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We carried on until finally we cleared the trees, where the stillness reined in our silliness

"This is perfect," he said, pulling onfly bounced along the water, sending tiny ripples through the blue, inviting water We had the place all to ourselves Suddenly seized by inspiration, I s for duty

I turned within his ar innocently up at hier in the center of his chest Curiosity shone in his eyes He looked like he wanted to ask what I was doing, but he didn’t, lettingunder a nearby tree My thin white tank was next, sliding over my head Leo’s eyes narrowed as he took in my barely there bikini, red and white polka dots that tried, al out of hted when his face changed from expectation to deep satisfaction

I turned away toward the water, peered overstock-still, answering my smile broadly His hands fisted at his sides as he watchedles slide down ht He took a tiny step forward before catching hievery single second of it

I took a step toward the water I heard him take a step behind me When ured it would be warht nippy--and visibly nipply

Iup over h--then I stopped and took another look back at Leo It was like a gaht For every step I took into the water, he stepped further down the rocks When I stopped, he stopped When I turned this last ti him sneak a peek at what the trees were already familiar with, he stopped so short he had to pinwheel his arrown man, ould happen when I

I took hold of the strings on either hip and tugged

I’d seen Leo move quickly before, but he was about to break the land and sea record for getting naked and into the water Jeans and boxers were gone together in a tangle as he hopped on one foot while he toed off his boots simultaneously

He winced when he hit the water, but didn’t lose otten he earing it Ripping it off, he threw it behind hi on a rock with a wet thwap

"You shouldn’t tease a guy, Roxie," he warned, pulling me to hi his face and eyelashes

Now pressed together, very wet and very naked, he gave ive so As he sht touch I leaned into his warmth, unable to stop the s against the sunlight, and I sighed in content buzzy flew past ood way Though that particular part was still bobbing against o away," he coaxed, trying to shoo it away

"No Bee Bad," I stuttered through clenched teeth, trying to flee but unable to escape his hold, his arood oes out across the forest: ‘Hey, Roxie’s here; she’s naked in the pond and trying to get it on with Al for Almanzo, don’t you?"

"You have no idea Remember the episode when Nellie Oleson made him cinnamon chicken, his favorite dish? But Nellie didn’t kno to make it so she made Laura do it? Only Laura hated Nellie, so she switched out the cinna et us as low in the water as I could

"Cinna as I scranore it, I’one yet?"

I’ll never knohat his ansas going to be, because just then I was buzzed in stereo by Bee Number One and his asshole cousin, Bee Number Two

"Good-bye!" I chirped, and went under His hands splashed after led down to the bottom, where not even an asshole bee could follow I swa his hands over his head trying to shoo the s full

This went on awhile,to communicate with ain, deter to find me, only to see uy was playing Whac-a-Mole with a lunatic with exceptional breath control, and I caught little snatches of words between inhales

"Roxie they’re--"

"--gone, you can--"

"For God’s sake Rox, can you--"