Sara Stone - Full Exposure

Georgia opened her eyes and looked up at Eric, seeing the mounting worry in his blue eyes. “I know all about real consequences.”

The pity on his face sliced through her, cutting deep. She could handle so much, but not blatant sympathy.

“Don’t look at me like that.” She pushed back from the table and stood, facing him.

He shook his head. “I’m just so damn sorry you had to go through that.”

“I’m not,” she said honestly. And maybe that was the piece of the puzzle no one understood. They wanted to shield her from the memories, while she wanted to face them head-on. She wanted to live, truly live as if each breath mattered, without forgetting.

“I don’t regret serving my country,” she said. “We did great work over there. I served alongside people who believed so strongly in our mission, who believed in what our country stands for, in our freedoms. It was an honor. And to return alive—that’s a gift. One I try every day to feel worthy of. I can’t do that if I’m drowning in grief. So I push back against anything that makes me feel too much. Including you. I want to let you in, believe me I do. But I’ve been so afraid to open up when it feels like there is so little holding me together sometimes.”

“You don’t need to be afraid.” He reached out, running his hand down the side of her face. “And you don’t have to be worthy. You just have to be yourself. Who you are—that’s enough, Georgia.”

She turned her head away from his touch. Through the sliding glass doors, she stared out into the dark night. It was as if she’d slammed her fist down on the button labeled Emotions, the one she’d been so afraid to touch. And it had left her more exposed, more vulnerable, than when she’d stripped down and climbed into bed with him.

She crossed her arms tightly in front of her chest. It was funny how something as simple as sharing a memory could upend her world. Maybe she should have kept her mouth shut. He’d had a bad day. He didn’t need this tonight. And she had a sinking feeling she didn’t either. It was one thing to imagine the conversation while waiting for her toenails to dry and another to say the words.

Georgia looked back at Eric. God, she wished she could backtrack to the beginning of this conversation and start over. He probably did too.

She shook her head, her fingers pressing tight against her sides. “I bet you’re wishing you’d chosen to go skinny-dipping in the pond when you had the chance.”

ERIC STARED DOWN at this woman he’d known his entire life. He’d misjudged her. Her wild actions were a shield to protect her from feeling too much, too soon. Georgia had survived a type of hell he could barely imagine, pulling her friend’s body from a burning vehicle. How did a person move past that and return to day-to-day life? He didn’t know. He had a feeling nobody did. But she was doing it. Her so-called rushes were a defense mechanism, a way of coping while she gave herself time to heal.

Just like her words.

I bet you’re wishing you’d chosen to go skinny-dipping in the pond when you had the chance.

No. He’d gladly face another grueling day discussing the hows and whys surrounding a forest fire, if it meant Georgia would open up to him about the one part of her life he knew so little about. He’d been waiting for her to let him in and trust that he could help her.

But he had a feeling she’d reached her limit. Maybe right now, freezing her memories in the cold water of his pond was exactly what she needed.

“Let’s do it now,” he said.

“Do what?”

“Swim in the pond. Right now.”

“Eric.”

He placed his index finger under her chin, lifting it slightly. “I dare you.”

She smiled and he sensed her relief. This was what she needed right now. They could talk about her memories later. Tonight, tomorrow, whenever she wanted to, he’d be there to listen. “I’ll grab Nate’s monitor,” she said. “You get the towels.”

Georgia stepped back, pulling her T-shirt over her head and tossing it on the table beside their abandoned meal. She plucked the monitor off the counter. Eric unbuttoned his dress shirt as he moved to the door leading to the garage. He opened it, reaching inside for the stacks of towels kept on a shelf. Then he followed her out into the night.

Stepping over her discarded shorts, he headed for the dock. A full moon illuminated the outline of Georgia’s naked body standing on the dock’s edge, poised to dive. He stopped in the grass, memorizing the slope of her curves. She’d never looked more perfect than she did at this moment with her naked body on the verge of movement under the Oregon night sky.

A second later, she disappeared into the water. Eric broke into a run. Dropping the towels on the docks, he stripped off the rest of his clothes before following her into the pond. The cold shocked his senses at first, so different from the late summer night air, but as he swam along the surface toward Georgia, his body adjusted.

“Feel better?” he asked, capturing her in his arms. With her body pressed against his chest, he leaned back, using the water for support as they drifted toward the shore.

“Yes.”

With her back to his front, he couldn’t see her face. But she felt relaxed in his arms.

“And you?” she asked.

“Georgia, I felt better the moment I saw you tonight,” he said. “But now that I have you here, naked in my arms, I feel pretty damn good.”

She broke free from his hold and turned. “How good?”

Grabbing her hand, he used two powerful kicks to push through the water until they reached a place where he could stand. She swam willingly into his embrace, wrapping her legs around his waist, her arms looping around his neck.

Unlike the first night on his bed or the time at his condo, she felt completely free with him and her desires. Whatever had been holding her back, those fears she’d mentioned earlier, which were closely bound to her time at war, weren’t here now.

Despite the cool water, Eric’s body responded to the feel of her against him. And so did his heart. He’d done a lot of good and right things in his life. But he’d never helped someone by simply listening.

Holding her head in his hands, he kissed her, thoroughly and deeply. For the first time since she’d plunged their friendship into new waters, he explored her. She wasn’t just the girl he’d had a crush on for years. Georgia was a brave, resilient woman. He’d thought she needed him, but he was beginning to suspect it was the other way around.

She drew back, breaking their kiss. “You’re shaking.”

“You are too,” he said, smiling. “The water is fucking cold.”

She moved, her breasts rubbing against his chest, her legs tightening around his middle.

“That’s the whole point,” she said. “The cold water, it’s supposed to be a rush, remember?”

“Yeah. I’m feeling it alright.” He turned and started walking to the shore, still holding her body tight against him, craving the contact as much as the warmth. “But I think it’s time to get out.”

On the dock, he reluctantly set her down and picked up a towel. He wrapped it around her, rubbing her arms to warm her up. He looked down at her chest. “You’re cold.”

“No.”

The towel slipped through his fingers, falling to the dock.

Georgia looked up at him, watching and waiting. But he didn’t touch her. He wanted her, so damn much, but there were things he needed to tell her, about Liam, the investigation—

“Close your eyes,” she said softly.

“Georgia—”

“Shh.” She pressed her finger against his lips, silencing him. “This might surprise you, but I have a long list of things I want to do to you too. Please close your eyes.”

This time, he honored her request. The second he did, he felt her fingertips on his shoulders. He swallowed a gasp. The other night, he’d been the one doing the touching and exploring. But he wasn’t going to deny the fact that he liked having the tables turned.

He felt her shift close, her breath tickling his ear.

“Push your responsibilities aside. Just enjoy the moment,” she said. “Easier said than done. Believe me, I know. But try. Trust me. Tonight, I’ve got you.”

Her lips brushed the skin behind his ear. And then the feel of her body hovering close to his, her mouth on him, vanished. He was tempted to open his eyes.

“Keep them closed,” she said. Her voice sounded lower. The grass at his feet rustled, and a fully formed picture of what was happening, what she planned to do, filled his mind.

“Georgia.” Her name on his lips was a plea to both keep going and stop.

Her hands wrapped around him, running up and down his dick. He moaned.

“I haven’t reached the good part yet.” He felt the words on the skin her hands continued to caress, up and down. One hand fell away, wrapping around his body, holding him close. Her tongue licked away the moisture slipping out the tip of his erection.

Eric opened his eyes and stared up at the stars. Her lips surrounded him, taking him so damn deep. He felt the sides of her hollow cheeks.

“Georgia.” He laced his fingers through her hair, drawing her down farther. His hips thrust forward, demanding control as he set the rhythm. She didn’t pull back.

“Georgia, stop me if this is too much,” he managed through clenched teeth.

She dug her fingers into his ass. She wasn’t letting go. Knowing she wanted this, shit, that turned him on.

One, two, three. He counted the stars, trying to hold off. He made it to five.

“I’m going to come.” He released her head, waiting for her to pull back. But she didn’t. Eric closed his eyes and let the orgasm wash over him. Right here, right now, it was pretty damn easy to follow her advice and live in the moment.

Slowly, Georgia let him go. He offered his hand, pulling her up and into his arms.

“I’ve wanted to do that for a long time,” she said, tracing small circles on his chest.

“I have to admit, I’m hard-pressed to find a reason we waited so long.”

“There’s a long list,” she said softly, her smile fading. “Trust me.”

Shit, he knew he’d brought those reasons to the forefront of her mind. And his.

Eric stepped back, gently releasing her. He picked up the second towel, securing it around his waist, watching as she did the same. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, Eric drew her against his side and headed up the hill to the house, stopping to retrieve the monitor.

“I want you to spend the night with me,” he said. “In my bed.”

“Yes.”

Eric exhaled and relief seeped in. Deep down, he’d been afraid she’d retreat to her own room, pushing him away again. “Good.”

She pressed in closer, as if she craved the feel of his body. “And tomorrow, I think we should tell Liam.”

Eric hesitated. Earlier, in the kitchen, she hadn’t given him a chance to explain the very real consequences of the DOF’s investigation. They had accused the person calling the shots on the White Rock job site of running chainsaws after the restricted hours. Liam. Georgia’s brother had been on-site harvesting those trees. Liam had been aware of the fire restrictions and told Eric he planned to run the equipment until one in the afternoon. But if he’d gone over, even by a few minutes . . .

Moore Timber could afford the fine. He kept a reserve for such occasions because forest fires were always a threat. But the financial cost was only one piece of the puzzle. If the DOF determined they’d violated the fire precautions, Eric would be forced to let Liam go. It didn’t matter that he was Eric’s best friend. Georgia’s brother couldn’t harvest trees for Moore Timber if he broke the rules. Not if his actions when out in the field threatened lives.

Georgia slipped out of his grasp as they entered the house. He knew he should tell her about Liam and the investigation. But not now. Tonight had been hard on her, telling him about her time in Afghanistan. He didn’t want her worrying about her brother.

“We’ll tell him soon,” he promised.

Eric hoped like hell the DOF investigators were wrong. But until he knew for certain what happened the day the fire started, he couldn’t tell Liam about his relationship with Georgia. Eric couldn’t face telling his best friend that he’d violated his trust and slept with his sister, and then fire him.

GEORGIA STEPPED INTO Eric’s room and closed the door, blocking out the rest of the world. She’d been here before, standing in front of his bed wrapped in a towel, her body wound tight with need. But tonight, she was going after what she wanted, knowing there was no end in sight.