the movement like a starving man sitting in front of a steak.
“Please,” she scoffs. “I’ve got this.”
“Prove it.” I stand and pull my shirt over my head, tossing it on top of McKenna’s neatly folded clothes on the bench seat of the picnic table.
“I’m taking bets.” My sister laughs. “Mac’s got this one in the bag.”
I smile and shake my head. “You ready?” I ask McKenna.
“It’s on, Callahan.” She grins and takes off running toward the tree.
I sprint after her. Getting close, I wrap my arm around her waist and sling her up on my shoulder as I run the rest of the way to the tree. She’s laughing and playfully swatting at my back. I grip the backs of her thighs, and my hands itch to explore her silky-smooth skin.
When we reach the tree, I slowly slide her down from my shoulder, letting every inch of her press against every hard inch of me. No, I’m not talking about my abs. Her eyes are wide as she stares up at me. Her hair has fallen into her eyes from her ride hanging upside down on my shoulder. I tuck the loose strands behind her ear. “Jump with me.”
“W-What?”
She knows me too well, aware my words have a double meaning. I want her to jump into this with me. I want her to be mine. Fuck, I want to be hers. I want to see where this goes.
“The rope.”
“Oh.” Her face falls.
“Hey.” I cradle her face in the palm of my hands. “That too,” I whisper, leaning in close. I’m going to kiss her. After all this time, I’m going to make my intentions known to the girl who stole my heart when I was nine years old.
“What are you waiting on?” Corbin calls out.
“Fucking Corbin,” I grumble, resting my forehead against hers. “Jump with me?” I ask again, trying to gain my composure.
“Okay.”
Bending, I place my hands on her waist. “On the count of three,” I say as I count off. When I get to three, I lift as she jumps and wraps her legs around my waist. My cock is hard and throbbing as she settles against me.
“Rip,” she moans my name, and I debate stalking off into the field and having my way with her. If it weren’t for the fact that I refuse for our first time to be in a damn wheat field, I would do just that.
I crave her.
Instead of ravishing her like I want, I ignore the fact that my cock is resting just between her thighs. I ignore the fact that there are two very thin pieces of clothing separating me from the promised land. “You ready?” I croak.
She nods.
“Hold onto me. Whatever you do, don’t let go.”
“Are you sure this thing will hold both of us?” she asks, staring up at the rope.
“You’ve seen couples do this countless times.”
“That was a long time ago.”
“I replaced the rope a few weeks ago. It’s strong and secure. I promise.” I press my nose against hers. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“Okay. Let’s do it.” Her voice is full of conviction. I want to beat on my chest that she’s put her absolute trust in me.
“Getting old over here, Callahan!” Russ calls out.
Standing to my full height, I place my hands on the small of her back and pull her closer. “Lock your legs tight,” I say as I grab the rope. “Ready?”
“Ready.”
Tightening my grip, I rush toward the ledge, and we’re flying over the lake. I release the rope and immediately wrap my arms around her. The water hits my back, and it feels like a knife, but the shrill sound of her laughter and the way she clings to me even after we hit the water is more than worth it. We surface, and I tread water to keep us afloat.
“Well?” I ask her.
“You kept me safe.”
“Always, Kenna.” I press my lips to her forehead just in time for her to release herself from my hold and swim toward the bank. I follow after her, only at a much slower pace, giving my cock time to settle. When I reach the bank, she’s standing there with a towel over her shoulders, handing one out for me.
“Rip!” I turn over my shoulder to see Corbin, Colby, Josh, and Russ up on the hill by the swing. “Get your ass back up here.”
I wave, then turn back to McKenna. “You good?”
“Yeah. I’m going to soak up some sunshine.”
“Hold on a sec.” I run over to the lawn chair, where I dropped the quilt, and grab it, bringing it back to where she’s standing. Spreading the blanket out on the grass, I retrieve her bag, our clothes, and a bottle of water from the cooler. “Here.” I hand her the water before placing our things on the blanket.
Her eyes flash to our clothes and back to me.
“You need help with your sunscreen?” I ask her.
“No. I think I’m good. You going to show them how it’s done?” She nods toward the rope swing.
“Depends? You want me to sit with you?”
Her smile is bright and beautiful. “Go have fun. Just be safe?”