"I hope you're hungry. Then again, after what we've just been through, how could you not be?"
I laid the food out on the patio table, an Italian feast I'd been taught how to cook by a friend at university which had quickly become my own personal speciality and go-to dish for entertaining.
"That smells amazing!" Cat called out as she came into the kitchen and walked through the back door. "And it looks better than it smells."
With a grin and a "Thank you" I ushered her to the table and pulled the chair out for her to sit down.
"You're being awfully gentlemanly today; I can't help feeling you're after something."
"I try to be chivalrous from time to time. And if that was all I wanted I'd just ply you with alcohol. Wine?"
"Yes please. And just what are you trying to suggest, that I'm easy when I'm drunk?"
"Considering our history together..."
"Yeah, fair enough. So what's for dinner?"
"Smoked salmon and prawn pasta in a creamy sauce with homemade garlic bread on the side. I hope you enjoy."
As we ate we slipped into one of our comfortable conversations and, even though we hadn't spoken properly since I left the company months ago, it felt like we hadn't spent a day apart; everything always seemed so natural and casual with Cat. We'd come away for the weekend together to take part in an obstacle course race in the Lakes. Her husband was supposed to be with us but he'd been called away on business at the last minute and my wife wasn't into this kind of thing which left just the two of us to run for 10Km, crawling through mud pits, climbing over walls and getting electrocuted all in the name of fun. It was awesome!
We'd finished the race earlier in the afternoon and driven back to the small cottage we'd rented for the weekend so that we could do our best to dig the dry mud out of every crack, crevice and hole on our bodies before settling in for a relaxing evening of food, drink and good company.
Before we knew it we were finishing off the second bottle of wine and we hadn't even left the dinner table yet. The weather had been perfect all day: overcast through the morning and into the early afternoon so it wasn't too hot for the run but now the clouds had dispersed and the sun was shining gloriously.
"Do you mind giving me a hand with this?" I asked as I stood up to clear the table.
"Sure," Cat joined me on her feet and together we carried all of the plates back through to the kitchen.
"I think I'm going to make the most of this weather," she declared.
"Meaning?"
"Meaning I'm going to go put my bikini on and climb into that hot-tub!"
"That sounds like a brilliant idea!"
We both stumbled upstairs to our respective bedrooms, already a little unsteady on our feet, and ten minutes later we were lounging in the tub and cracking open the third bottle.
"My compliments to your husband for picking such a perfect location, it's just a shame he couldn't be here to enjoy it with us."
"I know, he was so disappointed. But, I suppose that's what you get for owning your own small business; when there's work to be done you're the one who's gotta do it. I'm glad you're here though, it hasn't been the same at work without you."
"I know what you mean, my new job may be infinitely better but I still really miss having you around."
"Me too, I still think about you more than I should probably admit. Well, definitely in ways I shouldn't admit."
"Oh really?" I grinned at her but she was staring off into space, lost in some thought or memory. "Well, I suppose I can't deny that I've had trouble putting it out of my mind too. Not that I regret it, though."
"Oh I definitely don't regret it. I enjoy reliving it my head whenever I get the chance." She flashed me a wicked grin before carrying on. "You know someone's moved into that office now. Is it bad that it kind of turns me on knowing that he has to sit there working at the desk we fucked on?"
"Not bad at all. It's pretty awesome actually! I like that you get turned on every time you think about us, in that room, saying goodbye..."
We were sitting in opposite corners of the tub as we talked and drank; I had one knee drawn up to my chest as I lounged back against the side. With any luck she'd be content to stay here in the jacuzzi; if she decided it was time to get out there was no way I'd be able to conceal just how much I was enjoying this line of conversation. I could feel my erection straining uncomfortably against my shorts and couldn't help but feel a little jealous of women; at least when they feel this way it isn't quite so obvious.
As the conversation paused I noticed Cat gently biting the corner of her lower lip, a sign I recognised as her having a naughty idea she wasn't supposed to. "I think I might even out my tan a little, wouldn't want to get any tan-lines. You don't mind do you?" She asked without giving me the chance to answer; her hands had already snaked around her back to release the strap of her bikini top which floated free. She lifted it out and dropped it unceremoniously on the floor by the tub. Even through the broken, bubbly surface of the water I could see the pale triangles where the skin of her breasts hadn't recently been exposed to the sun with the dark bullseyes of her nipples in the centre. She stretched her arms out to either side and leaned back, raising her chest up and allowing her nipples to stand proud of the surface of the water. She refused to make eye contact with me but she couldn't hide the devilish grin that stretched across her face.
"Of course not, why would I mind? But if it's a tan you're really after you should probably face the other way, considering the sun's behind you," I teased, letting her know that I was fully aware that her decision to go topless had nothing to do with avoiding tan-lines.
"You know, I think you might be right!" She sat up and slid forwards in the water; spinning around just before she reached me she sat on the step between my legs, leaned back against my chest and closed her eyes, still wearing that gorgeous cheeky smile that I had always found so incredibly sexy.
I couldn't help myself! I brought my hands forward around her waist and up to cup her soft breasts, enjoying the sight as my fingers dug into them and slid over the skin to caress and pinch her already solid nipples. She didn't say a word, she didn't have to. This was exactly what she had planned from the moment she suggested climbing into the hot-tub together. Instead she simply allowed herself to lie back, relax and enjoy the attention her body was receiving.
There was no longer any need to hide my erection, which was lucky since she was now leaning up against it, squeezing it between her back and my belly.
Her mouth opened slightly so that she could let out a soft moan as my right hand began to snake its way down over her toned stomach, gently fondling the small silver piercing that adorned her belly button. I used my nails to graze up and down her sides knowing that in the water it would take more than just a gentle stroke of my fingertips to make her nerves tingle the way I wanted them to.
I slid my hand down and traced the edge of her bikini, enjoying the sound of her breathing and the feeling of her heart beat through my chest as they both sped up with the anticipation of what was to come.
My fingers followed the line of her bottoms where they circled her thighs and I got a feel for the smooth, hairless skin of her bikini-line when she let her knees fall open to allow me access to her most intimate area.
My fingers moved closer in to the centre with every pass and I was already gently rubbing up and down over her lips through the soft, smooth material of her bikini. It was easy to trace the outline of her pussy as her lips spread wide with ever-growing arousal, begging to be entered.
Her left hand slid down the length of my thigh, inside my shorts, greedily seeking out my cock. When she found what she was looking for I felt her fingers coil around my shaft, the long nail at the tip of each one dug in hard and forced a low animal growl to slip out through my lips.
In response the fingers of my left hand gripped her nipple and squeezed, twisting hard as my right hand pressed down on the centre of her pussy rubbed in a circle over her clit. She squealed and let out a sharp gasp of breath, her body flinching away from the sharp sensations before rising back towards them as soon as she got used to the feeling.