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“Sure is,” he reinforced.

“Alright. Let’s do this!” she rubbed her hands together in excitement. Walking to the tree, she had no idea what she was doing.

“So … how does this work exactly? Like, when do I let go?” she asked.

All three guys looked at her as if she spoke another language.

“You just jump on and let go when you’re over the water,” Jace stated like it was common knowledge.

She popped her hip out, a dirt filled brow raised high. “Excuse me, but we don’t have rope swings where I’m from, homeboy. This is a first for me.”

John’s lips formed a thin line as he tried to suppress his grin.

“John,” Jace said. “Your girl has some serious attitude.”

“And that’s a problem?” he asked jokingly. “I kind of dig her sassy mouth.”

Alyssa smiled, her eyes lighting up.

“I think you should wash her mouth out.”

Alyssa snapped her head to John. “Try it and your balls are mine.”

Ford and Jace turned around giving their backs to them to stifle a laugh.

“I’d give the whole package to you any day, sugar,” John wiggled his brows, his eyes gleaming. “All you gotta do is ask. It’s usually one and you’re done kind of thing, but for you I’d make an exception. Want it again?”

Jace and Ford turned back around with their mouths hanging open. Alyssa was seeing red. She was going to have his balls alright. She was going to crush them the next chance she got.

“Meh. It wasn’t as good as you thought.” She retorted. “I’ll pass. But thanks for the offer.”

That wiped the smirk off John’s face. “Take that back,” he stalked toward her.

“No,” she backed up with each step he took.

“Yes.”

“Nope.” Alyssa took off running. John followed closely and caught up to her. He stopped to pick up a handful of mud. He mashed it in his hands, going back and forth like he was forming a ball and then chucked it hard at Alyssa, hitting her back. She stopped and hit the floor. All John could do was laugh.

He got up and walked over to her, kind of feeling bad. Laughing at her hunched over back because he just couldn’t help it, he said, “I’m sorry. Let’s get you cleaned up,” and reached for her. As he did, Alyssa turned over and threw a giant mud ball right in his face, and then she got up

and booked it.

John stood tall, taking the hit and wiping the mud from his face as his friends laughed nearby.

“That’s what you get!” she exclaimed, laughing ten feet away.

“Touché,” he said. “Come on,” he held a hand out. “I’m serious. Let’s get you cleaned up. I know how much you hate getting dirty. I’ll show you how it’s done.”

Walking back over to the tree swing, John gripped the bottom of the rope.

“Grip this as high as you can. Wrap your legs around it the way you would wrap your legs around my—”

“JOHN!”

“And once you reach your climax, let go,” he joked.

“I swear, I’m going to kill you in your sleep.”