Page 78 of Finding Elodie
Elodie nodded and decided to wade in with her shorts and shirt on. Yeah, she wore her suit underneath, but she’d wash off the mud first, then take off her clothes. She was very thankful at that moment that Scott had insisted on throwing in an extra set of clothes for them both in his pack. She’d thought he was being overly prepared at the time, but he’d obviously known what he was doing.
She waded in cautiously—then shrieked with laughter when Scott came up behind her and hauled her up into his arms. He strode into the water, holding her above it.
“Don’t drop me!” she yelled, latching her arms around his neck.
He smirked at her.
“I mean it,” she threatened, but she didn’t think she sounded very adamant.
He walked out into the water until she could feel it lapping against her ass. She tried to arch her back to get away from the cold, with no luck.
“Hang on,” Scott told her.
She wasn’t about to let go of him, and Elodie closed her eyes in anticipation of him dropping her—but instead, he kept hold of her and plunged them both down into the water.
It was freezing. The guys kept saying it was “chilly” but they’d totally lied.
After dunking them both, Scott immediately stood back up, and Elodie gasped in air. “Holy crap, it’s like ice!” she told him.
He laughed. “It’s not so bad.”
“Right, I forgot, you’re a big bad Navy SEAL and impervious to cold.”
He backed up closer to the shore, then lowered himself again, sitting on a big rock in the water. When he settled, the water came up to around the middle of his chest. “You’ll get used to it in a second.” Then he propped her ass on his knees under the water…and used a hand to inch his way up her body. He caressed her thigh, then her stomach, then her chest.
Elodie’s eyes widened as his touch turned intimate.
“Scott?”
“Just cleaning the mud off,” he said with a gleam in his eye.
Elodie looked around nervously.
“No one’s watching,” he said. “And I’d never do anything inappropriate in front of my friends, or anyone else, that would embarrass you.”
She had to admit that, thanks to his touch and being immersed in the water, she was warming up. Elodie relaxed, trusting Scott to hold her up in the water. “Thanks for suggesting this today. I’m having a good time, and it’s nice to get to know your friends.”
“They like you,” Scott said.
Elodie shrugged. “I mean, it’ll take longer for us to really get to know each other, but it’s obvious you’re all close. I feel honored to have been invited into the inner circle, at least a little bit, if that makes sense.”
“It does. You feeling more comfortable now?”
“With them?”
“With them, and in the water now.”
“Yes to both.”
“Good.” He stood up, letting her legs fall, and Elodie realized the water wasn’t actually all that deep. She stood, and the water came to just below her breasts. Scott pulled her close and she snuggled against him. He’d taken his shirt off too, and she loved how the sun glinted off his tan skin and his tattoo. His beard dripped, and once more, she realized exactly how good-looking her man was. She went up on her tiptoes, and he immediately lowered his head. The kiss was intimate and deep, but they kept it short.
Voices sounded in the direction of the trail and when Elodie turned to look, she saw they were no longer alone.
“And here they come,” Scott murmured.
She was disappointed, but understood that this was public property. Tourists were just as welcome to use the area as they were.
“Come on, man! Come take a few more jumps before this place gets overrun!” Midas called out.
