Chapter Forty-One RHETT

Twenty minutes later and we’re in the hot tub with Iris and Brooks, who are both watching us with suspicious gleams in their eyes, sharing secret looks with each other every few minutes. They are sitting across from us, the warm water bubbling all around us, the lights from within the tub changing colors every few seconds.

Any remnants from the birthday party are gone, like it never even happened. The house is mostly quiet. No one else is outside with us. All is peaceful tonight, including me. Everything just feels right in this moment and I fucking love it.

Willow is planted firmly at my side, wearing another swimsuit. It’s hot pink, not as skimpy as the green one she wore earlier, but it’s still giving me all sorts of ideas. Those strings everywhere that I can undo. At her neck and back. Upon each hip. A few tugs and she’d be naked, and fuck, I’d like to see that.

Not right now though. With Iris and Brooks as our audience. No thank you.

“You two were gone a long time,” Iris says, not about to let this situation go. “What were you up to, hmm?”

“Like I’m going to tell you.” Willow cuts her hand through the bubbling water, splashing Iris who only laughs. “You’ve disappeared with Brooks today more often than not.”

“That’s because I’m letting him fuck me every chance he gets,” Iris says with a straight face.

Brooks says nothing. Just slides down the side of the hot tub, submerging himself completely underwater.

“You’re embarrassing him,” Willow chastises right as Brooks’s head pops back up, water streaming down his face. He scrubs a hand across his mouth, sliding it up to push his hair back.

“It’s cool. Whatever.” Brooks leans back, spreading his arms out wide across the edge of the hot tub, his fingers toying with Iris’s hair. There’s an ease about them that makes me think they might’ve established what they are to each other, but who knows. They could be living in a bubble this weekend, and come Monday, it’ll be back to reality. Back to Iris ignoring him or treating him like garbage, and Brooks begging for scraps.

I send a quick glance in Willow’s direction, noting the contented expression on her face. I hope like hell that won’t happen to us, but it could. There’s something going on with Will, and she’s not telling me what it is. I don’t want to get too bogged down in those details either. Making myself depressed is not the move at the moment.

Guess I’ll wait until we’re back at campus. Maybe both Brooks and I are going to get dumped on our asses.

“You’re quiet.” Iris points at me, a smirk on her face.

“And?” I ask, keeping my voice even. Iris loves to call out people and make them squirm. I’m not falling for her shit.

“You’re too quiet.” She turns her fingers into a gun, making like she’s going to shoot me. “I don’t trust boys who are quiet.”

“I’m quiet,” Brooks reminds her.

“No, you’re really not.” Forgetting all about me, Iris turns her back on us and climbs onto Brooks’s lap, rolling her hips against him. I swear Brooks’s eyes practically roll into the back of his head. “Sometimes you’re a little too loud, Brooksie.”

Willow and I share a look and I grab her by the waist, making her squeal when I haul her into my lap, though I don’t have her straddle me.

That’ll send me straight into Bonerville.

“Do you think they’re going to have sex in the hot tub with us?” I wrap my arms around Willow and hold her close, my mouth close to her ear as I whisper my question.

“I hope not,” she whispers back, sounding vaguely horrified. “That is something I don’t want to witness.”

“We can hear you,” Iris calls, her back still to us as she basically humps Brooks. “And no, I’m not going to fuck him in the hot tub. Not with you guys in it. Gross.”

Willow glances up at me and I can’t help myself—I kiss her. She responds automatically, her lips parting, allowing my tongue entry, which I take. I don’t mean to get carried away but I do, and the next thing I know, my hand is beneath her bikini top, my fingers pinching her nipple—

“We can see you too,” Iris calls. “Stop mauling her, Bennett.”

I release my hold on Willow’s nipple, removing my hand from her top completely while she readjusts it. “Sorry.”

“I got carried away too,” Willow murmurs, her entire face pink but I can’t tell if that’s from embarrassment or the steamy heat of the water.

“Ah, young love,” Iris singsongs, leaning back against Brooks’s arm. Her gaze shifts to me. “You better not break her heart.”

“I think she’s the one who’s going to end up breaking mine,” I drawl, dragging Willow closer to me. Her butt is nestled perfectly against my junk and I can still see it in my mind. Curvy and round and utterly squeezable. I didn’t squeeze it enough when I had it bared in front of me earlier. Hopefully I can rectify that later.

“No, I won’t,” Willow says, but her voice is weak and I can’t tell if she really means it or not.

I’d prefer to pretend she totally means it. That she won’t destroy me because she could now. After what we shared, after what we did—I’m a goner. There will be no one else who could even spark my interest. All that matters is her.

We make small talk for a while and eventually, Iris brings the bottle of champagne out of hiding. Brooks opens it, the cork shooting into the air, making Iris squeal, and then she’s drinking straight from the bottle, guzzling it before she hands it over to Brooks.

Once he’s done, he passes it to Willow, who slowly shakes her head. “No, thank you.”

I don’t push Willow into taking a drink. I’m not about to make her uncomfortable. Instead, I take the bottle from her and take a long pull, the bubbles tickling my throat, the slightly bitter yet crisp taste lingering on my tongue.

“Why aren’t you drinking?” Iris asks as she takes the bottle from me.

“I don’t know.” Willow shrugs, her gaze going to mine before skittering away. “I don’t want to forget anything about tonight.”

Iris grins. Brooks acts like he didn’t hear her.

I gawk at her like an idiot, oddly touched.

She doesn’t want to forget a single detail about this night with me, which reveals more than what she could ever say with words. She wants to remember this night, this moment.

I do too.

When the bottle is returned to me, I take a small sip, nuzzling my face against Willow’s once I’ve passed the champagne on to her cousin.

“I don’t want to forget anything either,” I tell her, my voice low, my words sincere. I hope she realizes it.

Willow turns in my arms, facing me, her lips right at level with mine. Brooks turns up the speed on the hot tub, the bubbles coming louder and faster, and I realize I can’t hear a damn word they’re saying.

Not that they’re talking to us. No, currently Iris and Brooks are wrapped around each other, full-on making out. I saw tongues and everything.

“Maybe we should leave so they can have some alone time.” Willow sounds amused, though her gaze is vaguely worried.

I’m sure she doesn’t want to witness anything either.

“We probably should,” I agree, wrapping my arm around her shoulders. Her skin is smooth and wet, and I’d give anything to slowly strip her of the sexy bikini and worship her with my hands. My mouth. I’d go down on her if she let me. Eat that sweet little pussy until she was crying out, grinding her juicy cunt on my mouth and chin, her fingers tugging on my hair.

I’d do anything to make that fucking happen.

“There are towels in that deck box right over there.” Willow inclines her head to just behind me and I look over at where she indicated, noticing the box. “We could run over there, grab some towels and go.”

We both swivel our heads in the direction of Brooks and Iris, who are still wrapped up in each other. They’re not noticing shit.

“Let’s do it,” I tell Willow.

Within seconds we’re out of the hot tub, both of us shivering as she leads the way to the deck box. She flips open the top, pulling out thick, cream-colored towels, and hands one to me before she wraps herself up in one. They’re huge, giving me the coverage I want since it’s cold as balls out here and I’m shivering.

“Can we go into the house like this?” I ask. We’re dripping wet.

“No one minds. Besides, we might dry off some by the time we’re inside,” Willow says. “Come on.”

Within minutes we’re creeping up the stairs, my heart in my throat because I don’t know what she’s going to do or say next. Tell me good night and go back to the room she shares with Iris? Follow me and let me guide her back into the guest room I’m staying in?

If she chooses the latter, she has to know what might happen. We might not do the actual deed yet, but I’m going to do something to her again. Whether it’s with my fingers or my mouth or my dick, I’m going to make this girl come again.

I’m dying to.