by Lucia Franco
Alyssa smacked his side and stood. “He’s such a liar.” She went to step down, but paused.
“Well, what are you waitin’ for? Step down,” Jace goaded.
Alyssa hesitated. The red clay looked like it would swallow her whole. It reminded her of quicksand. Maybe she should have worn boots? And maybe some jeans?
As Alyssa dipped her toe in the mud, she was nudged from behind and lost her balance. Instead of stepping into the mud, she swiftly stepped onto Jace’s ATV and into his arms.
“Looks like your girl is scared of a little mud, Johnny boy,” Jace snickered. Jace slid his arm around Alyssa’s slim waist and positioned her on his knee where she went willingly.
“I’m not his girl.”
For some reason, that stung John, but he brushed it away. “I’m sorry.”
“Take your sorry and shove it. I’m going to ride with Jace now.” She pretended she was mad.
“Like hell you are.” John reached for Alyssa, and she quickly pulled away. A small smile tipped her lips, but she quickly hid it.
With sugar coated words, Alyssa asked, “Take me for a ride, Jace?”
“Well, sure, my darlin’,” and he started his four wheeler.
“Jace,” John warned. He reached for Alyssa, but she removed herself from Jace’s knee. “Get over here, Alyssa. You’re with me.”
Because, she was.
Alyssa paused behind Jace, using him as a barrier. “Make me,” she said, and then took off running. She could not believe she was running in mud. Of all things.
“You better get back here,” John yelled from behind, trailing her.
Alyssa looked over her shoulder and her eyes widened. John was catching up to her. She was small and ran fast, but John’s long legs were no match for her. She wasn’t used to running in this kind of dirt, but she picked her knees up and ran as hard and as fast as she could. Splats of mud hit her thighs and back and into her hair, but she didn’t care in that moment. As she zig-zagged, John cursed behind her and she laughed. Just as she gained a little distance between them, Jace swooped up and drove next to her on his ATV. “Get on!” he roared over the engine and held a hand out to her.
Alyssa hopped on the foot rests of Jace’s ATV and held on for dear life. Looking over her shoulder, she grinned when he stopped running. He shook his head, one brow raised and turned around and headed back to his ATV.
But then she and Jace made a U-turn … and headed straight for John.
“What …” she stammered. “What are you doing? Go the other way,” she pleaded.
Jace slowed down. “What are you doing?” She tapped his shoulder furiously. “Keep going!”
“You really didn’t think I’d screw over my boy like that, did you?”
“Well, no, but I didn’t think you’d hand me over either!”
“You thought wrong, sugar plum.” Looking at John, Jace said, “She’s all yours.”
“Gladly,” John said. He stepped off his ATV and grabbed Alyssa by the waist. She looked pissed at Jace, furious even. It was quite comical. Lifting her up, he brought her to the front of his chest.
“Where are you going?” she wrapped her legs around his waist, her arms going around his neck.
“Oh, nowhere,” he trailed. Three long steps, he stopped. Looking over her shoulder, Jace bent over and grabbed a hand full of mud in his hands.
“I’m just going to get you used to the mud before we get going,” he raised an eyebrow, and grinned. She tried to slide her legs down his waist, but John wouldn’t let go. He held her too tight to wiggle out of his hold.
“Let go of me.”
“In a minute …” Just then, Jace slapped mud to her cheeks, rubbing it in. Alyssa gasped loudly, her mouth dropping open and her eyes popping wide. Her legs tightened around John as hard as she could squeeze as Jace ran both hands down her neck, over her shoulders and down her sides.
“We’re just warming you up,” John eyes twinkled with laughter and he lowered to his knees.
“What … what are you doing?” she asked suspiciously as John sunk to his knees. “I swear to God, I will kill you if you do this!”
“I told you—gettin’ you warmed up.” John pressed Alyssa into the mud and lay on top of her. She squealed loud and he just laughed. Jace rubbed some mud in her hair and she decided she was going to kill them both. Those little assholes. If they thought they could get away with this, well, they had another thing coming. Especially John. She could easily torture him.
Pushing John off her, Alyssa stood up and threaded her fingers through her hair, trying to run some of the mud out. As if it would help. “Laugh it up, boys. You’ll get what’s coming to you one day. Mark my words.”
Jace and John both chuckled. As if she could do anything.
“Now that you’re ready,” Ford strolled up, “Would you like a cold one before we get started?”
John shrugged, “You know I would.”
“I guess.”
Alyssa watched as Ford reached behind him and grabbed two cold beers. He stuck each cap in his mouth, popping the tops off with his teeth. He handed one to her and then one to John and Jace.
Mortified, Alyssa said, “I can’t believe you just popped that off with your teeth.”
“Better believe it, baby.”
“And girls actually like that down here?” Ford nodded with a half-grin. His boy next door charm was strong, his smile lit up his face.
After they chugged their beers, they deposited them into Jace’s bag. “Let me put these in the garbage and then we can get going. Sound good?” John nodded and took Alyssa’s hand, tugging her behind him until they got to their spot.
Hours later, Alyssa was having the time of her life. She laughed so much that her stomach ached and her cheeks burned. She had no idea what time it was, and she didn’t care. She was having a blast and didn’t want the day to end. Dirt covered the four of them from head to toe and her clothes were ruined. She couldn’t remember the last time she had any kind of fun with friends, and she had John to thank for that.
“Do you think I could drive it?”
After their tumble this morning, Alyssa wanted to keep things friendly between them, but when John reached behind his head and pulled his shirt at his nape and yanked it off, Alyssa couldn’t stop staring at his body. John was solid with slight indentations on his stomach and hips. She couldn’t believe she was thinking it, but him covered in dirt was pretty damn hot. She wanted to be the one to wash it away.
John hesitated before he nodded. “Let’s see what you got.”
He climbed on behind her, instructing what to do. John leaned in close, her back to his chest and grabbed the handle bars. The heat of his delectable body caused a flutter to hum through her and she fought the urge not to lean into him.
“Alright,” he drawled, “this is the accelerator.” John thumbed it to show her. “Here are the brakes,” he squeezed the bars. “And if you look down, this is the clutch.”
“This thing has different gears? Oh shit. I’ll never learn now.”
John chuckled, his breath tickling her neck. Alyssa fought to shake off the effect he had on her. “Yes, you will, honey. It’s easy. Now place your hands here and your feet on top of mine.” John scooted closer and her heart sped up. His bare arms boxed her in and his thighs hugged her from behind. The hardness pressing on her lower back could not go unnoticed. Her body lit up and moisture pooled between her legs. John’s hands rested on hers. He flicked on the ignition and cranked the gas with her hands under his. Gently, he eased into first gear and pressed on the accelerator.
“Listen to the engine closely. You can hear when it’s ready to shift into second gear. It kind of just reaches its max and you’ll know …”
Alyssa listened but wasn’t sure if she was hearing right. “Right there?”
John nodded. “Yup. Now, you’re going to flick the clutch with your foot and then gently apply the accelerator.”
Alyssa did as he said, petrified
she was going to screw up somehow and stall. “You’re doing great. Now just ride slow so you get used to it.”
John removed his hands from hers. He slid them up her outer thighs and placed them on her hips with a light squeeze. He wasn’t sure what he was doing or why, but he wanted to be as close as he could to her.
Alyssa curved around holes and passed hills, probably afraid to chance those. He began to massage her hips and lower back. Her body tensed at first, then slowly unwound under his touch. His cock was hard and he was pretty sure she could feel it, but teaching her to ride his ATV was hot as hell and it turned him on.
“You can go through a hole if you want.”
Alyssa nodded. She turned around, passing Jace who wore a grin on his face, and aimed for a large pot hole. Adrenaline tore through her as she took a deep breath and rode straight for the puddle. The opening was much deeper than she thought. Thick mud flew up and splattered all over and when they came out of it, she bounced off the seat. John wrapped an arm around her waist and then took over since she decided to stop riding mid-way.
Alyssa turned half way and smiled brightly over her shoulder. “That was so much fun! Can I do it again? Can I go faster?”
John stared back at Alyssa’s beautiful face, feeling her excitement. “Yeah, but only if you don’t let go afterwards. Luckily I was on here with you or else you would’ve sputtered and stalled.”
Her smile vanished and shoulders dropped. “Oh …“
“Hey—it’s all good. That’s why I’m behind you.” John gave a light squeeze to her hip reassuring her that everything was okay. Time stood still as they gazed into each other’s eyes. Lips parted and breaths mingling. They were just an inch away, lips ready to touch, when the roar of an ATV drew close to them.
Alyssa pulled back, thanking the heavens Jace broke the moment. She wasn’t ready to kiss John again just yet. His kisses did something crazy to her. They awoke a part of her, like a fuse igniting—once it started she didn’t want to stop. One kiss and she craved more. She was beginning to think the whole friend with benefits thing was a bad idea.
“Well, well, well,” Jace goaded.
“What?” Alyssa asked.
Jace shook his head and Ford pulled up. “I just haven’t ever seen another chick drive his ATV before. This is something new, isn’t it Ford?”
“Sure is.” He tipped his beer back.
“You guys are a bunch of assholes. How would you know if any other chick drove? I don’t ride with you guys all the time.”
Jace grinned with a twinkle in his eye. “Whatever you say. Want to take a few more spins and then head down to Whiskey River?”
“Sounds good to us. Alyssa wanted to ride a little more then we’ll go.”
Three beers in and Alyssa was feeling tipsy while she was balancing on a narrow tree that had fallen. It went across the river and about ten feet up from the water. If she wasn’t careful, she could fall in.
She couldn’t believe she was behaving this way, barefoot and reckless and letting go. Truth was, John did it to her. He brought out this playful, fun side of her. During the time she spent with him, she forgot about everything going on. She was happy and carefree and with friends who wanted to be with her.
“Can you swim?” he hollered, dirt covering his face.
She spun on her toes. “Yes, why?”
“Because if you fall in, I ain’t jumpin’ in to save you.” He joked, and took a swig of his beer.
Her arms flopped to her side. “Well, what kind of guy are you? What do you mean you’re not saving me? You’re supposed to save me if I’m hurt.”
“I ain’t the savin’ kind of guy, honey.”
There was that ain’t word again in less than one minute.
“So … If I fall in you’re just going to stand there?”
“Maybe.” His big grin contradicted his lie.
She waved him over. “Come over here with me.”
“Hell no.”
She taunted him. “Why? You scared?”
“I ain’t scared of shit.”
“Then come on up here with me and show me that you’re not scared.”
“Let’s make a deal.” His eyes scanned the length of her body. “If I come over there, you have to kiss me.”
Alyssa rolled her eyes. “Deal.” Maybe it was the beer that made her agree so fast, but he had some pretty delectable lips.
It was just a kiss anyway … right?
John chugged the remaining of his beer and then chucked it off to the right where it rolled on the ground. He stepped onto the broken tree branch and walked to her like it was nothing, like he was walking on grass.
“What …”
“You really thought I was scared?” he grinned. “Now give me that kiss.”
She stood on her tiptoes and placed a sweet, light kiss to his lips.
“That’s not the kind of kiss I was talking about—and you know it.”
He stepped away from her and did a back flip with some crazy twist off into the river.
“Are you freaking crazy!” she yelled while Ford and Jace laughed from a distance.
“Jump in with me! You won’t even need a shower tonight.”
Alyssa deadpanned. “Oh my God. You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“That’s the rednecks way to taking a shower,” Ford yelled.
“I am not jumping into that disgusting water.” At the end of her words, John waved his arms around the murky water and splashed Alyssa. “You just went mudding. You have so much dirt on you that it’s going to take more than one shower to get it all out and you’re worried about some river water?”
“John! I’m serious! Stop!”
“Not until you jump in and give me the kiss you were supposed to.”
Hesitating, Alyssa stared at him. She was covered in mud, having the most fun she’s had in a long time, and John was the reason for it all. Taking a deep breath, she jumped into the cold water. She came up to see John swimming toward her. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to his front. “It’s not so bad, is it?”
“I guess not.”John smiled. “Now where’s my kiss?”
“Ah, I think you got your kiss this morning, country boy.”
“I sure did, but that wasn’t part of our deal just now.”
“Hey—that deal was your own deal that I never agreed to.”
John squeezed her waist, tickling her. “Yes, you did. I have witnesses to prove it.”
“John!” she squealed.
“Give it to me and I’ll stop.”
“Ah, come on, Alyssa, put him out of his misery please and kiss him already!” Jace yelled from the land.
“Do it!” Ford shouted.
John smiled at Alyssa, his green eyes lighting up. She could feel his enthusiasm. “Yeah, just do it.”
Alyssa huffed loudly. “What am I going to do with you guys?” before planting a kiss right on his mouth. Her legs wrapped around his waist and she gripped his face while she kissed him hard. John wanted a kiss, he was going to get one.
John didn’t think she had it in her to kiss him in front of his friends, but she did. Underneath the water, his arm circled her waist while his other hand was on her neck, cradling her close to him. Desire coursed through his veins as she kissed him, her lips nipping and then her tongue stroking his. Maybe this kiss deal wasn’t such a great idea because all he could think of was the sex they had earlier and how he wanted to lay her flat on her back and do it again.
John pulled back, breaking the kiss. They panted into each other, trying to catch their breaths while Jace and Ford whistled. Her lips were swollen, her eyes glossy with arousal. She wanted him again just like he wanted her. John was in serious trouble. The look she was giving him could make John drop to his knees if he wasn’t in the river.
“No more deals,” she whispered.
Letting go of her, John dunked Alyssa under the water playfully before swimming to the grass. He waited for her to come up behind him and when she
did, he helped her out of the water and walked to get towels. Handing her a towel, he waited until she was finished drying off to use it.
“Ya’ll want to get a fire going and crack a few beers here after the sun sets?” Ford asked.
John and Jace perked up. They were always ready for a party. “We’re down.”
Looking at Alyssa, he asked, “Want to come with us?”
Alyssa smiled brightly. “Sounds like fun.”
Alyssa took an extra long shower, washing her hair more times than she could count and scrubbing every inch of her body multiple times.
She was sure she still had mud somewhere.
She stepped out, dried off and dressed. There was a chill in the air at night, so she went with black leggings, an aqua tunic and a synced, white belt. Even though she lived in the South now didn’t mean she couldn’t wear her Michael Kors wedges just because everyone else wore boots.
The front door slammed and Alyssa paused. “Mom?”
“I’m home, honey.”
“Hi!” she yelled from the other room. Flipping her silky blonde hair over, Alyssa blow dried it until it was pin straight. She applied black eyeliner on both the top and bottom lids with small wings to help accentuate her sapphire eyes and then finished off with a light dusting of blush and clear lip gloss.
She checked the mirror one last time before heading to see her mom. John would be there to pick her up within the hour and she wanted to spend some time with her mom.
“Hey mom,” Alyssa said, kissing her cheek.
“Hi, honey. Where you headed to?” Lauren asked.
“To hang out with John and his friends for a little. They’re going to build a small fire and just hang out on their trucks … or something,” she paused. “I guess? I’m not really sure to be honest.”
Lauren gave her a quizzical look. “What?” Alyssa asked. Her mom smiled, shaking her head. “We live such a different life now, don’t we? I can’t imagine you ever doing that back in California.”
“I had the day off today and went mudding.”
Lauren barked out a laugh. “No way!” Alyssa beamed, thinking about the amazing day she had with her friends. “Sure did! It was so much fun too!” She dropped her clutch on the counter and sat on a barstool. “At first I was going to kill John for covering me, head to toe, in mud—”
