Page 20 of The Dating Ban (Mind the Corbin Brothers #1)

The Wettest Dry Hump in History

Theo

T he night is still. The stars stretch wide across the sky, their soft glow reflecting on the surface of the water. The air is cooler now, but the hot tub keeps me warm, the gentle hum of the jets filling the silence.

Everyone else has gone inside—Lucy, exhausted from all the excitement, had practically fallen asleep at the table.

Jasper, still milking his injury for all it was worth, had disappeared to the sofa with a whisky in his good hand.

Christa and Geoff had retreated to the kitchen, still locked in some ridiculous debate about burger toppings.

And Ivy…

I hear the faint creak of the door before I see her. Footsteps pad across the patio, slow and quiet. Then, her voice—soft, just above a whisper.

“Mind if I join you?”

I glance up .

She’s standing just at the edge of the terrace, wrapped in her dressing gown again, her hair slightly damp from earlier. The glow from the outdoor lights catches on the soft curve of her face, her eyes warm but hesitant.

I should say no.

I should tell her I was just about to head inside. That I’d had enough of the water. That I wasn’t sitting here thinking about things I shouldn’t be thinking about.

But I don’t say any of that.

Instead, I nod. “Yeah. Of course.”

For a moment, she doesn’t move. Then, slowly, her hands rise to the knot of her bathrobe, loosening it with a quiet pull.

As she shrugs it off, my brain short-circuits.

The soft fabric of her black swimsuit is clinging to the curves I have spent far too much time not thinking about. The light from the house casts a golden glow over her skin, and my mouth goes dry.

I look away fast, shifting in my seat like that’ll somehow manage to keep myself in check but my cock is not playing along. He has been through hell this afternoon and now that Ivy and I are alone, he is taking control.

She takes a seat on the edge, dipping a toe in first before slowly sinking into the water opposite me. A small sigh escapes her lips as she relaxes against the edge, letting the warmth envelop her.

“This is nice,” she murmurs.

I clear my throat, forcing my brain to function. “Yeah. Peaceful.”

She tilts her head back, gazing up at the sky. “It’s amazing how many stars you can see out here. It’s nothing like London. ”

I follow her gaze. She’s right. The sky out here is endless, speckled with stars so bright they almost don’t look real.

For a moment, we just sit there, the quiet stretching between us.

And I should leave it like that.

I should let this be nothing more than a peaceful, quiet moment between friends.

But I’m still too aware of her. The way the steam rises between us. The way the water shifts slightly every time she moves. The fact that if I stretched my leg even slightly, my knee would brush against hers.

I risk another glance at her, and for the first time tonight, she’s properly looking at me too.

And it’s different.

It’s not like before, not like the comfortable, easy looks we’ve shared a hundred times. There’s something charged about it, something that makes the air between us feel heavier.

Her lips part slightly, like she’s about to say something—

Then she blinks, looks away quickly, and rubs a hand over her arm, as if trying to shake whatever this is off.

I exhale slowly, running a hand through my damp hair, trying to ground myself. Trying to ignore the way my heart is pounding, the way my skin feels too warm, and not just from the water.

I should say something.

I should make a joke, cut through the tension, turn this back into what it should be—just a quiet moment between friends.

But before I can, something shifts.

I'm not sure who moves first .

Maybe she leans in. Maybe I do. Maybe it’s both, pulled together by something inevitable, something neither of us fully understands but neither of us wants to fight.

All I know is one second, we’re sitting there, barely breathing, too aware of the space between us.

And the next—

Her lips are on mine.

It’s soft at first, hesitant, like we’re both afraid to acknowledge what’s happening, afraid that the second we do, it’ll shatter.

But then she shifts closer, her hands finding my shoulders, her fingers pressing against my skin, and I lose every last thought in my head.

I kiss her back.

Properly.

There’s heat and something achingly familiar about it, but also something completely new. Her lips are soft, her breath is warm against mine, and the world outside of this moment ceases to exist.

I don’t think.

I just feel.

The way her fingertips dig into my skin, the way the water moves gently around us, the way she lets out the faintest, barely-there sigh against my mouth when I pull her just a little closer.

Ivy's body, wet and shining, moves smoothly as she straddles me.

My cock is hard and throbbing by now and she just must feel it when she settles into my lap.

Her hands grip my shoulders, nails digging slightly into my flesh, as she begins to ride me with a newfound ferocity. Dry humping in water, is that a thing ?

The hot water makes everything feel more intense as our bodies move together. My hands explore her curves, squeezing her arse and pulling her closer as our moans fill the steamy air.

"Oh, Ivy, you feel so fucking good," I groan, my eyes closing in ecstasy. "I love the way you move on me. So fucking hot. I wanted this so much."

Her confidence soars as she takes control, her breath coming in short, excited gasps. She leans forward, her breasts pressing against my chest, and whispers seductively, "I want to feel you. Show me what you can do, baby."

"You're mine, Ivy," I growl, my voice low and commanding. "I'm going to fuck you so hard, make you mine in every way."

Her body trembles, a mixture of pleasure and submission washing over her. She meets my gaze, her eyes shining with desire and trust, and nods slightly, encouraging me to take what I desire. I get rougher, grabbing her arse and pinching her nipples, making her gasp.

She wraps her legs around my waist, her arms around my neck, as I push the gusset of her bathing suit aside and slide my hard cock into her whilst our lips meet in a deep, hungry kiss.

Her breath hitches, her eyes fluttering shut, waves of pleasure washing over me.

My thrusts become more urgent, my muscles straining, as I drive into her with relentless passion.

"I'm gonna come, Theo," she whispers, her voice breathy and desperate. "I can't hold back, baby."

I feel her body clench around me and I almost lose it. I grip her tightly, my fingers digging into her arse, and I thrust harder into her warm pussy, my own orgasm building. The hot tub's water laps at our bodies .

"Come for me, Ivy," I growl, my voice hoarse. "Let's finish this together."

Her body shakes, her orgasm rippling through her. She cries out, her voice mingling with my deep groans as we reach our climax together. Our bodies shudder, our lips still locked, as our pleasure peaks.

Then, suddenly, it’s gone.

I open my eyes.

Steam curls around me, the heat pressing against my skin, but it’s not from the hot tub.

It’s from my shower. My dick is softening in my hand.

I inhale sharply, the sound of running water hitting the tiles snapping me back to reality.

My other hand is braced against the cool ceramic, droplets trailing down my arms, my forehead pressed against the wall as I let out a slow, shaky breath.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

It wasn’t real.

Just a fantasy. A moment my brain had conjured up so vividly that, for a second, I’d let myself believe it.

I squeeze my eyes shut, frustration curling deep in my chest.

Because as much as I want to pretend it was just some stupid thought, something that drifted in and out of my head, I know better.

It felt real.

Because I want it to be real.

And that? That’s a problem.

I take another breath, willing myself to shake it off. To let it go. To not think about the way Ivy’s lips had felt in my daydream, about the way she had leaned into me, like it was the most natural thing in the world .

It wasn’t real.

And that is the part that stings the most.

I force myself to stand up straight, running a hand over my face as the water continues to pour down over me. I need to get a grip.

Ivy is my friend.

She is off-limits.

No matter how good that kiss had felt in my head. No matter how much my heart is still hammering in my chest, like it hasn’t caught up to the fact that it was all a dream.

I reach for the shower tap, twisting it off with more force than necessary.

The water stops.

Reality settles in.

And I’m left standing here, completely alone.