bayou. "What's that I hear? Sounds like your name, don't it? I do believe you're being paged from one of those picnic tables. Best that you trot down the wharf and go check it out."
"Good idea, Neil. Nice meeting you, Andrea. Later."
"I don't think so," Neil said flatly.
"Uh... right. Enjoy the view."
"I am." Neil's chuckle as the third party took off fast became a low whistle. "And what a view it is. All that creamy skin dipping and swelling's worth a pay-per-view showing. For an audience of one. Me."
"You're sweating on me, Neil." She tried to sound put out, but it was awfully hard when the feel of his chest against her back was sexy as hell.
"You don't like my sweat? I'm hurt, chere. Anything I can do to change your mind, since you seemed to like it just fine before I got into one of my snits?"
Did he have to sound as if he really meant that? And did he have to roll the bottle between her breasts while his thumb swished close to her navel, spreading the trickle of condensed moisture over her skin until she shivered?
"I suppose there's a chance I could put up with it. After all, I have been putting up with your—"
"Obnoxious, immature, and totally uncalled-for behavior. I'm sorry, Andrea, and I mean that. I came to make peace and fetch you to come eat."
"And here I thought you came over to get rid of my latest company so I wouldn't have anyone to talk to."
"You could've kept talking to Liza or some of the other women instead of flirting with all the men."
"I wasn't flirting!"
"Don't matter. You're with me, and that's that. Please keep that in mind from here on out."
"Why? So you won't have to spoil Lou's party by straightening someone else out with a fist?"
"I ain't punched nobody out for a good five years, but if I caught someone laying a hand on you, I wouldn't give a second's thought to it. Does that tell you anything?"
Andrea hid her smile behind the arm he'd crooked over her shoulder. "It tells me you've got a jealous streak."
"A mile wide and as far as the eye can see. Makes me feel very peculiar."
"And it makes me feel... wanted."
He dropped his arm. "Turn around. That's good. Now, look me in the eyeballs and get an earful of this: I want you. No deals and no strings. Here, there... uh..." He groaned.
"Neil?"
"Anywhere. Including your current residence, which is getting an overhaul whether or not you move out. There, I said it. And don't ask me to say it again, okay? I've got a jam session after we dig in, and hard as that was to get past the lips, they need some recovery time."
"Can I kiss them and make it better?"
"Can't think of a finer way to perfect my playing technique. You know, proper positioning of the mouth, correct fingering, tonguing and breathing just right."
With no more than the sultry stare he fixed on her mouth, a hot, liquid sensation pooled in her belly. Shaken by the intensity and quickness of her arousal, Andrea pinched her legs together and tried to cool down by glancing away from the cause of her excitement.
Her gaze connected with Lou's. He stood in a group close to the water's edge, but his attention was focused on her and the fingertip Neil glided over her lips. Even from the distance she saw Lou's big grin and the approving nod of his head.
"Lou's watching us, Neil."
"I just bet he is. Let's make this one worth watching. Give old Lou a thrill. Big Daddy thinks you be the best thing that's come along since buttered bread, where I'm concerned, anyway. Why don't you convince me that just maybe he's right, and quit worrying about who sees what?"
"Why don't I convince you elsewhere? I'm not comfortable with other people being privy to my personal exchanges."
"Me either. But these are my friends. Besides, you'll have to get used to it, keeping company with me. It's not near as bad as it used to be when strangers constantly came at me with cameras and nosy questions about my crazy life. Juicy copy for sure, but none of their business. Every now and then someone comes
"Good idea, Neil. Nice meeting you, Andrea. Later."
"I don't think so," Neil said flatly.
"Uh... right. Enjoy the view."
"I am." Neil's chuckle as the third party took off fast became a low whistle. "And what a view it is. All that creamy skin dipping and swelling's worth a pay-per-view showing. For an audience of one. Me."
"You're sweating on me, Neil." She tried to sound put out, but it was awfully hard when the feel of his chest against her back was sexy as hell.
"You don't like my sweat? I'm hurt, chere. Anything I can do to change your mind, since you seemed to like it just fine before I got into one of my snits?"
Did he have to sound as if he really meant that? And did he have to roll the bottle between her breasts while his thumb swished close to her navel, spreading the trickle of condensed moisture over her skin until she shivered?
"I suppose there's a chance I could put up with it. After all, I have been putting up with your—"
"Obnoxious, immature, and totally uncalled-for behavior. I'm sorry, Andrea, and I mean that. I came to make peace and fetch you to come eat."
"And here I thought you came over to get rid of my latest company so I wouldn't have anyone to talk to."
"You could've kept talking to Liza or some of the other women instead of flirting with all the men."
"I wasn't flirting!"
"Don't matter. You're with me, and that's that. Please keep that in mind from here on out."
"Why? So you won't have to spoil Lou's party by straightening someone else out with a fist?"
"I ain't punched nobody out for a good five years, but if I caught someone laying a hand on you, I wouldn't give a second's thought to it. Does that tell you anything?"
Andrea hid her smile behind the arm he'd crooked over her shoulder. "It tells me you've got a jealous streak."
"A mile wide and as far as the eye can see. Makes me feel very peculiar."
"And it makes me feel... wanted."
He dropped his arm. "Turn around. That's good. Now, look me in the eyeballs and get an earful of this: I want you. No deals and no strings. Here, there... uh..." He groaned.
"Neil?"
"Anywhere. Including your current residence, which is getting an overhaul whether or not you move out. There, I said it. And don't ask me to say it again, okay? I've got a jam session after we dig in, and hard as that was to get past the lips, they need some recovery time."
"Can I kiss them and make it better?"
"Can't think of a finer way to perfect my playing technique. You know, proper positioning of the mouth, correct fingering, tonguing and breathing just right."
With no more than the sultry stare he fixed on her mouth, a hot, liquid sensation pooled in her belly. Shaken by the intensity and quickness of her arousal, Andrea pinched her legs together and tried to cool down by glancing away from the cause of her excitement.
Her gaze connected with Lou's. He stood in a group close to the water's edge, but his attention was focused on her and the fingertip Neil glided over her lips. Even from the distance she saw Lou's big grin and the approving nod of his head.
"Lou's watching us, Neil."
"I just bet he is. Let's make this one worth watching. Give old Lou a thrill. Big Daddy thinks you be the best thing that's come along since buttered bread, where I'm concerned, anyway. Why don't you convince me that just maybe he's right, and quit worrying about who sees what?"
"Why don't I convince you elsewhere? I'm not comfortable with other people being privy to my personal exchanges."
"Me either. But these are my friends. Besides, you'll have to get used to it, keeping company with me. It's not near as bad as it used to be when strangers constantly came at me with cameras and nosy questions about my crazy life. Juicy copy for sure, but none of their business. Every now and then someone comes
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