She tasted of the lemonade and of deeper, darker things, at odds with her usual sweet demeanor. Flynn sank into the taste of her, hauling her tighter against his body as need welled up to join with want, sparking urgency in his veins. And still he kept himself leashed, fought to maintain control. This was all for her. About her.
That was harder to remember as she wrapped one leg around his. He reached down, urging her leg higher, wrapping it tighter around him as he angled to press his erection into her hips. Pru whimpered, moving against him in a rhythm that made him half mad. He ran his hand up the warm, bare flesh, beneath the hem of her dress and higher, until he palmed that glorious ass. She moaned, pressing closer, until he was thinking three steps ahead, struggling to work through the logistics of getting her naked. Against a tree? God no. She deserved better that. But Jaysus, he needed some leverage.
There was a series of wide, flat rocks around the pool. Maybe he could get down on one. As the thought tried to form, he slid his hand lower, stroking over the silk between her legs to find it drenched.
Holy Mary, Mother of God.
Encouraged by her gasp, he nudged the silk aside and traced her bare flesh.
“Flynn!” Her cry was part shock, part demand.
He could do this, would do this, to give her pleasure and buy himself a little more time to think about how he was going to make love to her as she deserved out here, with no towels, no blankets, nothing to soften the ground. He slid one finger a scant inch inside her—
The snap of a breaking branch had him freezing.
“Wha—”
“Shh!” he hissed, listening.
Muffled voices had him hastily removing his hand, straightening her skirt. He tugged her into the trees, opposite the trail they’d come in on. They’d barely slipped out of sight before another couple came off the trail. The bridesmaid dress identified the woman as one of Pru’s sisters. Athena? Who the hell was she with?
Athena turned toward the guy beside her. “So how ’bout it, farmer boy? Are you up for a swim?”
“Is that a trick question?”
The deep, rich voice sounded amused.
Pru gasped, “Logan?” She promptly clapped a hand over her own mouth.
But neither her sister nor Xander’s other groomsman appeared to have heard a thing. They were both too intent on stripping down.
Flynn brought his mouth to Pru’s ear. “Time to go.”
As silently as possible, they picked their way through the trees, back to the trail. A splash of water and laughter made it evident Athena and Logan hadn’t heard.
As soon as they were out of earshot, Pru blew out a breath. “I seriously may cry.” She folded both arms across her middle, her face a mask of unsated misery.
Flynn adjusted his trousers, which were well past the point of uncomfortable. “Would it have been better if we hadn’t heard them and they knew we were down there and why?”
“I don’t know.” She threw her head back and stared up at the sky. “God, I just wanted one night. Not even a full night. An hour for myself. And I can’t even have that.”
Her frustration was palpable, and it ripped at him.
Flynn caught her arm, turned her toward him. “You deserve far more than hour.”
“Yeah, well, the Universe disagrees.” She gestured back toward Opal Springs.
“We have time. I’m not going anywhere just yet. And everyone else will be gone tomorrow.”
“Ari won’t.”
“We’ll figure something out,” he promised.
“Sure.” Pru turned away, clearly not believing him.
They headed back to the reception in silence, Flynn trying to come up with a plan the entire way. Parents had been having sex with children in the house since the beginning of time. There had to be a way to work this.
The party was still rocking and rolling, the crowd having barely thinned in their absence. As they wove their way through the tables at the edges of the dance floor, Ari bounced over.