“Whoa.” I stop and stare. “What are you wearing?”
She runs her hand over the sheer dress covering a tiny two-piece swimsuit. “A bathing suit.”
“We don’t have a pool. Where are you planning to swim?”
“You don’t like it? I got it for our honeymoon but thought I’d try it out now.” She gestures toward the kitchen window. Sunlight streams in, bathing the room in a warm morning glow. “I was just going to sit outside for a few minutes and get a little sun.”
“Sun? Sunshine, you burn like a marshmallow.”
“I know. But last night when we moved the party out to the bonfire, we were talking and Trinity said she read this article about women who don’t get enough vitamin D can have fertility problems and…” Her voice trails off and her bright smile fades.
“Hey.” I curl my hands over her hips and pull her close. “You worried about that?”
“Well, I’m in my cave-like office all day.” She flicks her wrist toward the clubhouse. “All the parties are at night. I don’t know.”
I curl my fingers around her wrist and shift her hand to my cock. “You need vitamin D, all you gotta do is ask, Sunshine.”
Sweet laughter explodes out of her, and I recite a quick prayer of thanks that my corny horndog jokes still crack her up. “That’s better.”
She leans into me, pressing her palms against my chest, and stares up. “Want to sunbathe with me? I know you work outside all the time but—”
“I’d love nothing more.” I slide my hand down her back and squeeze her ass. “Especially if you’re in this.” I take her hand and run my thumb over her engagement ring. Can’t wait to add a wedding band. Already bought it. “Trin said you’re thinking of a white wedding dress?”
Her eyebrows pinch together. “Too traditional? It’s stupid, right? It’ll get dirty, and—”
“Stop. Wear whatever you want. You’ll be beautiful.” I pull back and run my gaze over her. “You look hot in white.”
Her smile returns. I rest a finger under her chin and tip her head up. “I like seeing my girl happy.”
“I’m happy.” She slides her arms around my waist and squeezes. “You make me very happy.”
“Are you relieved everything’s out in the open and we don’t have to censor ourselves anymore?”
“Honestly, yes.”
“I’m sorry I made you do that.”
Her mouth slips into a serious line. “I’d do anything for you, Marcel.”
I pat her butt again. “I’m going upstairs to change. Meet you outside?”
“Deal.”
Upstairs, I find a pair of swim trunks I haven’t used since our visit to National. Damn shame it’s been that long since I’ve seen Charlotte prance around in a bathing suit.
I find her on a lounge chair underneath the pergola Murphy helped me install. She has the netting on all four sides open, but the thing still has a roof. “How is that getting you any vitamin D?” I ask.
She shields her eyes and glances up at me. “The sun. It burns.”
Shaking with laughter, I drop onto her chair next to her. It’s sturdy. Meant for two people. We’ve put it to the test plenty of times.
Farther back in the yard, the chickens cluck and warble. Wind rustles through the forest, swaying the branches of a pine tree that’s closer to us than I prefer. I should go get my chainsaw and take that fucker down.
Not today.
I lay back and stretch my arm out, encouraging Charlotte to snuggle closer. Normally, I’d feel like a lazy son of a bitch, sitting around doing nothing during the day. But spending time with Charlotte—actual moments where we can talk, connect, and just be together—is rare, so I soak up every second. “Sunbathing in New York isn’t quite the same as Mississippi.”
“No. My God. I thought that was the thirteenth circle of hell, it was so hot.”
“You’re not going to like where I’m going to suggest we honeymoon, then.”
“Let me guess,” she says in a dry tone. “Somewhere with lax banking laws in the southern hemisphere.”
I grin and hug her tighter. “This is why we’re so perfect together.”
“Rock and Hope got to go to Hawaii.” She pouts. “Wrath and Trinity went to Belize.”
“Belize might work.” I tease my fingers over the tops of her breasts, ready to burst out of the skimpy suit top. “I’ll need to hire a very private villa or something. Can’t have anyone else seeing you in this.”
She tips her head down. “Steer implied I was getting fat last night.”
Rage drowns out all the other noises around us for a second. “He did what?”
She relays the story and I wonder if Rooster and Shelby are having a similar conversation this morning.
“Then Jiggy threatened to spill his guts on the floor and Steer left.”
“What a jackass.” I rest my hand over her belly button. “I’m sorry.”
“We were thinking he must already have his head in Tennessee since he’s moving there soon.”
“Yeah, well, pissing off all his brothers up here isn’t the smartest move. Deadbranch will probably be the first charter Priest sends Rooster to investigate when he’s on the road this summer.”
“Have you ever thought about moving to one of the other charters?”
“What? No. My whole family…everything is here.”
“I know.” She tips her head down. “I was just wondering.”
I slide my hand lower. “You know what I was wondering?”
Her hips shift as if her body knows the answer to my question. “No, what?”
“If I can make you come just by rubbing your little clit through your swimsuit.” I lean in and press a kiss to her cheek. “What do you think?”
“No,” she whispers. “I don’t want to traumatize Carter again. He just recovered from the last time he caught us out here.”
“Try again, Sunshine. He’s not home. I checked.”
“But—”
“He’s booked up at Bronze’s all day. Then headed to Bianca’s.”
A light breeze rustles through the tall pine trees, emphasizing how peaceful it is outside.
I leave my hand resting against her stomach, the tips of my fingers millimeters from the edge of her bikini bottoms. “May I?”
Her chest rises and falls faster. “May you what?”
I stroke my middle finger lightly against her soft skin, showing her exactly what I want to do. Her nipples press into hard little points against the thin white fabric. I drop my head and wrap my lips around one, sucking through the material.
She gasps. “Marcel.”
I release her nipple. “What’s it going to be, Charlotte? Under or over?” I tease my fingers along the elastic waistband and her legs fall open. “Not good enough. Say it.”
“Say what?” The corners of her mouth twitch.
I slide my hand up over her belly to cup her breast and flick my thumb over her nipple.
“Oh,” she moans.
“You want more?”
“Yes.”