Just Her Luck (15 page)

Scrunching my face up at my deplorable state, I could only guess at how many baths I’d need, for that matter, to get all the guck out.

I probably have mud squished in places where mud should never venture.

Shudder.

"Tell me,
Dr. Sawyer
, do you always spill confidential patient information? Or am I just lucky today?"

Reaching up, I tugged at the puffy fluff of golden brown curly wire he calls facial hair, laughing when he grunted and tried to pull my hand away.

He acted like he had to think about my question for a minute, rubbing his furry chin thoughtfully.

"I only spill to those I trust," he challenged with a firm nod, daring me to contradict him.

"Pfft." I waved my hand at him. "Reverse psychology isn't gonna work on me, buddy. Geesh, you really missed your calling, didn't you?"

I nodded slowly and let his arms swing together at his sides, glancing around before his eyes came back to me.

"Well, then if you aren't going to talk," he said quietly, voice dropping ridiculously low, "maybe
this
will work."

Frowning up at him, not even close to ready for it, I didn’t have enough time to react before he made his move.

"What will...
Ah!
No! Sawyer!
Ah!!"
I shrieked as he scooped up under one arm, tucking me into his side like a football, grinning as he carted me off.

I gripped the knee of his pants with one hand, trying to push my bangs out of my face with the other, hoping to see what the hell he intended to do with me.

My legs kicked out at him desperately, and I pummeled him with my limited arm use, seeing now that we were headed straight for the pond.

"NO!" I bellowed, grunting and kicking frantically.

Not the dirty water!!

Gah!

"Sawyer! Don't you dare!" I screamed, wishing I could get close enough to bite his mean ass.

Anywhere would do! I'm not picky!

His hand, an arm, a leg... anything!

My fingers dug in, nails biting into the thick denim of his pants, but it didn’t do much, the jean material proving an effective enough barrier.

All I got out of him for my efforts was a grunt.

He stopped when the water reached his knees, green soup soaking my legs as they dangled freely in his unbreakable hold, splashing around rapidly and kicking water up everywhere.

"Ready to talk yet?" he asked sweetly,
or more like taunted
, acting for a moment like he was going to drop me.

I paused and tilted my head to give him a black look, nothing about it that didn’t promise I’d get his ass back for this.

And you bet your ass I will, mister!

Wait…

Hmm.

My eyes narrowed and I glanced from him to the water.

"You know, now that you put it that way..."

I let go of his knee fast and smacked him in the crotch, completely prepared when he dropped me and cupped himself, air rushing from him in a soft, disgruntled 'whoosh' as his eyes bugged out.

Ha!

I splashed in, but stuck my feet down fast, catching myself before I fully fell in.

It worked!

Now to freedom!

The water was much higher on me than him, so I had to slog through it as fast as my legs could carry me, waist deep in it.

Sawyer jumped at me, missing me when I shrieked and leapt to the side, the edge of the water where it met land practically at my fingertips.

Flopping to the side with a garbled out expletive, he disappeared underneath the murky depths.

I forced back a gag.

Ewww!

I grimaced a little, partly in sympathy, letting my girly side peek out.

Yucky, yucky water!!

I turned, remembering that he’d resurface any second now and probably wouldn’t be too happy when he did, heading back to the edge of the pond.

Freedom!
I thought, scrambling up as the water came to my ankles now.

A hand reached up out of the murky slime, like something out of a creepy sci-fi flick, and girl that I am, once again, I screamed.

He gripped my foot, slippery and grimy, covered in pond goo, and hauled me back in, taking the air right out of me as I fell and flopped onto the muddy edge of the bank, dragging me through it as he reeled me in like a prized bass.

I flopped about like one as I gawked at him too.

Sawyer, drenched now, pond greenery dangling from his once pretty blonde hair, picked me up and cradled me to his chest, mindful of my pummeling fists and flailing legs as he carried me over to the middle.

He couldn’t do much for my hollering though.

"It's dirty! Please! The germs, Sawyer!
The germs!"
I wailed desperately, clawing at him wildly in my distress, trying to get a decent grip on him as he tried to dump me in.

"Let go, you evil little…" he grunted, trying to pry me loose.

"If I'm going in, you're going with me!" I screeched, lacing my fingers through his nape, twining them in his hair.

If he tries to pry me loose now, goldie locks is gonna lose some hair!

He yelped when he tried to tug me loose, taking his hair with it, his head taking the brunt of it.

Huddling close, I just held on tight.

“No. No,” I grunted, “not gonna happen.”

He reached up and pulled my make-shift hairdo out, throwing the pencil I used to hold it up towards where we’d been sitting, chucking it with a flick of his wrist.

He made a mess of my hair, chuckling when I growled, glaring at him, his hands turning my hair into an even wilder, even more tangled mess.

Oh, the knots,
I wanted to whine,
all those knots!

But I knew better than to let go.

“There, now you look like the banshee that you are." He laughed maniacally-
evil man
- eyeing his handy work.

"Oh!" I huffed and gave his hair a good yank.

He yowled, sounding less coyote-like and more
alley cat shot with a bb gun.

"God damn… Shit! Vieve! That hurt!"

"So does your sharp tongue! Deal with it!" I shot back.

His lips pursed and he stopped, eyeing me thoughtfully.

"You know... those are both very good ideas," he said thoughtfully, smiling impishly, eyes darkening ever so slightly, his arms coming around me bracingly to hold me to him tight.

I squeaked at the intimate contact, our chests meshed up against each other’s.

My eyes widened and I gave a little push, trying to put some space between us without relinquishing my hold.

What? He’s gonna hug me to death?

My own attempt at humor fell flat as I wriggled and certain parts of me rubbed against certain parts of him.

His eyes got a little darker, swirling as he hitched me up a litter higher.

Mouth opening slightly in surprise, I blinked, studying him intently.

What's with the sudden turn in temperament, buddy?

Should I be worried?

"What ideas?" I blurted.

"Taking me with you..." he trailed off, his expression taking on a slumberous, smoldering quality, voice getting a little husky, lids lowering over his sharp brown eyes.

"Showing you how sharp my tongue can be," he murmured, bringing his face a little closer to mine.

Wait!
I wanted to scream, but I was too busy trying not to choke on my own tongue.

You win! You win!

Not fair!

This is cheating,
I wanted to scream
. Foul! Foul!

Time out!

"Sawyer..." I started nervously, squirming to pull away, tongue-tied at his new tactic.

"Hmmm?" He glanced up at me, taking his eyes off of my mouth, leaning in a little
too
close, his eyes dancing back and forth between my eyes and my lips as he advanced.

The mirth that tempered them made me feel even more uncomfortable.

He thinks this is funny, and here I am feeling like I’m about to lose my shit.

"I, uh... I think I'm ready to... uh...
don't
," I stammered, pulling back more.

His hand at the nape of my neck held me immobile, the distance between us quickly closing in.

“Saaa… Sawyer?”

He didn't say anything, just leaned in and carefully pressed his lips to mine, tentative at first, warm thick lips enveloping mine, catching me off guard as he sipped at mine with his own, my body melting unexpectedly into his kiss, his touch making me squirm closer to him instinctively.

"Mmmm." I moaned when he cupped my ass, shocking myself with my unexpected reaction at his unexpected play.

I couldn’t think, stunned, too caught up to form rational thoughts.

I just felt.

He let out his own groan against my lips, nipping at them playfully, and then I knew I was truly lost.

My hands fisted in his hair in response, running on autopilot at the moment, letting my body do all the thinking for me, my brain a mixed up puddle the same consistency of the murky water.

I’m all jacked up.

Without hesitation, he deepened our intimate connection, pulling me to him tighter as he groaned into my mouth, grinding his erection into my jean clad sex, making me cream in my panties.

Tiny sparks shot through me, distracting me further.

God, that feels good.

I bit at his lips hungrily, completely taken in, my tongue slipping into the moist, hot cavern of his mouth when he gasped at the playful nip, my legs wrapping around him tightly.

His tongue played with mine, both tangling together sensuously as we learned each other, played, nipping and licking at each other’s mouths hungrily, desperately.

He pulled back suddenly and looked at me funny, licking the taste of me from his lips with a quick swipe of his tongue as we both tried to catch our breath.

We stared into each other’s eyes, our breath panting out harshly.

"It wasn't supposed to be like that," he stated bluntly, real genuine surprise evident in his voice, eyes glazed over with passion.

I jerked, hiding a very obvious flinch.

Uhm, ouch much?

What the fuck do you say to that?

"Erm, uhm...
oh
," I whispered lamely, letting go of his hair, looking anywhere but at him as he released his death grip on my bum and let me slide down his torso.

Even then that was torture, my body sliding down that sexy mass of blonde man meat like a fire pole.

It’s unsettling.

Even more so after his little admission.

"I'm sorry, I... I was only going to peck you, like I usually do. You know, distract you. Then dunk you in the water. I was being playful. Teasing... I didn't mean for... It wasn't supposed to..." he started to apologize, running his hand frustratedly through his thick long locks.

I flushed crimson.

Kisses me senseless... Makes me crazy...
Then
tries to back track?

Oh, god! Ten seconds and he already regrets it!

Yeah, that just proved it. This is definitely my life.

And to think, for a second there I thought I’d died and gone to blonde hunky god heaven.

Apollo on a stick, just for me.

Hah. What a joke.

That's a record, Vieve!
I thought disgustedly.

Someone call Guinness!

We have a new one, folks! This one didn't even need to sleep with me first!

He just sensed I’m a lost cause at the first kiss and cut his losses.

"Oh, god. Please... just don't," I muttered shakily, putting a hand up to stop him as we stood there in the middle of the pond awkwardly, my hair mussed and wild, lips swollen from his kisses, body tingling in the aftermath.

It made me feel dirty now.

I laughed bitterly and ran a hand through my hair.

They shook badly.

"Believe me, I've heard it all, so just spare me and save it," I managed to get out.

I turned around quickly and would have turned tail and run if Ephraim and Thatcher hadn't just walked up.

"Hey, guys! Whatcha doin?" Thatcher greeted when he reached the water’s edge.

"Bowen wants to eat out tonight. We were just checking to see if you wanted to come along. What are you two doing in the middle of the pond?" Ephraim asked, wrinkling his nose at us, eyeing the germ infested water with disgust.

My sentiments exactly.

"Oh, you know," I cleared my throat, hands running over the top of the water as I shrugged, "just fuckin' around. Nothin' much."