I wrapped my arms around her waist and kissed her firmly on the mouth. At my house, we could be ourselves. My dad wasn’t due home for another twenty minutes so, for the moment, we were alone. “I was thinking of taking you to the swimming hole.” Her pout was too cute not to kiss. Max was having a barbecue at his house so I knew most people would abandon the swimming hole for his giant pool and free food. “Everyone we know will be at the party, so we don’t have to worry about a bunch of people there. Plus, I get to see you in that amazing bikini and have you all to myself.”

She crinkled her nose and kissed my neck. “I must really love you if I’m going to splash around in muddy water.”

I smiled. “The water’s spring-fed so I promise it’s not muddy.” She raked her nails across the back of my head. It felt so good my knees threatened to buckle. “We’ll head to Max’s after we’ve had a few hours to ourselves.” She gently pulled me down the hall to my bedroom.

“What are we doing?” I was equally panicked and excited about what she had in mind. We’d been on several dates and we’d reached the hooking up stage of our relationship. I was careful not to do anything she was uncomfortable with, but so far, I’d done everything right.

“I have to change into my bikini.” Parker’s parents didn’t allow her to wear a bikini, so she stashed one here. She raised an eyebrow and my heart leaped in my chest at the possibilities. I didn’t think we had enough time to fool around, but I was willing to see how far we could get before my dad got home.

“And I’m going to help you every step of the way,” I said.

Parker was shy and uncomfortable about her body. I understood because I was very self-conscious about my height and my muscles. But I thought she was perfect.

She found her bikini in my dresser and took it into the bathroom. I was sad that she shut the door, but I sat on my bed and waited for her to come out. She did not disappoint. I held my breath when she opened the door.

“How do I look?” she asked.

I pulled her so that she stood right in front of me. “You look incredible.” I ran my fingertips over her flat stomach and placed a soft kiss above the waistband. We both were shaking. “This is my favorite thing you’ve ever worn.”

She smiled shyly and put her hands on my shoulders. “I want to look good for you.”