Free WORTHY, Part 1 by Lexie Ray Page A

going to do.”
    “If I didn’t know better, I’d think that you were just trying to get a look at me naked,” I said crossing my arms over my chest in mock indignation.
    He shrugged, grinning. “Well, you have one over me,” he said. “Remember when you saw me naked?”
    I flushed. “Those were dire circumstances,” I said. “And I don’t even remember what it looks like. It is absolutely gone from my mind.”
    “Oh, so you’re saying I’m forgettable?” Jonathan asked, raising his eyebrows. “Wow. I —I’m speechless.”
    “Stop it,” I said, laughing and giving him a playful punch in his arm. “Let’s go swimming.”
    All we carried with us to the pool were a couple of bottles of water apiece. I sat down on the tree trunk that extended over the pool and stuck my bare foot into the water.
    “Ooh,” I said, delighted and grinning. “It’s pretty chilly.”
    “Sounds perfect,” Jonathan said, stripping off his sweaty shirt. His muscles glistened with sweat in the sun, making my mouth drier than it already was. He dropped his shorts and I looked quickly away. He hadn’t been joking about swimming au natural . Still, his ass was gorgeous. For the split second I’d seen it, bare and muscular, it was imprinted in great detail my mind.
    Jonathan groaned as he waded into the pool, me relaxing a little once he was in waist-deep water, covering up his butt.
    “This is like heaven,” he said. “You need to get in here immediately.”
    “Okay,” I said, “but turn around. I’ll let you know when it’s safe to look.”
    “You act as if catching a glimpse of you naked would burn my eyes out or something,” he said.
    “You never know,” I said mildly, wriggling out of my clothes but leaving my bra and panties on. The last thing I wanted to do was give Jonathan a show. My wet underwear would probably even feel good beneath my dry clothes as we walked back to the cottage after swimming.
    I crouched in the water, sighing deeply . “Oh, you’re right. This is amazing.”
    “I told you,” he said , turning. “Oh. You’re overdressed for this pool, I’m afraid. You might make other swimmers feel insecure.”
    I laughed. “Is that right? Well, we wouldn’t want that.”
    “Your body’s under the water, Michelle,” Jonathan pointed out. “You don’t have to feel embarrassed or shy. We’re friends, aren’t we? Besides, who am I going to tell I saw you naked? If you tossed your bra and panties up to the bank, I’m sure they’d dry before we decided to leave.”
    I turned away, suddenly aware that he’d been looking full into my face. Honestly, that was the part of me I wanted to hide, not my breasts or ass or privates.
    “Fine,” I said. “If it’ll make you happy.”
    “All I want is for you to be comfortable,” he said. “That’s all.”
    I swiftly stepped out of my panties and pulled off my bra, throwing the sodden items away.
    We floated lazily in the pool for many long minutes, me leaning back so I could stare at the cloudless sky. It was as blue as Jonathan’s eyes. I couldn’t help but revisit the sight of his butt as he got into the pool. Everything about him was sexy, but the bigger truth was that I really enjoyed being around him. Life had become unexpectedly richer ever since I’d found him.
    “How long do you plan on living out here, by yourself?” he asked suddenly, after we’d been in the pool for about an hour.
    I had been floating on my back, napping a little and not caring what he caught a glimpse of. The water felt too good to care, but now I resumed my defensive crouch, my careful turn away from his gaze.
    “I don’t know,” I said. “I guess I’d always planned on being out here forever. When I came out here …” I trailed off. It was hard to think of that difficult time.
    “You don’t have to tell me,” he said, his steady gaze comforting despite the fact that we were both naked. Somehow, not having any clothes on made me feel more forthcoming,