Chapter 35

Richie pulled into traffic, one eye on Mel as she messed with the knobs on the radio. What was she doing? She didn't even like music! He didn't even think when he'd started feeding her the sake’ that she probably wasn’t much of a drinker, hell if what Shannon told Jon was true she probably hadn’t drank since she left Jersey. He'd only meant to introduce her to some exotic foods, new experiences and ok, maybe get her a little fuzzy, warmed up, and relaxed.....not drunk!

She finally found the right station and grinned as the music blasted into the car. Damn she hadn't heard this stuff in ages. Twisting in her seat she lifted a hand and slid in closer, her hand fluffing through his hair and along his neck. "Ya sure we can't, like go dancing or, hey lets find Anderson’s Pond. You still owe me that race you know."

He leaned into her touch as much as he was able while still driving. She was so touchy feely all drunk, he was beginning to like this. "Race??? what race?"

She leaned in closer to his ear and started to nibble. "Remember? Oh man, the bet that day, the skinny dip race. You said I wasn't brave enough, I’d never do it, then we moved and well... I wanna prove ya wrong Dork.. I will so race ya. Anderson's Pond. Whatcha say huh huh?" She inhaled deeply, her nose brushing over his neck agonizingly slow. "Wanna?"

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "Ya wanna go race at Anderson’s Pond?" He wasn’t sure he heard her right. "Then go skinny dippin?"

She blew a soft breath over his neck, her hands walking along his arms only to slide inside his shirt. "Nooo skinny dip race.. oh come on, you know swimming, racing and naked all in one go?"

He groaned as her hands slid over his skin, damn was she comin' out of her shell or what! "Baby anything naked, I'm up for.. you sure your ok though?" He eyed her cautiously.

"I wanna swim, I feel all warm and toasty." She slid over to her side and rolled the window down only to move up and nearly stand outside of the window. Waving her arms she gave a soft whoop of laughter. "Oh man come on.. we haven’t partied in the longest time!"

"HEY!" His heart nearly jumped out his throat as he reached one hand over to grab the back of her dress and pull her gently back into the car. "Damn Mel," he laughed. "Ok ok we'll party, just don't jump out the window in the process ok??"

She slid back over and leaned against his shoulder, and started to grin. "Promise?" Damn she'd missed this, their getting into trouble, hell she'd missed their fights. With a waggle of the brow, her hand slid lower to brush over his lap. "You could always find the best party, the best trouble."

"Promise,” he grinned as he turned onto the old road to Anderson’s Pond. "I can still find the best parties Mel, but I don't know how much you'd like ‘em. They are like the old ones."

Her fingers tiptoed over his lap as she kept grinning. "Oh I just said I hated them. Kinda funny watching your nose get all red when you got all high and stuff. You’d forget what people where thinking and get all cuddly." She glanced back at the window and thought about scaring him again. Damn it, always had him ready to yell when she pretended to fly.

"My nose don't get red when I'm high, does it?" He grinned as he grabbed the hand that was tip toeing across his thighs and pressed it, palm down, firmly into his groin.

She grinned and started making soft circular motions with her palm. "Oh yeah big glassy eyes and your nose and cheeks get as red as a cherry almost. There’s no way for you to hide it."

"Mmmm" he wiggled his hips into her palm. "I'm gonna have to actually look next time I get all fucked up,” he groaned slightly as her palm circled his lap again, “Damn that feels good baby."

Her hand skittered away and she turned back to the window a moment. "Why don’t you have a convertible?" She grinned as the car stopped next to the lake, her body slipping from the car as she made a mad dash for the little pier. "SLOW POKE!"

He groaned and let his head fall back on the neck rest. Damn her hand felt like heaven and she had to stop. He opened the door and folded himself out of the car following her. "I dunno Jon’s got the convertible. I'm more of a BIG flashy kinda guy," he grinned and raised his eyebrows when he said big.

She twirled closer, her fingers dripping clothes as she stripped. "Someone’s too over dressed for swimming."

He stood arms akimbo just taking her in , the freeness of her, her smile, her fluid body movements. She was like a wood nymph, her hair blowing in the warm breeze as her clothes fluttered to the ground. "God damn Mel you make me crazy," he breathed.

She leaned in, her fingers pulling his shirt up, her lips tracing the skin revealed as the cloth vanished. "That's the idea. Was the only way to get your attention Dork." She'd had to work hard to get his mind off music or whatever held that scattered fancy of his even at six years old. Driving him nuts had always done it.

He quickly shed his shirt and placed his hands on her already bare shoulders, fingers splayed he kneaded gently and reveled in the feel of her lips on his skin "All you gotta do to get my attention Mel is breathe," he said huskily.

She breathed out slowly, her hands dipping to undo his zipper. With a flash of a grin she whirled and ran for the end of the pier and jumped in. "Shit its cold!" she screeched and did a flip before starting to swim to the small float in the middle of the lake.

"What the..." he laughed at her antics before quickly shedding the rest of his clothes and following after her. As he came up from the water he sputtered," Shit! Talk about shriveled." He treaded water looking around for her. "Where'd ya go?"

She slipped through the water easily, the devil riding her shoulder as she moved up behind him and pulled him under. She set back off towards the float as he came up for air spluttering. "Gotcha!"

"Oh you little!!" he took off thru the water laughing and grabbed her ankle in less than two strokes of his long body. "Now I gotcha!" He yanked and pulled her under. As she came up he grabbed her and pulled against his naked form thankful his feet could still touch the bottom.

Her arms slipped around his neck as she laughed. “Shit you got faster."

His hands slipped over her slick skin caressing with the water he dipped his head to her shoulder and took a nibble "Nah.. I just stopped letting you win."

A single brow lifted as she pushed at his chest and fell back, her arms beginning to churn the water as she angled for the middle of the lake. "No you did Not!"

"Oh yes I did!" He took off after her and caught her again with no trouble.

She turned and pushed up onto the wooden float and lay back. "Well hell, You Dork! Not supposed to do that."

He grinned, his brows waggling. "Sorry?" He lied as he hoisted himself up beside her.

He leaned over her and trailed his fingers over her abdomen slowly, making haphazard patterns in the water drops on her skin.

She watched as he slid closer, his body warm against her water chilled skin. Lifting one finger she traced his lips and smiled. "I missed the trouble you know."