While he continued to touch, I wondered how he knew my body so well in such a short amount of time. I dropped my head forward as twinges zipped through me when his breath hit my ear. “No, you look at me.”
My breathing hastened as I kept my eyes on his reflection in the mirror. I attempted to turn and face him but failed again.
“I want to see your eyes, and I want you to see mine.” He hissed the words in my ear. “The one who can make you crazy. Just like you make me.”
As if my body was under his control, it happened again. I swore I’d melt into a puddle on the floor. He turned me toward him and kissed me so tenderly that dizziness kicked in.
My soul cried when he pulled away before opening a drawer, grabbing a box of bandages along with a tube of antibacterial ointment. I think I was half-conscious as he applied the ointment and wrapped the bandage around my finger.
“There.” He kissed the tip of my nose before pulling the door open and looking at his watch. “Look at that…seven minutes on the nose.” He winked. “I’ll head back and tell them you got a phone call and will be out in a few.”
With that, he disappeared from sight while I sat on the edge of the tub, trying to pull myself together. Holy macaroni.
The bitter air slammed against my face as I made my way back to the ice shack. I straightened my hair in hopes of not having I just made out with Fern written on me.
I couldn’t wrap my mind around whatever the hell she was doing to me, and the panic that clouded half my brain at the thought of next week, and every week, without being close to her. The other half had a tantrum and refused to deal.
I don’t do feelings, and I sure as shit know I can’t deal with loss. Maybe it was losing my mom and then Amy so close to each other, but I couldn’t risk it. I had to pull my act together and push the feeling stuff out of my head. I couldn’t go down that track again.
Perspective…all I needed was perspective. Right? Mental reminder: we’re on a weekend pass. I’ve had a shameful amount of hook ups, and that’s what this was. We’re both in, and come Sunday, we’re both out with zero hang-ups.
I entered the shack that was cozy with so many bodies and a crackling fire in the corner stove.
Rachel handed me a beer. “So Fern’s okay?”
“Yes, she got a call, should be in soon, I guess.” There, I was calm and collected. Until she walked in and sucked all the H2O out of the room. Clearly, my self-control had taken a hike as I couldn’t stop staring at her pink lips and the cheeks that were still a little rosy from our bathroom session.
“Gabe.”
I jumped, realizing that Ed was having a conversation with me. “Yes, brother, what do you need?”
“Do you have a knife? My line is all jacked up.”
“Sure.” I reached in my coat pocket and pulled out my knife at the same time ten tampons dropped onto the floor from the bar. Well, shit.
Ed narrowed his eyes. “Dude.”
That was when Katie burst into laughter and pointed, ensuring all eyeballs shot to me while Fern covered her mouth.
Here goes nothing. “Yeah, I, uh. These were on sale.” I bent down and scooped up the tampons. “Yes, they were on sale, and I wanted to make sure you gals were covered. Ya know, just in case.” Gulp. “I wanted to be a good host.” I started this shit show, and I was sticking to it. Pam gave me a side-eye as I put some tampons in her hand. The room remained still so I grabbed a few more from my pocket and placed some in the hands of Liv and Katie before shooting them a thumbs-up sign. “You are welcome.”
Katie stood and nodded. “Well, thank you, Gabe, for the um, feminine ammo. Points for an unexpected party gift.”
“How about we all meet in the hot tub in twenty minutes?” Pam stood and pulled her gloves on.
The images of my last spin around the hot tub and where that led swirled through my mind.
Then she spoke, and I was unable to take my eyes off the mouth that I knew tasted like cherries. “Does anyone have a swimsuit I can borrow?”
Liv stood and grabbed her hand. “I do. Come on.”
I sat with the fellas in the steam as the ladies entered the four-season porch. Fern had her long hair twisted in a bun on the top of her head. When she slipped out of her cardigan, my eyes landed on a purple bikini top that fit her like a glove. She wore boy shorts on the bottom that highlighted her sexy legs. The curve of her shoulder, the delicate tattoo, and that perfect chest were almost too much. All I wanted to do was touch her.
Ed splashed water at me as his head pointed to Dave who was chatting with Dan. “Dude.”
I spoke quietly. “What? I just like purple. I’m a diehard Viking fan.” Ugh.
His nod warned me. “Watch it, bro.”
