“Let’s go for a swim.” Razer helped Beth to her feet.
Rachel watched as all the couples except Lily and Winter went into the water. The air rang out with splashing and laughter.
“I’ll open the store tomorrow. I need to organize a few things for Willa,” Lily said. “Lewis’s younger children need a few things, and I thought I would make a couple of bags for them and deliver them when you come in.”
“I’m sure she’s going to need several things. I picked them up some games to keep them occupied.”
“I offered to take them to the Saturday matinee to give her a break.” Winter’s husky voice was due to her husband kissing her neck.
Rachel looked away from the affectionate couple, only to see Lily’s mouth captured by Shade’s, his hand on the back of Lily’s neck holding her in place.
“Let’s go for a swim.” Cash rose to his feet, holding out his hand. Rachel took it, standing up.
“I don’t have a suit,” she protested.
“Lily brought you one. You can go into the trees and get changed.” Cash went to his saddle bags, pulling out a swimsuit then handing it to her.
She really didn’t want to swim, showing her body, but all the women wore suits. Rachel was sure Lily’s suit wouldn’t be too brief. Looking at it, she saw it was a one-piece. She could do this.
Hesitantly, she went into the trees as Cash pulled off his t-shirt and began unbuttoning his jeans. Her mouth dropped open when he changed into a pair of blue shorts he pulled out of his bags, changing in front of everyone. He didn’t have on underwear, his semi-hard cock visible to everyone sitting around. Lily and Winter were not even paying attention, though.
She went into a copse of trees, gingerly changing into the one-piece. Nervously, she came back out, but no one looked in her direction as she walked into the cold water. Cash was already in, waiting for her.
“That wasn’t so bad, was it?”
“I’m a private person,” Rachel defended herself. “It’s freezing.”
“You’re shy,” Cash corrected. “But Lily is, too, and she manages to go swimming with us. You’ll warm up in a few minutes when you get used to it.”
Rachel treaded water as he talked, not noticing he was gradually maneuvering her toward the part of the water that was shaded from view by the bank from the overhanging trees. She stopped following him, but Cash swam back to her, sliding his arm around her waist and bringing her slick body toward his.
“Need my help warming up?”
She placed her hands on his muscular chest, her eyes going to the tats on his bulging muscles. “Do you have a tattoo like the rest of the men?”
Cash raised a brow, letting her turn his back to her. It was on the back of his shoulder. She looked closely at the separate symbols, a laugh escaping her.
“Each symbol represents a member, doesn’t it?”
“Yes.” He turned back to face her. “Guess which one is mine.”
“I don’t have to, I know. Greer and Tate have come home busted up too many times from those brass knuckles of yours.”
As they talked, their bodies drifted into the deeper, shaded water. Cash’s arm slipped around her waist, pulling her close once more, at the same time Rachel turned toward the shore. Someone had turned on some music, and she could hear the soft sounds from the bank.
“Your friends like to party, don’t they?” she mused.
“They work hard and play hard.” His mouth brushed the side of her neck.
Rachel turned her head away, placing her hands on his chest. “Stop, Cash. I’m going back to shore.” Cash’s hand tangled in her fiery hair.
“When do you play, Rachel? I never see you around town, just having a good time. Don’t you want to let loose and have fun?”
“I lost control one time with you, Cash, and look what happened.” Her voice tightened as his mouth traced to the base of her throat, his tongue licking the droplets of water pooled there.
“Was it so bad, Rachel?” he murmured, his mouth going to the curve of her breasts exposed by the modest swimsuit.
When her hands moved to his shoulders, trying to push him away, Cash tangled his legs with hers, forcing her to hold onto him to keep from slipping under the water.
“Not until you opened your mouth to the whole town.”
Cash lifted his head. “If I hadn’t said anything, would you have ever told your brothers?”
“Of course not.”
“So it worked out, didn’t it?” Cash’s smug face had realization dawning on Rachel.
She began hitting his chest. “You bastard. You deliberately humiliated me in front of everyone in town,” she yelled.
Cash grabbed her hands, twisting them behind her back and holding her in place with his strength. “What I did was force you to admit you were attracted to me. Even if we had started seeing each other, you would have dreaded telling them and put it off, worrying about their reactions. I took that pressure away from you, like pulling a band-aid off a sore.”