JOSEPHINE
Since Friday night, Hero hasn't stopped touching me when he's near, and he makes sure he constantly is. It's like when he teased before about getting to be the possessive boyfriend and keeping me within reach, that's exactly what he's doing.
He'll go from holding my hand to moving my hair, touching my waist or arms, anything.
Today, we're at Caper Cliffs, rock jumping and barbecuing, so it's been snapping the strap of my bikini top or running his palms across my arms, but this afternoon's touches are lingering, slow and far more deliberate.
It could be because we're basically naked in nothing but swimsuits, so the heat of his body radiates to mine even more than normal or maybe I'm imagining the lasting effect of his fingertips because I want them to drag a little lower and stay there for a while.
"Girl," Mandy whispers in my ear. "You need to stop, take a dip in the water, something."
My frown finds her.
She rolls her eyes. "Your lady boner is showing so hard right now, and don't look, but the little bit of padding your suit top has isn't hiding the rocks poking out behind them."
I can't help it and a loud laugh leaves me, gaining the attention of the others climbing on the rocks to the side of us.
Cassie shakes her head, shouting, "What crazy shit is she whispering to you over there, Josephine?!"
I give a playful shrug, and the others smile. "Ah, nothing that isn't true."
Mandy and I laugh, and like I knew he would, Hero jumps down off the rocks and stalks my way. Shirtless, trunks hanging nice and low over those magical hipbones.
Hipbones I have a sudden urge to trace with my fingertips.
It really is too damn bad our friends didn't take the hint when we tried to sneak ahead of everyone to higher ground for some privacy, but no. Suddenly they were all eager to start jumping and came with.
The only person who stayed down at the bottom is Felix so he could get the barbecue going.
"Do I go or do you need me to stay and be the fire extinguisher?" she whispers.
I laugh, pushing to my feet and dust off my ass.
Hero slides up, raising an expectant brow at Mandy who winks and takes the spot I vacated.
His attention shifts to me, and he moves in, planting his hands on my bare ribs.
Always touching.
"What'd I miss?" he asks.
"Oh, you know, Mandy being Mandy, and advising I jump into the water before I... jump on you."
His frown is instant. "That's some shitty advice."
I laugh, dropping my head back, and his chest rumbles with a low growl.
"You keep giving me your neck like that, I'm gonna take it."
I lean in. "Maybe I want you to."
He has the tip of my ponytail in his hands in seconds, tugging, forcing my head back as far as he wants it.
"Oh, hell no!" Kathrine shouts. "If I can't get Felix to run off with me, you don't get none either."
I turn to smile, but my eyes shoot wide.
She and Cassie are rushing for us.
My hands fly from Hero just in time for them to block me in.
"Back off."
"Jump or you're going in." Cassie's hands find her hips.
I look at Hero who smirks, lifting his chin.
I gape at him. "Really? No help? I'll remember this."
He steps forward. "See you in the water, J."
Hero jumps off the rock ledge, penciling into the deep pool of water below.
I look over, and slowly he emerges, shaking his head to clear his hair from his face.
He smiles up at me, swimming in place as he moves over a little. "All clear down here, girls."
I gasp and he laughs, lifting his hands quickly, beckoning me to him.
I look back to the girls. "You're assholes."
"And you're the driest one here, I've jumped twice already! If I have to have ratty ass hair, so do you." Kathrine pops her hip, smiling.
I groan, turn and glance out over the flat rocks that circle around the deep water below and jump.
Their hollers have me flipping them off over my head as I hit, quickly coming up to the top and taking a breath.
"It's freezing!" I yell with a laugh.
Hero chuckles and I swim toward where he's sitting on a moss-covered flat plain, half his torso out of the water, and dripping wet.
His hair is a mess on his head, so once I'm where I can put my knees on a rock, I squeeze between his legs and reach up to smooth it out.
One little curl keeps falling in his face, so I hold it back.
My chest is even with his face in this position, so he drops his chin on my breastbone and stares up at me.
"You've got goosebumps." His eyes fall to my arms, hands coming up to wrap around them, sliding up and down and creating twice as many as before. "That got anything to do with the water?" he rasps.
I can't answer him, though.
I'm stuck.
I stare at his mouth, only inches from my breasts, taking in nothing but the sensation of having so much of his skin on mine.
I could reach up and untie my top, and without direction he'd know what to do.
My nipples harden and his focus moves directly to the proof.
His grip tightens, his fingertips biting into me like I want his teeth to.
"J..." He licks his lips, reluctantly dragging his gaze back to mine.
Suddenly I'm tugged back, splashing into the water again.
I come up laughing and shove Cassie away.
Kathrine is next to jump, popping up and swimming to the left of us to climb out the one shallow spot at the Cape.
We love this place and come here at least once a week during the summer.
Parking is down at the bottom with built-in barbecues and picnic tables, small games and things all around. It's not very large, only around ten carloads can fit in the area, so when we come, we leave before the sun even rises.
It's beautiful and quiet, green and clean, nothing but the sounds of people having a good time or the mini waterfalls that filter through the rocks and the small stream it all leads to.
"Yo!" Felix comes around the corner, tongs in one hand, towel for his girl in the other. He tosses it at her and she drapes it over her shoulder. "Foods ready."
"Yes!" Kathrine smiles with a shout, wringing her hair. "And now that Josephine can pretend her vagina is wet from the water, let's be quick about eating so we can go kick these people's ass playing volleyball!"
"Oh my god!" I slap the water, but she only grins wider.
"Did they even invite us to play?" Mandy climbs out.
"No, but they have six and we have six. They'll let us." Kathrine starts to walk away, but jerks to a stop and adds, "Cassie, don't climb out until Josephine does or Hero will never let her go."
I laugh, looking to Hero who finally drags himself to his feet, as if he planned to do just that.
"That's it, I'm gonna fuck with Felix's ass now," Hero mumbles as he passes Kathrine .
"Good, do it. He's all tense today, loosen him up for me, please." She looks to us, fighting a laugh, and then follows after him.
We spend the rest of the afternoon playing volleyball with the random people who set up beside us, and dip in the water to cool off here and there.
It takes longer to clean up than it did to set up and by the time we manage to head home, it's starting to get dark out, and everyone is hungry again, so we stop at a small taqueria for dinner.
They sit us around a large table, and my phone rings the second I get seated, my mom's name flashing across the screen.
I hesitate a moment, then Hero taps my shoulder, nodding to the screen.
With a sigh, I answer and walk a few steps away for some privacy.
"Hey, Mom."
"Hey, sweetie."
Sweetie? I frown. "What's up?"
"I was calling to see if you were home, I'm about twenty minutes out. I thought I could bring home dinner."
It's already after eight-thirty, later than I would normally eat, so I don't tell her I've just sat down to. "I'm not home right now, I'm with the girls and we already ate, but thanks."
"Oh, well, in that case maybe I'll stop for a salad at the club." The ding of her car door being opened lets me know she was betting on my answer and is already stepping out. "So... your dad called today."
Ah! That's what the 'sweetie' was for.
"Why'd he call you? I just texted him this morning."
"You did?" she asks, seemingly surprised.
It's as if she convinces herself he and I speak as little as her and I do.
"So what did he say?" I get us back on track.
"Oh, he mentioned coming into town next week, he wants to have dinner." She pauses and I wait, knowing more is coming. "You'll let me know if he mentions the specifics to you, I know he had to cancel his last trip last minute?"
So you can make sure to plan and be home to save face, sure, Mom.
"Yeah, Mom. I will."
"Great. I'll see you later, Josephine." The line goes dead.
I take a minute to breathe, get out of the funk every conversation with her seems to put me in, before I turn back to my friends.
They're all laughing and cheering as Felix flicks a paper through Hero's fingers that he holds up as if they're goal posts.
Mandy preparing to block Felix's next shot, switches seats, taking the open spot beside my man.
A smile takes over my lips as I look at Hero, who happens to glance my way at the same exact time.
Holy shit.
My man.
That's my man.
I stuff my phone back in my pocket and head right for him.
His eyes cling to me, and his body seems to relax into his chair. He licks his lips, his legs spreading wider.
I drop onto his lap, slide my hand into his hair, and kiss him.
Because he's mine and I can.