Down Home Runs Deep

Five

Jake

The second Briar's lips connect with mine, an electric current runs through my body.  It's weird to think I haven't kissed her since we were basically kids, but I've thought about this moment most of my adult life.

God, the Daggers would tease the ever loving shit out of me and would never let me live it down if they ever heard how I think of her.

I quickly drop the hand that was still braced against the door and it lands on her neck as the other slips between her and the door, pulling her tight against me.   Since she's significantly shorter than me, I have to bend down a little to keep contact.  Briar lets out a satisfied groan, and suddenly there's too much space between our bodies and I just can't have that.  My hands run down her sides to her legs, then slip around to the backside of her thighs to pick her up.  I swear she was made for me, because her legs instinctively wrap around my waist without even a sliver of hesitation.  I step forward until her back is flat against the door and deepen the kiss.  My tongue runs across her bottom lip, asking for access that she readily grants me.  We're as close as we can physically be at the moment, tongues tangling lazily in a soul burning kiss, when the sound of Mallory's voice obviously making her presence known reminds us of where we are. 

"Hey, B?  Do you have a hair tie I can borrow?  Mine just broke and I don't want it in my face when we square off with the boys for our annual championship game!" she shouts. 

With a sigh, we separate and Briar slides down the front of my body as I set her back on her feet.  She turns around, grabs a hair tie out of the drawer and opens the door as I wrap my arms around her shoulders from behind. The open door reveals her best friend waiting in her swimsuit with a huge smirk on her face.  

"Thanks for the save, Mal," she tells her with a smile.

"Hey, I've been waiting on this ship to sail for like 15 years, I shall protect it at all costs!" Mallory grins.  "Now hurry up and change, we have a smackdown to serve!"

Mal bounds back down the stairs in search of Brooks and I rest my chin on top of Briar's head.

"You know, I stand by the fact that the two girls that have tossed, caught, and held other humans up in the air with their own bare hands should not be allowed to be on the same volleyball team," I tease, dropping a kiss to the crown of her head.

I've always loved that she was a cheerleader alongside Mallory, no matter how many times Brooks and I poked at them for it. I mean hell, they were good enough to go to UT on scholarship, together at that, so it's definitely impressive. Brooks and I had been to many competitions through high school, but the first college practice we were allowed to observe while on leave one year changed my mind forever. Brooks and I were still doubtful of the talent it took until they invited us to try their stunts. We were quickly humbled when we discovered how much coordination and strength it took, especially after I took a kick to the face and Brooks took an elbow to the gut when our handling was off. And that's only what Mal did as a base, don't even get me started on Briar literally being tossed around like a rag doll, fully dependent on the people below her to catch her.

"And I stand by the fact that the state champion baseball players shouldn't be either. Pick your battles, flyboy," she winks at me. "Now get changed, I have a present for you!"

I wag my eyebrows at her, "A present, you say?"

Briar shoves my shoulder and rolls her eyes. "An actual present, ya perv! But you won't get it until you're changed and meet me downstairs, so chop chop!"

B is the best gift giver, so I yank off my travel clothes and step into my board shorts, slip on my flip flops, link my aviators into the chain of my dog tags, and head downstairs. As promised, she's waiting for me on the bench by the door that leads to the chaos we call the backyard. She smiles as her eyes land on me and rises to her full height, which is adorably shorter than mine. Her hands are behind her back and she tells me to close my eyes, so I squish them shut and put my hands out. Something light is placed in my palms,and when Briar tells me I can open my eyes, I find a new Texas Rangers hat in front of me.