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"Are you coming?" she asked, her voice teasing as she stepped out of her shorts, now completely naked.

I couldn't have looked away if I wanted to.

She was magnificent—all soft curves and feminine strength.

Her full breasts were tipped with dusky pink nipples that hardened in the night air, her waist curving into generous hips, and between her thighs, a neatly trimmed patch of blonde curls.

When she turned and waded into the water, I finally remembered how to move, shedding my clothes with considerably less grace.

The water welcomed us, cool silk against flushed skin. Didi dove beneath the surface, emerging with a gasp of pleasure, her hair slicked back from her face, water droplets clinging to her eyelashes.

"This feels incredible," she sighed, floating on her back. The water lapped at her curves, partially concealing, partially revealing her naked body.

I swam to her, drawn by an invisible current. When she righted herself, we were face to face, treading water, the space between us charged with anticipation.

"Hi," she whispered, a smile playing at her lips.

"Hi yourself," I replied, reaching out to brush a wet strand of hair from her cheek.

She leaned into my touch, her eyes never leaving mine. "I've been thinking about kissing you again all day," she confessed.

"Just thinking about it?" I teased, closing the distance between us.

"What are you going to do about it?" she challenged, her body against mine.

I answered by capturing her mouth with mine, tasting the cool lake water on her lips. She responded immediately, arms twining around my neck as I wrapped mine around her waist, drawing her closer. Our kiss in the gazebo had been exploration—this was hunger.

We drifted toward the shallows, where I could stand with the water at my waist. Didi wrapped her legs around me, the position bringing our bodies together. My cock, already hard, pressed against her center, and I groaned against her mouth as she rolled her hips, creating delicious friction.

"Fuck, you feel good," I murmured against her neck, trailing kisses along the sensitive skin.

"So do you," she gasped, her head falling back to give me better access. "I want to feel all of you, Noah."

I walked us to the shore, laying her gently on the small stretch of sand. The moonlight bathed her body in silver, making her skin glow. I took a moment to simply look at her—the rise and fall of her chest, the curve of her hips, the way her eyes darkened with desire.

"You're beautiful," I told her, voice rough with want.

She reached for me, pulling me down beside her. "Touch me," she demanded, guiding my hand to her breast.

I cupped the soft weight, brushing my thumb across her nipple. She arched into the touch, a soft moan escaping her. I captured her mouth again, deepening the kiss as my hand explored her body—the curve of her waist, the flare of her hip, the soft skin of her inner thigh.

"Noah," she whispered, my name a plea on her lips.

I kissed my way down her body, savoring every inch of her—the hollow of her throat, the curve of her breast, the soft plane of her stomach.

I took one nipple into my mouth, sucking gently before grazing it with my teeth.

She writhed beneath me, fingers tangling in my hair as I moved to give the other breast the same attention.

"More," she breathed, her hips lifting in invitation.

I continued my journey downward, trailing kisses across her ribs, dipping my tongue into her navel, following the fine trail of blonde hair to the apex of her thighs. When I reached her pussy, I glanced up to find her watching me, eyes heavy-lidded with desire.

"Is this okay?" I asked, my breath ghosting over her sensitive flesh.

"God, yes," she breathed, thighs falling open wider. "Please, Noah."

I settled between her legs, inhaling her arousal before tasting her with a broad stroke of my tongue.

She was already wet, her pussy glistening in the moonlight.

I took my time, using my tongue to explore every fold, every secret place, learning what made her gasp and what made her moan.

When I finally focused on her clit, circling the swollen bud with deliberate pressure, her hips bucked against my mouth.

"Fuck," she cried out, hands fisting in my hair.

I slid one finger inside her, then two, curling them to find the spot that made her back arch off the sand. Her inner walls gripped my fingers, hot and tight. I established a rhythm, fucking her with my fingers while my tongue continued its assault on her clit.

"Don't stop," she pleaded, grinding against my face. "Please don't stop. I'm so close."

I had no intention of stopping, not when she was coming apart so beautifully. I increased the pressure, feeling her pussy begin to pulse around my fingers as her thighs trembled on either side of my head.

"Noah!" she cried out as she came, her entire body tensing before dissolving into trembling release. Her pussy clenched rhythmically around my fingers as I gentled my touch, coaxing her through the waves of her orgasm.

I placed soft kisses on her inner thighs as she caught her breath, her body still quivering with aftershocks.

"Come here," she said after a moment, tugging at my shoulders.

I moved up her body, bracing myself above her. She pulled me down for a deep kiss, tasting herself on my lips. Her hand slid between us, wrapping around my cock with confident strokes.

"I want you inside me," she said, her voice husky with desire. "Now."

"You sure?" I asked, my cock throbbing in her grip.

In answer, she guided me to her entrance, eyes locked with mine. "Fuck me, Noah."

I pushed into her slowly, both of us groaning as I filled her inch by inch. Her pussy was slick and tight, gripping my cock like a velvet fist. When I was fully seated within her, I had to pause, the sensation almost overwhelming.

"You feel so good," I groaned, fighting the urge to move until she was ready. "So fucking tight."

She rocked her hips experimentally, drawing a harsh breath from me. "So do you. So big... God, Noah, move. Please."

I began to thrust, setting a slow pace that quickly built as her nails raked down my back, urging me on. She met each thrust, her legs wrapped around my waist, changing the angle to take me deeper.

"Harder," she demanded, her voice ragged. "Fuck me harder."

I complied, driving into her with increasing intensity.

The sound of our bodies meeting, the crash of the small waves on the shore, and our mingled breathing created a primal symphony.

I could feel my control slipping, the tight grip of her pussy around my cock driving me toward the edge faster than I wanted.

"Touch yourself," I commanded, needing her to come again before I lost it completely. "Make yourself come on my cock."

She slipped a hand between us, finding her clit with practiced ease. I watched, mesmerized, as she circled the swollen bud, her movements becoming more frantic as she chased her release.

"Oh God," she moaned, eyes widening. "I'm going to come again."

"That's it," I encouraged, feeling my own orgasm building at the base of my spine. "Come for me, Didi. Let me feel that tight pussy squeeze my cock."

Her body went taut beneath me, her back arching as she cried out my name. The pulsing of her pussy around my cock pushed me over the edge, my own orgasm tearing through me with unexpected intensity.

"Fuck," I groaned, burying my face in her neck as I emptied myself deep inside her, hips jerking with each pulse of pleasure.

For several minutes, we lay tangled together, catching our breath, the cool water occasionally lapping at our feet. I shifted to take my weight off her, but kept her close, unwilling to break the connection between us.

Didi traced idle patterns on my chest, her head resting on my shoulder. "That was..."

"Yeah," I agreed, knowing exactly what she meant.

We swam again afterward, washing away the sand and sweat, our touches gentler now but no less intimate. When we finally made our way back to the dock, I wrapped her in the towel I'd brought, then pulled on my shorts.

"You're shivering," I noticed, pulling her against me to share my warmth.

"Good shivering," she assured me with a smile that made my heart skip.

Back at the cabin, we fell into my bed without discussion, her body fitting perfectly against mine as if we'd been sleeping together for years rather than hours. I pulled the sheet over us, the air conditioning a relief after the humid night air.

"Noah?" she murmured, already half-asleep.

"Hmm?"

"Thank you for rescuing me from the heat."

I pressed a kiss to her temple, breathing in the scent of lake water and something uniquely Didi. "Anytime."

As she drifted off, I watched her sleep, memorizing the peaceful expression on her face, the way her hand curled against my chest, the soft sound of her breathing.

This wasn't what I'd planned. I was comfortable with my casual hookups and no-strings arrangements.

But Didi was quickly becoming something more than just a physical release, and somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew I should be concerned about her stalker situation—the threat that had driven her to Hope Peak in the first place.

But as I finally gave in to sleep, I couldn't bring myself to regret a single moment of our night together.

For the first time in years, I fell asleep without the weight of loneliness pressing down on me. Whatever tomorrow brought, tonight had been worth it.

***

I woke before dawn, my body attuned to early rising after years of habit. Didi was still asleep beside me, her blonde hair spread across my pillow, one arm thrown over my chest. In the dim light, she looked peaceful, the tension she usually carried completely absent.

Carefully, I slipped from the bed, not wanting to wake her. I pulled on a pair of a boxers and padded to the kitchen, starting coffee and gathering ingredients for breakfast. The simple domesticity of the moment wasn't lost on me—how natural it felt to be preparing a meal while she slept in my bed.

As the coffee brewed, I stood at the window, watching the first hints of sunrise color the eastern sky.

The lake was perfectly still, mirroring the gradual lightening of the heavens.

Another scorching day ahead, according to the weather report, but right now, in this moment of perfect peace, I couldn't bring myself to care.

I knew we needed to talk about what happened. About her stalker. About what this meant for us. About the fact that she would eventually return to Chicago and her life there.

But that conversation could wait. For now, I was content to make breakfast and carry it back to bed, to watch her wake slowly in the morning light, to steal a few more precious hours before reality intruded.

Whatever happened next, last night had changed something fundamental between us. And despite every instinct for self-preservation I'd cultivated since Jessica left, I couldn't regret it.