“I hate this.” I stomped and pouted like an unruly toddler.
“It’s worth it. Trust me.”
He was right, the waterfall was stunning. The pain in my legs and my wet sticky skin took a back seat to the visual wonder before us. The roar of the water drowned everything out, including my muddled thoughts. The crystal-clear aquamarine color let you know you were in paradise. Next to the water it was at least ten degrees cooler. Aldridge stood with his hands on hiships admiring the view while holding back an I told you so. “We getting in?” he asked.
“Hell yeah we are.” We both stripped to our bathing suits and climbed in. The water was cold but refreshing after our hike. Aldridge floated on his back, Mexico agreed with him. I felt silly bringing up Tamara, not because she wouldn’t be a good match for him, but if they met and hit it off she wouldn’t know a minute of peace because I’d constantly be looking for ways to steal my man back. Aldridge with another woman was the last thing I wanted.
He motioned me forward and we swam to the massive falls. I held my breath as we passed underneath. It took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust but when they did I was treated to a cave, the water was still and clear allowing me to see all the way to the bottom.
“I like to think of the space between a waterfall as a pocket in time.” In this tiny alcove with the water thundering around us his theory seemed to hold true. From here we were hidden from the world and its expectations. “Here in this little sweet spot, we can be unapologetically who we are. So, I have to ask. Who do you want to be in this moment?
“Fearless.” My eyes shamelessly landed on his full lips.
“Let me help you with that.”
I nodded, not one hundred percent sure what I was agreeing to.
His firm yet tentative touch was all the encouragement I needed. Aldridge claimed my hand placing it over his chest and it rattled against my palm, the beats fast and erratic. I found comfort in the knowledge his nervous system was off-kilter just like mine. Bending to meet me, he dusted his lips across mine before devouring them whole. Our kisses left me possessed as every memory we ever shared came flooding back.
The soft smile he’d offered on the first day of class. A kind gesture to a stranger who was in way over her head. His body drifting into mine when we shared a laugh as if we were trading secrets. Aldi’s focused determination when he was inside me drawing out ever scream and spurring uncontrollable tremors. It all rushed back to me, memories I’d banished to the recesses of my mind were now vivid and bold. But more than that, it was the now. The way he tilted my head slightly like he wanted more, and the hitch in my breath just as my lips grazed his skin.
As I released a soft moan, I could feel his dick grow as if I’d uttered the magic words. Aldridge’s hands cupped my ass squeezing tight. His strong grip grounding me and making me feel safe. I wrapped my legs around his waist and my hips worked to give him a preview of what could be possible if we pushed past our fear. His lips took up residence in the softness of my skin. My jaw, neck, and collarbone all receiving special attention.
Approaching voices pulled us from our all-consuming desire. Aldridge released me back to the rocky surface before plunging his head under the water. When he popped back up his eyes were clear and his tone even. “We should head back.”
“Okay?” I didn’t know if I’d make it back my legs were hollow and my pussy was a wet throbbing mess. Passing back through the waterfall felt like a reset. Whatever transpired in the dim alcove was washed away by the rush of water. Aldridge helped me out and we dressed in silence. Halfway back to the villa he turned and asked. “Are you okay?”
“No.”
“I didn’t plan for that to happen. I don’t know what I’m doing Nessa.”
“And you think I do?”
“I’m just trying not to make shit complicated.”
“It’s too late for that.”
“When I said I wanted us to work on our friendship I meant that.”
“So, did I.” I wanted to scream,“What are we doing?”Aldridge’s expression was unreadable, but it felt like regret. If he thought kissing me was a mistake, then it was one that would never happen again. “Let’s just get back to the villa. I’m tired, hungry, and ready to go home.” I purposely brushed past him hoping he’d grab my arm, press me to his chest and smash his lips into mine. None of that happened. The remainder of the trek back I lagged behind solely focused on not bursting into tears.
It wasmy month to plan a team building event for the Ramblers players. I’d taken Deion’s words to heart and thought long and hard about the best activity. When the bus I rented pulled up to the building, I held my breath, now uncertain of my choice. The driver opened the doors, and the team filed out. The only direction the invitation provided was to dress comfortably and be prepared to move.
On the sidewalk I rallied the troops. “Thanks for showing up. I wanted to pick something that would allow us to relax while still providing a new experience for most. So I asked myself, Aldridge, what activity would a bunch of men in peak physical condition enjoy but also be challenged by, and I decided on Pilates.”
There were audible groans from various people in the crowd. “Are you kidding me? The last team event was ax throwing and now you’re saying I have to stretch for the next two hours?” Paxton complained.
Okay not the reaction I expected but I wasn’t going to let a few negative remarks get me down. “Yep, Pilates is actually proven to be great for professional athletes because it helps withcore strength, range of motion, muscular balance, and it can help prevent injuries by increasing flexibility.”
“Did no one tell you the rules for these events?” Colin Pratt hissed. “We’re trying to have fun not whatever the fuck this is.”
“Yeah, well I’m sorry this event doesn’t include an open bar and a bunch of barely legal women for you to run game on.”
“I’m a married man so what the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
“I don’t know ask your wife.” Colin was a known womanizer and although he had a wife and kids at home, he moved like a bachelor. Normally I didn’t give a shit what another man was doing. But I’d met his wife, and she was bubbly, outgoing, and oddly enough one of the few people who talked to me at the preseason party for staff, players, and their families. Maybe she was gauging my temperature to see what type of time I was on and how that would impact her husband which in turn would directly affect her and her family. In my book it was fuck Colin Pratt for life and any team expectations of allegiance. Because if his wife ever asked me to my face if her husband was cheating, I was snitching and offering her the contact number to a good divorce lawyer.
“Hold on, wives are off limits,” Powell said.
