AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No, they sold it a few years back. It’s empty at the moment, and the new owners are overseas.”
“I’d love to own a place like this to escape to,” I say wistfully, knowing my teenage years would have been entirely different from Brooke’s.
She bumps her shoulder with mine. “I’m sure Sawyer will bring you here again. He seems pretty smitten.”
I smile at her before glancing over at Sawyer, who is setting up the loungers and umbrellas with Liam. He must feel my eyes on him as he looks across at me, a smile coming over his face.
“See? Smitten,” Brooke whispers in my ear, and Sawyer winks at me, unaware of what his sister has said. I want to tell her I’m equally as smitten with him, but I don’t. I don’t want to jinx anything.
Brooke makes her way over to Liam, and I turn to look out over the lake. It really is stunning. Walking away from everyone, I slip off my shoes and make my way down the jetty. Wooden posts stick up out of the water every few feet, and I brush my hand against them as I walk past. When I reach the end, I sit with my feet dangling over the edge. The water is cold, but it’s a welcome relief from the hot sun, and I gently run my feet back and forward in the water.
Despite the sun beating down on me, I shiver as my mind wanders to Matt and everything that’s happened over the past forty-eight hours. Finding out yesterday my apartment had been trashed devastated me. It was the one place where I’d felt safe. Even when all this is over and that asshole is caught, I don’t know if I could go back to living there knowinghe’dbeen through all my stuff.
As much as I love being here at the cabin, I want my life back, and with each passing day, it seems to be getting further and further out of reach.
ChapterTwenty-Six
Sawyer
As I lie on the sun lounger, my eyes are fixed on Hallie as she sits on the edge of the jetty, her feet dangling in the water. It’s taking everything in me to stay on the lounger and not go to her. I can only imagine how difficult the past couple of weeks—particularly the last forty-eight hours—have been, and I’m trying to give her some space. I’ve no idea if space is what she wants or needs, but she’s struggling, and I don’t want to overwhelm her.
I wait a little while before my desire to know she’s okay wins out, and I make my way down the jetty toward her.
“You okay?” I ask as I sit next to her, my thigh pressing against hers. She nods before dropping her head on my shoulder. We sit in silence for a few minutes, and I worry I’ve let her overthink things for too long. Time to take her mind off everything.
“Do you want to go for a swim?” I ask, my hand stroking the skin of her bare thigh.
“I’d love to.” She lifts her head from my shoulder and presses her lips to my cheek. Slipping my hand around her neck, I capture her lips with mine. My fingers tangle in her hair as I deepen the kiss, my tongue dueling with hers. Pulling away, I rest my forehead on hers, my breathing labored.
“I’d better stop before I get carried away,” I tell her with a wink. She giggles as I stand, then I hold out my hand for her. Pulling her to her feet, I remove her cover-up and drop it on the jetty. My cock jumps as I take in her pale blue string bikini that leaves little to the imagination.
“I think I need to get in the water and cool down,” I mutter, unable to take my eyes off her gorgeous body. Her eyes track over my chest, and from the look on her face, I can tell she’s as affected by me as I am by her, and I love that she is.
Suddenly, she takes my hand and pulls me with her off the end of the jetty. A scream escapes from her as we hit the lake’s cool water. I break the surface and laugh as Hallie gasps at how cool the water is—pretty sure she wasn’t expecting the temperature to be this cold. She swims over to me, throwing her arms around my neck.
“It’s freezing,” she squeals as her legs come around my waist. My hands go under her, and I pull her into my chest. The cold water has pebbled her nipples, and I can feel them through the thin material of her bikini top. Despite the chilly water, holding her in my arms makes my cock hard. She must be able to feel it through my shorts.
“Do you want to get out?” I ask, hoping she says no.
She shakes her head and rolls her hips against mine.
“I’ve suddenly warmed up,” she whispers, and I drop my forehead to hers.
“I wish we were alone.”
She looks back to the beach. “It looks like Brooke and Liam are busy themselves,” she says with a chuckle. I glance to the beach and wish I hadn’t when I see my sister making out with Liam. Hallie rolls her hips against mine again, and all thoughts of Brooke disappear. All I can focus on is the beautiful woman in my arms. Her hands go into my hair before she drops her lips to mine. Her tongue slips into my mouth, and I kiss her like a man possessed. I don’t want to kiss anyone other than Hallie for the rest of my life. Admitting that to myself should scare the shit out of me. Instead, it simply feels right.
Needing to stop before things go further than I know she’s ready for, I pull back and let her catch her breath. “Maybe we should get out and dry off before we’re missed.”
She gives me a shy smile. “Can I sleep in your room again tonight?” she asks me, her voice full of uncertainty.
“Baby, you never have to ask me that. If I had my way, you’d spend every night for the rest of your life in my bed.” Her eyes widen at my admission. “I’m falling in love with you, Hallie.”
Her lips turn up in the most breathtaking smile before she buries her face into my neck. Tightening my hold, I pull her closer to me, giving her a moment to process what I’ve dropped on her. I didn’t expect her to say the words back to me, but I couldn’t hold in my feelings any longer. We haven’t known each other long, and our relationship hasn’t started in the most conventional of ways, but I’ve never felt like this before. I had to tell her how I feel.
“I’m falling in love with you too, Sawyer,” she says as she slowly lifts her head and looks at me.
“What?” I ask in disbelief.
