Page 12 of Unrivaled Love (D.C. Renegades #2)

Jo

Naked and Dripping Wet, Again.

I'm out of breath from laughter when the line finally snaps. I knew he was going to find a way to cut it and free his clothes. But, holy shit, watching naked Bryson move through the yarn maze was incredible. Core memory level stuff.

And it was good for me to see him naked and vulnerable because his body has grown and matured just like his face has. Even a month after his season you can tell he’s in peak physical form.

But then again, I am too.

Laughing and running is a different type of cardio training so I take a second to balance my hands on my knees as I catch my breath. When I stand, I take in the surroundings.

I absolutely stewed this morning. First, I ate one of his protein bars because the fridge is still wrapped up and then I swapped his protein powder for flour I found in the back of a cupboard he didn’t entangle tight enough.

He better plan to replace all of Mom’s yarn. She’s going to be pissed.

I balance the fishing rod against a tree and settle my hands on my hips.

I forgot how beautiful it is out here. Salt Lake City is beautiful with the mountains in the distance but it is an entirely different thing to be in them like this.

I haven’t taken a break during the season to join the family in the summer.

And, usually Bryson is here because it’s his off season which is all the reason I need to stay away .

I spend winters here when the families come because that’s my off season and I do try to take at least one week “off” each year.

Even though it’s been years since I’ve been here in the summer, the memories come flooding back as I wind my way through the trails around the house.

This is the type of relaxation I needed.

Time outdoors, letting the natural world soothe me.

My parents would start their day with a hike and when I was a teenager I'd join them. We'd pass the lake on our way out and then proceed to the top of the adjacent peak. It was a few hours total and I learned to see my parents as people during those hikes, not just parents.

They'd talk about work, friends, meals to cook, and memories. I'm sure my siblings and I were causing them worries too but they never discussed that while I was with them.

They'd ask me about school and the team and my goals and plans for the future.

Never about boys.

I'm not sure it even dawned on them that I was harboring a massive crush on Bryson back then.

He was a year older in school and I didn't notice the way he changed because I saw him nearly every day.

But there was one summer, one hike, where it all changed.

I can remember like it happened yesterday.

It was the summer after Bryson’s senior year, the one before mine.

I think my subconscious knew. I think my body had an inkling.

But I remember the day my brain figured it out and the way my body lit up.

I had walked with my parents on our first morning in the mountains.

Al was back at the house with Kaitlyn making friendship bracelets but I couldn’t sit still.

Bryson, Mason, and Chris had been out mountain biking through the trails.

My parents made their way back to the house and I stayed out at the lake, just a little past the clearing we used to access the shore.

I couldn’t tell you why I decided to sit and watch the water ripple in the light breeze but it was a pivotal moment for young Josephine.

The boys came crashing through the woods on their bikes and stopped at the clearing.

“Should we go back for trunks?” Chris asks as he unclips his helmet.

“Nah, just strip! No one else is around.” Bryson urges. I blink away and cover my eyes. The last thing I want to see is my brother naked.

“Last one in has to do the dishes!” Mason yells before I hear a splash.

“No fair! I had shoes-that-tie on!” Chris complains.

“That’s your fault!” Bryson laughs and I hear another splash.

“Damnit.” Chris grumbles before he splashes into the water too.

Slowly I turn my head and peek open an eye; curiosity getting the best of me.

All I can see are heads and shoulders and it’s easy to forget their penises are floating around in the water.

Gross.

They’re splashing each other and Bryson jumps onto Mason’s shoulders to sink him and I get a flash of bright white butt cheeks.

Not gross.

Which surprises me.

“Should we race to the rock?” Bryson asks.

“Do I get a chance to pass off dish duty?” Chris asks.

“Sure, you beat me there and I’ll do the dishes tonight.” Bryson says.

“Oh it’s on! Ready, set, GO!” Chris yells before windmilling his arms and full out sprinting towards the outcropping of rocks about fifty yards away.

Mason splashes after him but Bryson doesn’t go anywhere.

I watch as he turns and swims to shore. When he stands, I swear the light reflects off each droplet of water making him shimmer.

And each inch of revealed skin is an awakening for me .

First his chest and man nipples. Why do I want to touch them?

Then his stomach is unveiled and I had no idea that’s what was under his shirts this whole time. Why do I want to lick his belly?

My eyes venture lower and, ohmygod, that’s his penis.

It’s the biggest penis I’ve ever seen in real life.

Well, the only, but still.

I stare as he leaves the water and walks, majestic in his nakedness, to the piles of clothes they left behind.

I regret it when he steps into his shorts but still admire his butt in the fabric.

Then he scoops up all the clothing and starts to run.

A laugh cracks out of me and I slap my hand over my mouth to trap it.

Chris and Mason are on their way back from the rock and see Bryson taking off. They’re yelling at him to come back as they swim back to shore as fast as they can. I duck back a little further into the woods and then turn away as they get out and run after him.

It’s going to be difficult to look at Bryson again and not picture him dripping wet and naked.

My trip down memory lane must have guided my feet because I am at the edge of the lake. The sun's light dapples through the trees and I feel those memories in the air around me. I realize I saw Bryson dripping wet and naked again today but it felt different this time.

That was the trip that started it all.

And it had to start for it to end.

There's a fallen log that overlooks the lake. We would leave our shoes and coverups on it years ago. Today I sit down on it and stare out at the lake.

I close my eyes and take a long inhale. It doesn't quite fill my lungs but it's close. This is my baseline. I measure the tightness in my chest again and I inhale and exhale. By the end of my suspension I'll need to be able to take a deep breath without any restriction in my chest. That’s the goal.

I'll add in some yoga to connect my breath with my movements. More hikes will help too. There's a treadmill in the basement and I'll put in some miles.

Without my permission my mind drifts to Pee Pee.

I know I was the aggressor but why isn't she getting a suspension?

She was conniving and deceitful and said one thing to my face and another behind my back.

It's the worst kind of pain to know.

Betrayal.

To put your trust in someone only to have it ripped away when you learn what's really in their head.

I sigh and roll my head from side to side.

I don't think I'm referring to Pee Pee anymore.

No, the feelings that are stirring in my belly are the ones I've been battling for years.

The one caused by my roommate.

More like roomhate.

Ha, I read that in a book once.

My stomach growls and I curse the sky because I still can't get into the fridge.

I guess I worked up an appetite waiting in the closet of his bedroom for him to come in and shower. I saw him out in the woods working up a sweat when I went to the garage for the fishing rod. Then I hunkered down and bided my time.

Oh, and I dropped one more surprise for Bryson that he’ll find tonight.

The smile spreads across my face again as I remember how he stormed out naked and watched his clothing rise to the rafters.

In a prank war, Bryson has the advantage. He was always pulling shit with the boys when we were younger. I'm going to have to up my game .

I brush off my ass and walk back to the house.

While we obviously can't stand each other, I hope he's cool to just let us both chill this afternoon.

The house is big enough. One of us could be on the patio and the other inside.

Or even out on the front porch. Or in our bedrooms, even if mine is the stinky bunk room.

The house comes into view and all I want to do is sit and read.

When Raven Squall was released I was in the thick of pre-season training, then the season started and with the US Team in the mix too I haven’t had any downtime.

It’s been a grind, and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to play for a World Cup but that doesn’t mean it’s any less work.

Bryson will say the NHL schedule is harder with multiple games a week and practices in between but I'm training Monday through Friday for twelve hours and then adding in the US team bonding and practices on top of my weekly games.

And if I hadn't been suspended I'd be training now.

All of that to say, I haven’t had a chance to sit and read the latest release and I am dying to get my hands on it.

A quick glance tells me Bryson isn't around so I stop at my car and grab the book. I settle in on the rocking chair on the front porch and read until my stomach grumbles again.

Should I just go to the store and buy more food? And a cooler? And a bag of ice?

Ugh, that feels like such a hassle.

There's got to be a sharp object around here somewhere.