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“Local kids come and hang out sometimes, but they generally stick to that side. Here, closest to our property, is quieter.” I can see out of the corner of my eye him watching me take it all in.

I see a small area off to the side that’s a little flatter and stare at it for a beat.

“What?” he asks, and it isn’t lost on me that we’re still standing side by side and he hasn’t let go of my hand.

“I’m just thinking…” I say as my mind starts to whirl.

“Care to share?”

I take in a deep breath, trying not to let his impatience bother me.

“Can we utilize this space?” I point out where I’m looking.

He frowns, looking over it before nodding.

“It's on Victoria's land. It’s near our private pathway.”

“We could put a cold plunge pool here. Utilize this entire area for cold and hot plunges. It’s called contrast therapy, and it’s great for pain relief, improved blood flow. It reduces inflammation, stress…” I say, thinking out loud.

“We have enough room.” He doesn’t deny the idea, so I take that as a win.

“It also improves mood, so it might be good for you to use daily,” I say, not able to help myself, and his eyes whip to me, slight amusement in his gaze, though he remains silent.

I look back to the springs, noticing a small amount of steam rising from the water, and before I can think too hard about it, my body moves on autopilot as I let go of his hand and pull my clothes from my frame.

“What are you doing?” he asks as I kick off my shoes.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” I sass as I unbutton my shorts. While I’m aware of my size, it isn’t ever something I have hidden. Not until that disaster of a date I had a few months ago. But I’m here in this amazing place, and I can’t let this opportunity pass me by, just because some city douchebag decided he had a problem with my weight. While being in a bathing suit isn’t something I do often, I’m just going for a swim, and I have a one-piece on. Everything is covered.

“You’re going in?” He looks a little shocked, like a deer caught in headlights.

“Yeah, are you?” I ask him, because he certainly isn’t dressed like he is.

“No. I’m just showing you the place, not swimming,” he rushes out, looking at me, before looking away, and then looking back at me. I notice his hands running down his beard, his eyes aflame with what looks like panic.

“I need to try every treatment before we can assume others will want to pay for them. So yeah. Call it research, you’re good at that. Sure you aren’t coming?” I shimmy off my shorts and start undoing the buttons to my shirt before my fear takes over and I lose my confidence.

“No,” is all he says, eyes darting all around the springs as I open my shirt and pull it from my frame. The sun is nice on my bare skin, and I take a deep breath in, quickly tiptoeing into the water before he turns around to look at me again. I’m not ashamed of my body, but being in a swimsuit right in front of him isn’t something that my confidence levels are ready for just yet.

“Suit yourself,” I say on a sigh as the warm water pulls me in deeper, and I fully submerge myself. This is the best warm bath ever, and I’m so glad I got in. I open my eyes and look at Connor. He’s rigid, standing on the edge of the water like he’s been bitten by a million bees. Shaking off my concerns with him, I close my eyes and lean my head back, my body floating on the top of the water.

This is bliss.

18

CONNOR

Fuck me.

I have no idea what I did to piss God off, but he’s sure making me pay today.

Spending the day with the woman I can’t get out of my mind is one thing. Seeing her half-naked right in front of me and being unable to touch her is a completely different level of control I wasn’t sure I had. I grit my teeth and swallow hard as she lies back in the water like she’s sleeping. Completely afloat, totally at ease, her beautiful curves on full display. Meanwhile, my dick is rock-hard and straining against my zipper and has been ever since I glimpsed her glorious round ass poking out from her swimwear as she stripped off her clothes.

My eyes canvass the area for the millionth time. If anyone else was here, I would have thrown that towel around her so quickly she wouldn’t have known what hit her. No one else can see her like this, and as it is, I shouldn’t be looking.

But I am. Fuck, seeing her every day in her yoga gear is one thing, but seeing her ass out, her pale peaches and cream skin, and her full tits almost falling out of her swimsuit has my mouth watering. She’s confident in her body, and I like that. Yet another thing to add to myThingsI love about Daisylist that’s growing daily.

“You sure you don’t want to come in?” she asks again, and my eyes meet hers.Oh, I want to come, alright. Right down her pretty little throat.