Total pages in book: 15
Estimated words: 13680 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 68(@200wpm)___ 55(@250wpm)___ 46(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 13680 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 68(@200wpm)___ 55(@250wpm)___ 46(@300wpm)
I do. I remember that tree well. Ben kissed me under that tree.
"Yeah," I say shyly.
The tightness and fluttering I felt before fans into a flame now. My lips tingle at the memory of his kiss. We were teenagers. I was early in puberty and unsure of all the feelings in my body, he was so strong and perfect. We laughed about it later and he called it practice for his girlfriend.
Ben stares at me openly, his eyes roam up and down over me. His lips are tight like he's biting the inside of his lower lip. His finger is running that same pattern on the strap of the backpack.
"Good times huh?" he says then turns slowly away.
"Yeah," I chuckle trying to make less of it than I feel.
He leads the way and as the sun rises it gets hotter. I'm starting to sweat and Ben's dripping with it. Unfortunately this just makes his shirt stick to him outlining every muscle. We stop for a water break and I can't take my eyes off the shape of his abs and chest.
Handing me the water bottle he steps close. We're inches apart and the musky scent of him fills my nostrils. So close, I can touch him with barely a movement. I look up into his eyes feeling myself blush. I want him to take me in his arms but despite our proximity I still feel the gulf between us.
"Want to take a swim?" he asks.
"The lake?" I ask.
I hadn't realized how close we were to the small lake we swam in as kids. He nods and I grin.
"Beat you there!" I yell out as I take off running.
I hear him laughing behind me. As I run the weight of years falls away. Memories swell around me and I embrace them. I realize I don't have a bathing suit with me but what does that matter? We never used them when we were kids, why bother now? The lake comes into view as I crest a hill and I start stripping as I run down to it. I make a leap off a small cliff and swan dive into the water.
It's briskly cool but wonderful after the hot sun. I come up treading water and see Ben standing on the small cliff struggling to remove his jeans over his shoes.
"You're supposed to take your shoes off first!" I laugh at him.
"You think?" he calls back still struggling on one foot.
He finally removes the shoe and his pants fall off. The water hides my body's reaction to seeing him fully nude for the first time in years. Last time I'd seen him he'd been fit, now he's an Adonis. Male models would kill for a body like his. Hard in all the right places but lithe, active. You can feel he's ready to move and able. I can't tear my eyes away.
I'm no expert. In fact I'm still a virgin though I've come close a couple of times. I know though, instinctively, that Ben's very well hung. He dives off the cliff and disappears under the water with barely a splash. I look around for him to surface but he doesn't come up.
I spin in the water looking for him or at least for his air bubbles but there's nothing. I'm sure he's going to come up and surprise me but as the seconds tick by my joy turns to worry. Where is he? I keep spinning around as I tread water trying to find him. He's been down well over a minute. Then two.
"Ben!" I yell.
I start swimming for where he went under, maybe he hit his head? There are no currents here but he could be stuck under a rock. Three minutes.
"Ben!"
I dive down where he went in trying to see under the murky water. I go as deep as I can until my lungs are burning with need for air and I have to surface. I look around but still no sign of him. It's been at least five minutes.
Something touches my foot and I pull back quickly looking down. The water in front of me bubbles and he explodes out of it directly in front of me splashing water up into my eyes.
"Ben!" I yell and throw my arms around him my heart pounding from fear.
"Hey," he says half laughing.
He wraps his arms around me and I cling to him. All the past forgotten. He's here, he's safe.
"I thought you were hurt!" I push back from him and punch him in the arm.
"I was just swimming under the water."
"It was over five minutes!"
"Was it? Sorry was just playing around."
I shake my head, relief offsets my anger. He's fine. I'm fine.
"By the way," he says reaching out and touching my shoulder lightly. "You're it."
I see him smiling as he jumps up in the water then dives under it.