A North Carolina Autumn

Chapter Forty

10.4.2022

A/N - smut warning:)

"Alright girls, do you know how to use snorkeling gear?" Toni appears beside us once again, his arms full of the gear in question. I place a hand over my heart, startled by his silent appearance.

This guy sure can move quietly.

"Yes sir!" Rylie says confidently and I laugh. Toni smiles and sets the gear down before leaving us. Rylie passes me some flippers, goggles and the snorkel, and I start with putting on the flippers. The rubber is tight, and the sand covering my feet makes it nearly impossible to get them on, but I finally manage.

When I glance up again, I can't stop my laughter. Rylie stares at me through her giant goggles, the snorkel sticking out of her mouth. She grins a lopsided grin before taking the tube from her mouth.

"I look hot, don't I?" She giggles.

"So hot." I grin. "It'll be even better when we get done and you have the red line from the goggles around your face."

"Looking forward to it!" Rylie smiles, and I laugh again before putting the rest of my gear on.

Several minutes later, we stand at the edge of the little dock, ready to jump into the beautiful, clear water. "Ready?" I ask Rylie and she nods before grabbing my hand. She counts down, and then we jump.

My stomach flips as I freefall for only a second or two, and I take in a breath before my body submerges beneath the warm water. Before going back to the surface, I open my eyes and glance around.

Wow. I nearly speak the word, but stop myself just in time, narrowly avoiding a mouthful of salty water.

Even though I was expecting it, I'm stunned by the clearness of the water. I'd guess that the water is only 10-15 feet deep where we currently are, but I can see where it quickly gets deeper to the left.

The ocean floor is covered in beautiful coral, rocks, and other sea life. Colorful fish of every size swim in schools beneath our feet, and I hold still so as not to scare them.

I hear a deep hum through the water and glance up towards the deeper water to see the bottom of a boat as it cuts through the waves. To the right, closer to the stone wall, I can see a small group of people also snorkeling, pointing excitedly as fish swirl around them.

I finally swim back up for air and Rylie does the same, locking eyes with me the moment we break the surface.

"This is insane!" Rylie says excitedly the moment her mouth is free of the snorkel tube. I pull my own from my mouth, watching as the water spills from it. Normally for snorkeling, you just set your face into the water so you could breathe through the tube, but jumping into the water had completely submerged the tube, filling it with water. I didn't mind, I loved holding my breath so I could swim down and look at all the stuff on the ocean floor instead of seeing it from only a distance.

"It is beautiful, isn't it?" I smile at Rylie, taking a moment to study her. She had pulled the goggles up to rest on her head, and little droplets of water cling to her hair and skin, sparkling in the sunlight. I can see her legs beneath the water, kicking in slow circles to keep her afloat.

My eyes travel slowly back up her body, lingering on the areas of bare skin before locking with her eyes again. I pull my goggles up before swimming towards her and placing my hands on her waist. My lips instantly find hers and even though I intend for it to be a gentle kiss, my body has other intentions. Rylie melts into the kiss, making it even harder for me to keep it PG.

I grip her waist tightly, enjoying the familiar taste of her soft lips before forcing myself to break away. "How is it that no matter what, I cannot get enough of your taste? Your touch? Just you in general?" I ask softly as I move my hand to her cheek, running my thumb gently over her slightly swollen bottom lip.