Free In The Hay (Uninhibited in Apple Trail, Arkansas) by Keri Ford

little closer to the chest she’d had the pleasure of kissing and licking last night. She should watch what was in his diet because he had tasted good. So good in fact, she could strip him now and got for another all over kissing expedition.
    Drew straightened and stared down at her.” What do you say?”
    She licked her lips. “Quick snack and then I’ll be ready to go outside.”
    He tore open the plastic and pulled out the thick roll. “I’ll get this rolled out and let it start getting wet while you cut the pineapple. Meet me outside in a bit with the soap?”
    She nodded and hurried toward the kitchen only to be stopped.
    “And Lette ?”
    She glanced back.
    His smile was intense, his eyes swept down her body. “Save me some of that pineapple.”
    New energy floated through and she finished her trip to the kitchen where she cut and sliced as fast as she’d ever dared to handle a knife, snacking the whole time. Keeping an eye out through the back patio glass doors, Drew was outside in the sprinkling warm rain, standing at the top of the small hill in the back yard as he rolled the plastic down. He followed the clear plastic unwinding to the foot of the hill where he stopped. His back was to her and he bent over.
    A hunk of pineapple fell out of her hand and hit the floor. Clyde gobbled it up and Nicolette was done. She saved the last of it as promised in a bowl to keep it away from Clyde who looked ready to lick the counter clean.
    And if he did while she was outside—oh well. Because she was going to act like a seven year old in the next few minutes. It was going to be so worth it, because going down that plastic with Drew, with their bodies slick, was going to be anything but childish.
    She swiped the soap bottle from the kitchen sink and darted toward the door. Clyde waited there, his tail wagged. “Oh, no you don’t. I already bathed you once.”
    She put her hand to his head and started out, but stopped and reached over to pull the curtains. Dog or no, she wasn’t into an audience. “Go lay down.”
    Clyde just stared at her and she slipped out. Why she bothered with trying to give him commands she didn’t know. He only listened to about twenty percent of them. Good thing the animal was cute and loveable because he wasn’t the smartest.
    She glanced at the plastic stretched up the small incline of the backyard. Drew stood at the top of a long sheet of plastic. Her breath caught in her throat. The rain had plastered his jeans to his body.
    He gestured at the makeshift slide. “Hose it down with the soap on your way up.”
    She flicked the top off and squeezed, sending random streaks of yellow dish soap in squiggly lines all over until she reached the top. He grabbed the bottle from her hands and tossed it aside. He reached for her, but not for her hands. He grabbed her shirt and lifted. “Off.”
    She didn’t hesitate but raised her arms and allowed him to strip her to her bra. The warm summer rain coated her and he pushed down the boxers she wore, leaving her in her panties. Before she could comment on his jeans, he laced his fingers through hers. “You ready?”
    “I think so.” She stepped forward and started to sit but he tugged her up.
    “Uh, uh. You gotta do this right.”
    “There’s a wrong way to go down a slip-n-slide?”
    He kissed her knuckles. “Yes ma’am, there is.”
    He tugged her back a few steps and without giving her a second, tightened the grip on her hand, and took off running.
    “Drew!”
    But he didn’t listen.
    Oh, God, she struggled to keep stride or be dragged along. The top of the plastic was only steps away. He wouldn’t do it. He wouldn’t hurl his body face down onto the hard ground and drag hers along. But he tugged and threw his hands forward—forcing hers with his.
    He shot out, never letting go of her hand, never giving her the option to stop.
    “Drew!” she screamed midair and smacked the ground. Air shot from her lungs, her face bounced off the