At the edge I made my way down slowly. It was about eight feet from the bank to the water at this point, with the embankment sloping steeply downwards, and after the rain we’d had yesterday and early morning, it was muddy as hell.
About a foot away, I looked at her and could see how cold she was, not to mention frightened.
“Phoenix. Be careful.”
“No sweat,” I said, realizing I was going to be getting wet.
“I’m coming, but I need to get in the water to get a proper hold on you. One minute, then I’ll have you back in my arms, and you’re never leaving again. No matter how much I piss you off, you’re not going anywhere. Is that understood?”
A frightened chuckle escaped her lips, “Yes Phoenix.”
That’s my girl, I thought with pride. “I like that kind of response.”
I slid into the water to the side of her, trusting everyone up top to have a proper hold on the rope; I grabbed her around the waist and wrapped her up in my arms. She cried out and wrapped her arms around my neck, holding on real tight.
“I love you, Phoenix, so much.”
“Marry me,” I blurted out. “I love you. I’d planned on asking you later. I didn’t mean to blurt it out while you’re freezing to death.”
“Yes. Yes I’ll marry you. Now will you get me out of here.”
With a quick kiss on her lips I felt a tug on the rope. “Wrap your legs around me.”
“I can’t. My dress.”
I’d forgotten she was wearing a bridesmaid dress. “Okay babe. Hold on, while I lift your dress.” I chuckled in her ear.
“You can lift my dress anytime, just hurry up.”
With her holding on tight, I grabbed her ass and quickly tried to raise her soaked dress enough to enable her legs to go around me. “It’d be easier if we ditched the dress.”
She groaned into my neck.
“What the fuck is going on down there?” Ryder shouted.
“I need her to hold on, but her dress is weighing us down.”
“Then take it off and get up here.”
“I can’t. I’m only wearing a thong,” she cried.
Fuck. “Ryder.” I shouted up to him. “Hold tight. I’m taking my shirt off.”
I wrapped Thalia’s arms around a root, then with great difficulty removed my shirt and left it on a higher root. I grabbed hold of Thalia again, and when she was in my arms I unzipped her dress, and managed to pull the bodice free, pushing it down past her hips. As soon as her legs were free of the confines, she wrapped her legs around me. I put my hands on her butt. Fuck. Very naked butt and hoisted her up.
“I’ve got you, but you need to grab the shirt and get it on.”
Once she had the shirt on, the guys pulled us up the bank. Donovan tried to pry her away from me, but I was having none of it.
“Jack. Let her go and unfasten the rope for fuck’s sake,” Donovan shouted.
“It’s okay Phoenix. Let me go. I’m not going anywhere without you. I promise.” Thalia gave me a quick kiss.
I reluctantly let Donovan take her from me, and glared at him while he held her in his arms with a large grin on his face. “Just remember whose girl she is.”
“How could I forget?”
I growled and quickly removed the rope, then grabbed my girl back into my arms.