It’s both a blessing and a curse.
My brain can’t make up its mind because my body wants every inch of her.
I know the risks and still…I struggle with setting boundaries.
“Can we please go to the beach today?” She sticks out her bottom lip, folding her hands and pleading. “It’s the Fourth of July. You can’t deny me on a holiday.”
I arch a brow, trying to hold my stance while she looks up at me with sweet, innocent eyes.
“It’s risky,” I remind her.
“Life is full of risks,” she retorts with a grin. “I could slip walking up the stairs, smack my head, bleed out, and die. So keeping me inside doesn’t stop me from getting hurt.”
“Jesus, you’re morbid.”
“And considering my clumsy ass, it’s actually possible.”
I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. “Alright, fine—”
“Ahhh! Yay! Oh my God, I’m so excited!” She rushes toward me, wrapping her arms around my waist.
“But there are rules,” I tell her, pulling her back.
She rolls her eyes. “Of course.”
“You stay within five feet of me at all times. I’m bringing my gun, and if I tell you it’s time to go, your ass books it without argument. Got it?”
She gives me a salute. “Yes, sir.”
I shake my head at her sassiness but secretly enjoy it.
“I’m gonna change! Make us some sandwiches!” she calls out and rushes to her room.
I nod, hoping I haven’t made a horrible mistake.
“Oh my God…I’m in heaven,” Piper moans as she lies on a beach towel, soaking up the sun that’s beaming on us.
Since it’s a private beach, most people are residents of the area or locals boating on the water. But regardless, I’m constantly checking our surroundings.
“Would you mind putting sunscreen on my back? I wanna flip over but don’t wanna burn.”
I swallow hard at the thought of touching her. By the glimmer in her eyes, she knows damn well what she’s doing by asking.
But as usual, I struggle telling her no.
“Sure.” I grab the bottle as she rolls over.
“Can you untie it for me first?”
I stifle a groan. “Yeah.”
Leaning over, I unknot the strings, then brush my fingers over her soft skin. She rests her cheek on her forearms and closes her eyes, giving me full access to her body. I rub the lotion in my palms, then start at her shoulders and work my way down.
“Oh my God, your hands feel amazing,” she whimpers. “It’s been too long since I’ve gotten a massage.”
“You get them often?”
“Usually once a week.”
“Wow, so you’re going through withdrawals,” I tease.
“Shut up.” She smirks. “I usually have knots in my neck and shoulders from being on my laptop so much. The hot stones are my favorite.”
“Want me to find some seashells and scrape them over you?” I mock teasingly, rubbing her lower back.
“You’re so rude!” She bellows out a laugh, slightly sitting up so she can smack me. As she does, her bikini top falls and reveals her bare breasts.
She catches me staring but doesn’t hurry to cover herself. Instead, she watches for a reaction, but I don’t give her one.
“Do you want your legs done too?” I ask instead.
“Sure.” She lies flat, and I re-tie her top before continuing.
I dig my fingers into her thighs, brushing the bottoms of her ass cheeks as I massage the sunscreen in. Her breath hitches as I slide a hand between her thighs, and she spreads them so I can get the inside of her leg.
Slowly, I move down to her ankles, taking much longer than needed, but I can’t stop. Touching her like this, seemingly innocently, is anything but. Piper’s made it clear she wants to cross the line, and I’d be lying if I said I could resist her for much longer.
“If you weren’t stuck here with me, what would you normally do for the Fourth of July?” I ask as I press my fingers into the pad of her foot.
“Probably go to a huge party at the Hampton’s. Boating, drinking, the usual twenty-one-year-old shit,” she states.
“Would you film it?”
“Some of it, like packing my bag and picking out my clothes for the week, maybe a swimsuit haul, then probably the drive there with a few friends. Stuff that’d bore you, I’m sure.”
I chuckle. “Most likely.”
Just another reminder of our age gap and how different our lives are.
“It probably wouldn’t be as fun as it’d look, though. I don’t really have close friends. It’d be all for publicity and photos.”
“How come?”
“I don’t trust anyone long enough to let them in because I’ve been screwed over and taken advantage of too much. Learned that the hard way when I was in high school. Then as I got older and grew my platform, girls used me to climb the social ladder. They’d tell me what I want to hear, then turn against me.”
My brows raise, anger fueling my blood as I think about the assholes who did her dirty. “Wow, I’m sorry to hear that. I had no idea it was that bad for you.”