Page 83 of Here & Now

“Your favorite neighbor is right here, and the lights are off in the other house.”

An elderly couple lived to the right of her grandparents’ house, and he rarely saw them outside. They were probably sound asleep by now. He dropped her hand and started stripping, chuckling at her panicked expression.

“Haven’t you ever done this before?” he said as he stepped out of his shorts and underwear.

She stared at his nakedness and licked her lips. “Um, once, but not here! It was in a lake a long, long time ago. My friends dared me.”

Grinning, he came closer and reached for the tie on her robe. “I promise it will be a lot more fun this time.”

She peered up at him, her expression a mix of uncertainty and anticipation. “Okay.”

He untied the robe and spread it open. Then he let out a long, low whistle.

“Shh!” she scolded.

“I couldn’t help it. I will never get tired of seeing you like this.”

Her nipples were puckered, and her pale skin like a beacon in the dark. A light breeze ruffled her already disheveled hair. She looked gorgeous.

She cleared her throat. “Aren’t you going to take it off?”

“Um-hmm.” He removed the robe and flung it over his shoulder. Miraculously, it landed on the patio table instead of the pool deck.

They laughed as he took her hand and led her to the steps at the shallow end of the pool. He went in first, still holding her hand so she couldn’t escape, and she slowly joined him. Once she was immersed to her neck, he pulled her close, and she wrapped her legs around his waist.

“See, this isn’t so bad, is it?”

“No, but I would never do this in the daytime.”

“Never say never.”

She laughed, and he swallowed it with a kiss. That kiss led to another, and soon even the cool water couldn’t douse the flame inside him.

Their kitchen and bedroom sex had been great, but this was off the charts. The water lapped gently against their skin, and their bodies pressed together. Combined with the possibility of being seen, it was an intoxicating blend.

She moaned against his lips, and his erection twitched. Their lower halves were perfectly aligned, and it wouldn’t take much for him to slip inside. However… He reluctantly broke their kiss.

She looked at him with surprise and disappointment. “Why’d you stop?”

“Because as much as I want to, we can’t have pool sex.”

“Unsanitary?”

He shook his head. “No condom.”

“Oh, right.”

“I guess we’ll have to get out, then.”

“And then what?” Please don’t ask me to leave.

She disentangled herself and started to climb out of the pool. “C’mon.”

He followed her because, at this point, he’d follow her anywhere, and hello, what a view!

Dripping wet, she padded over to his discarded shorts, dug out his wallet, and handed it to him. Then she spread out a towel on the lounge chair beside the pool and lay down on it.

He froze except for his eyebrows, which hit the roof of the lanai.

She gave him a sexy smile. “What are you waiting for?”

He finally found his voice. “Here? Now?”

She giggled. “Yes and yes.”

With damp fingers, he dug out another condom from his wallet. He’d come prepared, or at least with wishful thinking. He quickly tore open the packet and suited up, already aroused beyond belief.

Stalking toward her, he felt like the luckiest man alive. She’d been hesitant to go skinny dipping, and now she was lying naked before him, willing to take another risk. Was she doing this for him or for her? He couldn’t decide which, but it really didn’t matter. She wanted him, and the feeling was mutual.

They made love under the stars as the warm island breeze rustled the palm trees and tickled their damp skin. They were quieter this time, but their coupling was no less intense. If anything, it felt even more intimate, like they were the only two people on the island, as one with nature and each other.

Afterward, he held her close, wishing he could tell her what he was thinking. Afraid to spook her, he tamped it down and reminded himself to be content with what was happening here and now.

He breathed her in, relishing the feel of her in his arms and already dreading having to let her go.