Jessie, who’d been sitting on the ground between Ghost’s legs, his hands running through her hair, was suddenly pulled up on his lap.
“You ready for an ice bath?” he teased.
She twisted and whispered in his ear, “You’d better have a hundred bucks in your pocket.”
She felt his body shake with his laughter. “I would if you hadn’t wanted that Starbucks on the way over here.”
“Damn,” she murmured. “I don’t want to get wet.”
He chuckled. “Then you’d better pray you pick a white or blue chip, babe.”
They sat and watched one brother after another either ante up the money or with more gusto, dump ice water on their ol’ ladies, until finally it was Ghost and Jessie’s turn. Blood held the bag over her head, grinning down at her. She dug her hand in and pulled out a blue chip.
“Fifty bucks, Ghost,” Blood announced.
Ghost dug in his pocket and peeled off a fifty, leaving him about forty remaining. Unfortunately, when Butcher saw money going back into the pockets of some of his men, he insisted they go around the circle one more time.
“Trying to clean us out, Prez?” Shades asked, laughing.
Tink shrieked when Hammer, who’d lassoed her into playing the game with him, dumped ice water down her shirt.
“Hold still, woman. There still more in the pitcher,” Hammer teased her.
Ghost leaned to whisper in Jessie’s ear, “You pick anything other than white, you’re getting an ice bath, babe.”
She gave him a stricken look.
When it was her turn again, she picked a red chip, and there were hoots and hollers as Ghost stood and grabbed up the pitcher, dunking it in the cooler.
“Come here, babe,” he said with a grin crooking his finger at her.
Jessie bit her lip and moved to stand in front of him. He stood against her back, hooking an arm around her shoulders and holding her tight. Then he poured the ice water down her front, taking his sweet time, teasing her until the last drop.
Surprising him, Jessie grabbed some of the ice chunks and whirled around shoving them down his pants.
That got his brothers to roar with laughter. After that, the other women all joined in, and it was soon a big food fight, only with ice and cups of water being thrown every which way. People began slipping on the wet grass, and soon they were all in a big pile on the lawn, laughing hysterically.
***
That night in bed, Ghost held Jessie in his arms. When they’d gotten home they’d taken a hot shower together, warming up after the chilly ride across town with wet clothes on.
Ghost rolled over, half on top of Jessie, one leg sliding between hers, gliding up and down her inner thigh as he kissed her long and deep.
She could feel his erection pressing long and hard against her belly as his mouth moved over her jaw to her neck where he latched on, sucking and making her writhe and moan.
“Ghost?”
“Hmm.” He continued sucking, licking and kissing her neck, collarbone and cleavage.
“When is the meeting with the DKs?”
That brought his head up. He stared down at her, studying her eyes. “I’m not gonna let anything happen to you, Jessie. Told you that.”
“I know, but when is it?”
The way he studied her, she knew he must have been contemplating whether or not it was wise to tell her or keep her in the dark. In the end, he must have decided he could trust her not to run off.
“Day after tomorrow. Why?”