Teach Me To Live (Teach Me - Book One) (32 page)

“Great,” I eyed the roll of coins. “How much is this shower going to cost?”

“Two bucks every three minutes.”

“That’s not too bad.”

She raised a brow. “I plan on taking a nice long shower. Besides, these legs are starting to make me look like a Sasquatch. I’m shaving!” She huffed dramatically. “Beauty takes time, baby cakes. Time costs a pretty toonie when you’re in the boonies.”

“Raina,” I shook my head. “Stop calling me baby cakes.”

“Why?” She set off walking toward the showers. “It’s cute.”

“It’s not cute.”

“You can always come up with an equally horrendous name for me.” She waggled her brows suggestively and I wondered what screw was loose in her head that would make her want an equally awful name.

“You make no sense.”

“Oh, come on,” she skipped forward. “What about cunt cakes?”

“I am not calling you cunt cakes.”

She raised a challenging eyebrow. “Twat waffle.”

“Where in the world are you getting this from?”

She laughed. “Humor on Pinterest.”

I laughed because she was absolutely the most absurd person I have ever encountered. “I’m not calling you a twat waffle, either.”

“It’s popular on Pinterest.”

“I don’t care where it’s popular.”

“Then what are you going to call me, baby cakes?”

“How about something nice like—Raina?”

She scrunched her nose. “Boring.”

I huffed and walked into the woman’s shower building. A quick scan of the place told me there was no one else in here but Miss Twat Waffle and me.

I wasted absolutely no time moving into the first shower stall and tearing into my roll of coins. When I had a small stack ready for use, I stripped and shoved one toonie into the slot. Warm water came spewing from the showerhead and I laughed at the delicious feel caressing my flesh.

“This is amazing!” I called to Raina who agreed with a moan.

I enjoyed the water with my first toonie before adding another and pouring shampoo into my palm. I massaged it into my hair, reveling in the fresh warm scent of coconut butter.

“You ever been skinny-dipping?” Raina called out abruptly.

“Skinny dipping?” I repeated hesitantly.

“Yeah, skinny-dipping,” Raina confirmed. “You ever been?”

“Um, no.” I wondered if anyone else had come into the bathroom since we’d been showering and I felt my cheeks burn.

“It’s delicious,” she moaned, continuing without a care of the possibility that someone else might be listening. “There’s nothing more freeing than the feel of a great big body of cool water surrounding your naked flesh.”

“You’ve been?” I asked, already knowing the answer. It was clear enough by the way she talked about it that she most definitely had been skinny-dipping.

“Yep.” She stated without even a hint of shame. I heard her water run out and then I heard the jingle of fingers fumbling for another coin. “I went with a girlfriend on a dare one summer at her parents cabin. I was fifteen and I loved every minute of it. Now, I do it every time I’m alone by a lake at night. Sometimes I just drive until I find a lake and then I go,” she paused for a moment before continuing. “As soon as the water envelops my body I’m lost to everything that’s bothering me. It’s cleansing in a way that I just can’t explain.”

“Oh,” I added another toonie to the wall withholding warm water and muttered, “Sounds nice.”

I reached for my razor, figuring I may as well shave my legs while I was in the shower. So when Raina spoke again, it was a wonder that I didn’t cut myself at the meaning of her words.

“You should go tonight,” she announced. “With Austin.”

I stood up straight and stared at the wall I knew held Raina on the other side. “Um,”

She didn’t give me time to reject her proposal before adding. “You’ll love it. And Austin will
love
it, if you know what I mean.”

I blushed. “I don’t even know how I would go about broaching that subject, Raina.”

“Just say you want to go for a night swim. He’ll be all about that.” She giggled. “Besides, that boy will follow you anywhere.”

“And how do I get him to take his clothes off for a swim?”

“Use your imagination, babe.”

“Raina,” I huffed, already feeling stressed and I was only considering this. I couldn’t possibly do it if I was already this worked up over—well, nothing.

“All right,” Raina sighed, taking pity on me. “I’ll tell you what you’re going to do.”

“When you’re at the water’s edge, just drop your dress.”
Raina’s words kept echoing in my mind for the rest of the day. I literally could not stop thinking about going to the lake with Austin at night, and swimming—
naked.

She told me to wear a dress with straps that would be easy enough to just slip off—so that’s what I was going to do.

We went to bed and Raina made googly eyes at me as she convinced Kaiden to take an early night. I’ve been laying here with a pounding heart for what felt like forever and a day. Austin tried for a make-out session when we’d gone to bed, but all I could think of was getting to the lake, and he could tell that the kissing just wasn’t holding my mind. So he pulled me close, wished me sweet dreams, and fell into sleep.

Now, the camp was quiet and my heart was pounding so hard I feared it might just wake Austin and screw with my plans. So, I crept slowly from under his arm. I watched him closely the whole time I stripped before pulling a loose tank top dress over my head. When I’d calmed my breathing enough that I thought I might actually be able to mutter a coherent sentence, I leaned over him and whispered his name.

“Austin,” I pressed my lips to his and spoke again. “Austin? Wake up.”

His blue eyes fluttered and I leaned back to smile down at him. Confusion knitted his brows. “Madison?” He propped himself up on his elbows. “Everything okay?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

“What are you doing?” He was alert now. His eyes moved from my face, over the dress that I hadn’t been wearing when we’d gone to bed. “You changed.”

“Yeah, I did,” I reached down to grab his hand. “How do you feel about going for a night swim?”

He grinned and my heart flipped. “Don’t think you’ve ever had a better idea.”

“Okay,” I moved to the door of the tent and said, “Get your shorts on. I’ll wait outside.”

He nodded and I moved quickly to the door of the tent. The nerves I felt tormenting my insides only tripled in mass during the couple minutes I waited for Austin to change. I was a near mess when he appeared from the tent, shaking out his long-ish hair that looked a deep charcoal beneath the night sky.

He was carrying two towels, something I noted I would have stupidly forgotten in my haste to get this started. At the thought, I felt a blush rise in my throat before spreading into my cheeks. I thanked small blessings that it was night, and more than likely, Austin couldn’t see the new warmth in my face.

“Going to add a few logs to the fire, sweetheart.” He said quietly, moving to the pile of wood he and Kaiden had formed.

“Why?”

“Probably going to be cold by the time we’re done with our swim. You’ll want to get warm by the fire before we call it a night.”

Well, that made sense. “Oh, okay.”

He cocked an amused grin as he tossed a few logs onto the burning coals. Then he moved toward me, reached for my hand, and started walking toward the lake.

I was a mess.

Being that I was such a mess, I decided to focus on my surroundings. As we walked through the trees toward the lake, the Rocky Mountains came into clear view as the trees thinned, parting for the water. It was beautiful. My breath caught at the image nature had crafted in this place. The mountains were massive and imposing beneath the black blanket that was speckled with shimmering stars, I almost forgot what I intended to do—almost, but not quite.

Therefore, I concentrated more on the land I loved and knew I would forever love from this moment on. Even though it was August and the days were impossibly hot, the tips of the gray stone were capped in white. Against the light of the moon, the white of the snow that covered the tops and surged down in the deep crevices of the mountains appeared an almost iridescent blue that was so light it rivaled silver. The lake shimmered beneath the glimmering sky, giving an almost ethereal feel to the big clear body of liquid glass.

The beach wasn’t exactly sandy, but it wasn’t absent of sand either. Rocks, some big and some small were imbedded in the soft pale powder of the earth. As I moved to the edge of the water with Austin’s big hand holding mine, I couldn’t ignore the jumping of my heart in my chest.

I was nervous, but I also knew that alongside the nerves I felt inside of me, I was excited. I was more than excited. I couldn’t wait.

“It’s beautiful here,” Austin mused. His deep voice was a gentle rumble in the sounds of the night.

I agreed. “It is.”

“This is one of my favorite places, Madison.” He looked down into my eyes. “I think this is the place I’d like to be if I could choose where my forever lived.” His hand caught my chin between his fingers. “I’d be right here—part of these mountains. Strong and imposing and yet filled with peace.” He lowered his lips to mine. “I’d stay here.”

I didn’t know what to say to him in this moment. I mean, what does one say to such a beautiful and yet chilling admission? So I didn’t say anything at all. I just let him kiss me.

I lost myself in his kiss.

I lost my hesitation.

I forgot my fear.

I gained bravery.

When he pulled away, I knew what I wanted.

“
When you’re at the water’s edge, just drop your dress.”
Her words fluttered back through my mind and I smiled, stepping back from Austin.

“Are you ready to go swimming?”

He grinned. “With you? Always.”

Drawing in a breath, I slipped my arms from the straps of my dress and I let it fall.

At the sound of my dress tumbling in a pile of fabric on the rocky sand at the water’s edge, and Austin’s caught breath in the back of his throat, I felt my chest rise and fall. I’d never done this before—bared my body to a man. I was surprised to find that now, as I stood before Austin, entirely exposed, I felt safe and beautiful. I felt powerful and delicate and pure. I felt like I was his.

And God, I loved feeling like I was his . . .

“Madison,” my name on his lips was hoarse. His eyes moved slowly over my body and I let him take me in—my face, throat, chest, breasts, and stomach. And further down over my hips, the V between my thighs, my legs, feet, and toes. Every inch of my body, his eyes claimed. “You,” his eyes moved back up to meet mine. “You’re beautiful.”

My heart rushed in my chest as his eyes moved once again down the length of me. This time, when they slowed over the swell of my breasts, my nipples hardened at the heat flaring in his eyes. I knew he liked the physical reaction my body had to him because his lips parted and a groan sounded from the deep of his throat.

When he spoke, his words were a growl. “Get in the water.”

I set to doing exactly what I was told. Stepping into the water, I noted that it was surprisingly warm. It wasn’t heated or anything, but the night had grown cool with the absence of the sun and because of that, the water felt warmer than usual.

I hurried into the water, eager to cover myself now that I was moving. When the water reached my thighs, I let my legs bend and I lowered my body into the water.

Raina had been right—this was heaven. It was freeing in a way one would never expect. It was wonderful.

The water glided over my skin like cool silk. I could see the pale white of my body from the crystal clear water and I thought that I looked really very lovely, almost angelic, as my skin glowed deep within the water from the silvery light of the moon.

Then I felt my eyes move to where Austin stood watching me on the waters edge. I could see from where I was in the water that his eyes were warm with the heat of want. Something about knowing that he wanted me made my stomach clench.

He kept his eyes on my face as his hands moved to the ties of his shorts. I had a feeling that he was watching me for any signs that I may not be ready for this. But I gave him none. I was ready. This wasn’t about age or how long we’ve been together. This was about feeling. Instinct. I knew, that although we’ve only actually known each other for a month and a half including the first eight days where I avoided him like the plague, we were meant to be, right here, where we were.

Austin’s hands flexed as he pulled the ties of his shorts loose, and I watched, with my breath caught in my throat, as they fell from his narrow hips to the pale sand where my dress currently lay.

And then Austin was naked.

I felt breathless, nervous, and excited all in one. My heart was hammering a thousand miles per hour and my blood was rushing to every surface of my body—making me feel as though I’d been lit on fire. I’d never seen a naked man—in the flesh. I had never, not for one moment, believed that a naked man could be so beautiful. But Austin was.

He stepped forward into the water and I couldn’t help but think he looked like a dark angel. Not a bad or evil angel; just dark. Haunted, even. A lock of long dark hair fell into his forehead and over one eye before he shook it out of his face. His angular jaw was set firmly and his blue eyes were pinned hotly on me as he moved deeper into the water. He made no motion to hide his body from me—not one part of it.