Blowing out a loud breath, she stepped out of the bathroom to find John sitting on her couch scrolling through his phone.

"I can't believe I've agreed to this."

John's head snapped up and he grinned. "You'll have fun, trust me."

Standing, John walked over to Alyssa. He circled her shoulders, resting his arms on her and pulled her close. She needed to keep some distance between them, but watching his lazy smile and saunter, made her stomach flip.

"Ready to get stuck in the mud?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," she said, stepping away from his embrace. She grabbed her phone and keys, turned to John and asked, "Do you have a place I can put these?"

John nodded. As they walked out of her house, she locked the door and made their way to his four wheeler where he secured their phones in a duffle bag that was hooked on the back Throwing a leg over his seat, John stood on the foot bars as he cranked on his ATV. He revved the gas and motioned for Alyssa to get on. Looking up at him, she placed her hand in his outstretched one, carefully put one foot behind his and threw her other leg over the seat. Her tiny shorts just covered her adorable ass, and damn, but he couldn't help thinking how those legs were wrapped around his waist. The urge to pull her in for a kiss roared through his veins and it took everything in him to hold it in.

Dropping her hand, John turned back around and sat down on the seat. From the corner of his eye, he saw her hands on her thighs. He chuckled.

"You might want to hold on."

"Oh," she responded quietly, and grabbed his hips gently.

Looking over his shoulder he said, "You might want to hold on tight, Alyssa. It's okay, you can touch me, don't be afraid-I like it," he teased. Alyssa reached around and pinched his stomach and he laughed. He felt her sigh against his back before she scooted forward and gave him a good squeeze around his stomach.

"Let's ride."

Here we go, she thought as John peeled out of her driveway. Her legs were pressed to the sides of his thick thighs, and her cheek rested on his back. She had never been on a four wheeler before, but she had to admit the ride was fun. They wove through the woods and down some back roads under the hot Georgia sun. The wind cooled her tepid skin, and she was free as they rode without a care in the world.

"Hey-how fast does this thing go?" she yelled.

John grinned at her question. "Hang on and I'll show you." She wanted speed, he would give her speed. John's foot clutched into third gear and he flicked his wrist back on the accelerator. The ATV vibrated under them as they picked up the pace. Her breasts were smashed against his back, arms tight around his stomach, and he could swear he felt her smiling.

"That's all you got?" she taunted.

Grinning, he pressed the accelerator as low as it could go and they flew down the dirt road. Giggles floated through the air and John laughed himself. He liked hearing Alyssa laugh and knowing that something as simple as a ride on the back of his four wheeler did it, made him always want to do it. Alyssa squealed when they hit their first pot hole and mud flew onto their legs. She lifted off the seat and bounced back down then buried her face in his back. John turned in a circle and went for the same spot.

"Hang on!" he yelled.

Quickly shifting into gears, John raced toward the pot hole once more. "Oh my God, oh my God," Alyssa chanted in his ear before he hit the hole again. She tightened her arms around his waist and this time she didn't fly off of the seat. Mud flew onto their legs and feet, droplets coating their arms. Spinning the ATV around, John stopped and asked over his shoulder, "How was that for you?"

Alyssa straightened to meet his eyes, dropping her chin on his shoulder. All she could do was give John a cheesy smile and nodded. How was that? That was fun as hell!

John's smile nearly hit his eyes. "That was only a prelude for what's to come. Just wait. It rained all week which means lots and lots of muddy holes. Me and my buddies come out here when it rains like it did. Think you can handle it?"

"Try me."

Before he realized what he was doing, John leaned over and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

Down shifting, he drove them into the empty muddy field. There were trees planted sporadically, pot holes everywhere-some big some small-and a pretty large lake right in the center. The opened land was unlike anything she had ever seen before. John told her it belonged to Ford's father who turned it into a riding spot for him and his friends years ago. There was a maze of hills and trees to ride through. Tracks were set in the ground circling and overlapping to all the different routes they took. It reminded her of a giant sand box except made with mud. This place was a country boy's dream.

Jace rode over with a longneck beer in one hand while the other steered and parked right next to them. "What the hell took you two so damn long? We've been waiting for an hour now."

Alyssa tensed and John felt it. "I had to convince this one to go," he hitched his thumb over his shoulder at her. "Once she agreed, I had to explain that her sparkly glitter sandals weren't going to work. Told her to get rid of them. That was an ordeal in itself. Man, you know how girls are . . . She had to put make up on, do her hair, paint her nails," John joked.

Alyssa smacked his side and stood. "He's such a liar." She went to step down, but paused.

"Well, what are you waitin' for? Step down," Jace goaded.

Alyssa hesitated. The red clay looked like it would swallow her whole. It reminded her of quicksand. Maybe she should have worn boots? And maybe some jeans?

As Alyssa dipped her toe in the mud, she was nudged from behind and lost her balance. Instead of stepping into the mud, she swiftly stepped onto Jace's ATV and into his arms.

"Looks like your girl is scared of a little mud, Johnny boy," Jace snickered. Jace slid his arm around Alyssa's slim waist and positioned her on his knee where she went willingly.

"I'm not his girl."

For some reason, that stung John, but he brushed it away. "I'm sorry."

"Take your sorry and shove it. I'm going to ride with Jace now." She pretended she was mad.

"Like hell you are." John reached for Alyssa, and she quickly pulled away. A small smile tipped her lips, but she quickly hid it.

With sugar coated words, Alyssa asked, "Take me for a ride, Jace?"

"Well, sure, my darlin'," and he started his four wheeler.

"Jace," John warned. He reached for Alyssa, but she removed herself from Jace's knee. "Get over here, Alyssa. You're with me."

Because, she was.

Alyssa paused behind Jace, using him as a barrier. "Make me," she said, and then took off running. She could not believe she was running in mud. Of all things.

"You better get back here," John yelled from behind, trailing her.

Alyssa looked over her shoulder and her eyes widened. John was catching up to her. She was small and ran fast, but John's long legs were no match for her. She wasn't used to running in this kind of dirt, but she picked her knees up and ran as hard and as fast as she could. Splats of mud hit her thighs and back and into her hair, but she didn't care in that moment. As she zig-zagged, John cursed behind her and she laughed. Just as she gained a little distance between them, Jace swooped up and drove next to her on his ATV. "Get on!" he roared over the engine and held a hand out to her.

Alyssa hopped on the foot rests of Jace's ATV and held on for dear life. Looking over her shoulder, she grinned when he stopped running. He shook his head, one brow raised and turned around and headed back to his ATV.

But then she and Jace made a U-turn . . . and headed straight for John.

"What . . ." she stammered. "What are you doing? Go the other way," she pleaded.

Jace slowed down. "What are you doing?" She tapped his shoulder furiously. "Keep going!"

"You really didn't think I'd screw over my boy like that, did you?"

"Well, no, but I didn't think you'd hand me over either!"

"You thought wrong, sugar plum." Looking at John, Jace said, "She's all yours."

"Gladly," John said. He stepped off his ATV and grabbed Alyssa by the waist. She looked pissed at Jace, furious even. It was quite comical. Lifting her up, he brought her to the front of his chest.

"Where are you going?" she wrapped her legs around his waist, her arms going around his neck.

"Oh, nowhere," he trailed. Three long steps, he stopped. Looking over her shoulder, Jace bent over and grabbed a hand full of mud in his hands.

"I'm just going to get you used to the mud before we get going," he raised an eyebrow, and grinned. She tried to slide her legs down his waist, but John wouldn't let go. He held her too tight to wiggle out of his hold.

"Let go of me."

"In a minute . . ." Just then, Jace slapped mud to her cheeks, rubbing it in. Alyssa gasped loudly, her mouth dropping open and her eyes popping wide. Her legs tightened around John as hard as she could squeeze as Jace ran both hands down her neck, over her shoulders and down her sides.

"We're just warming you up," John eyes twinkled with laughter and he lowered to his knees.

"What . . . what are you doing?" she asked suspiciously as John sunk to his knees. "I swear to God, I will kill you if you do this!"

"I told you-gettin' you warmed up." John pressed Alyssa into the mud and lay on top of her. She squealed loud and he just laughed. Jace rubbed some mud in her hair and she decided she was going to kill them both. Those little assholes. If they thought they could get away with this, well, they had another thing coming. Especially John. She could easily torture him.

Pushing John off her, Alyssa stood up and threaded her fingers through her hair, trying to run some of the mud out. As if it would help. "Laugh it up, boys. You'll get what's coming to you one day. Mark my words."

Jace and John both chuckled. As if she could do anything.

"Now that you're ready," Ford strolled up, "Would you like a cold one before we get started?"

John shrugged, "You know I would."

"I guess."

Alyssa watched as Ford reached behind him and grabbed two cold beers. He stuck each cap in his mouth, popping the tops off with his teeth. He handed one to her and then one to John and Jace.

Mortified, Alyssa said, "I can't believe you just popped that off with your teeth."

"Better believe it, baby."

"And girls actually like that down here?" Ford nodded with a half-grin. His boy next door charm was strong, his smile lit up his face.

After they chugged their beers, they deposited them into Jace's bag. "Let me put these in the garbage and then we can get going. Sound good?" John nodded and took Alyssa's hand, tugging her behind him until they got to their spot.

Hours later, Alyssa was having the time of her life. She laughed so much that her stomach ached and her cheeks burned. She had no idea what time it was, and she didn't care. She was having a blast and didn't want the day to end. Dirt covered the four of them from head to toe and her clothes were ruined. She couldn't remember the last time she had any kind of fun with friends, and she had John to thank for that.

"Do you think I could drive it?"

After their tumble this morning, Alyssa wanted to keep things friendly between them, but when John reached behind his head and pulled his shirt at his nape and yanked it off, Alyssa couldn't stop staring at his body. John was solid with slight indentations on his stomach and hips. She couldn't believe she was thinking it, but him covered in dirt was pretty damn hot. She wanted to be the one to wash it away.

John hesitated before he nodded. "Let's see what you got."

He climbed on behind her, instructing what to do. John leaned in close, her back to his chest and grabbed the handle bars. The heat of his delectable body caused a flutter to hum through her and she fought the urge not to lean into him.

"Alright," he drawled, "this is the accelerator." John thumbed it to show her. "Here are the brakes," he squeezed the bars. "And if you look down, this is the clutch."

"This thing has different gears? Oh shit. I'll never learn now."

John chuckled, his breath tickling her neck. Alyssa fought to shake off the effect he had on her. "Yes, you will, honey. It's easy. Now place your hands here and your feet on top of mine." John scooted closer and her heart sped up. His bare arms boxed her in and his thighs hugged her from behind. The hardness pressing on her lower back could not go unnoticed. Her body lit up and moisture pooled between her legs. John's hands rested on hers. He flicked on the ignition and cranked the gas with her hands under his. Gently, he eased into first gear and pressed on the accelerator.

"Listen to the engine closely. You can hear when it's ready to shift into second gear. It kind of just reaches its max and you'll know . . ."

Alyssa listened but wasn't sure if she was hearing right. "Right there?"

John nodded. "Yup. Now, you're going to flick the clutch with your foot and then gently apply the accelerator."

Alyssa did as he said, petrified she was going to screw up somehow and stall. "You're doing great. Now just ride slow so you get used to it."

John removed his hands from hers. He slid them up her outer thighs and placed them on her hips with a light squeeze. He wasn't sure what he was doing or why, but he wanted to be as close as he could to her.

Alyssa curved around holes and passed hills, probably afraid to chance those. He began to massage her hips and lower back. Her body tensed at first, then slowly unwound under his touch. His cock was hard and he was pretty sure she could feel it, but teaching her to ride his ATV was hot as hell and it turned him on.

"You can go through a hole if you want."

Alyssa nodded. She turned around, passing Jace who wore a grin on his face, and aimed for a large pot hole. Adrenaline tore through her as she took a deep breath and rode straight for the puddle. The opening was much deeper than she thought. Thick mud flew up and splattered all over and when they came out of it, she bounced off the seat. John wrapped an arm around her waist and then took over since she decided to stop riding mid-way.

Alyssa turned half way and smiled brightly over her shoulder. "That was so much fun! Can I do it again? Can I go faster?"

John stared back at Alyssa's beautiful face, feeling her excitement. "Yeah, but only if you don't let go afterwards. Luckily I was on here with you or else you would've sputtered and stalled."

Her smile vanished and shoulders dropped. "Oh . . ."

"Hey-it's all good. That's why I'm behind you." John gave a light squeeze to her hip reassuring her that everything was okay. Time stood still as they gazed into each other's eyes. Lips parted and breaths mingling. They were just an inch away, lips ready to touch, when the roar of an ATV drew close to them.

Alyssa pulled back, thanking the heavens Jace broke the moment. She wasn't ready to kiss John again just yet. His kisses did something crazy to her. They awoke a part of her, like a fuse igniting-once it started she didn't want to stop. One kiss and she craved more. She was beginning to think the whole friend with benefits thing was a bad idea.

"Well, well, well," Jace goaded.

"What?" Alyssa asked.

Jace shook his head and Ford pulled up. "I just haven't ever seen another chick drive his ATV before. This is something new, isn't it Ford?"

"Sure is." He tipped his beer back.

"You guys are a bunch of assholes. How would you know if any other chick drove? I don't ride with you guys all the time."

Jace grinned with a twinkle in his eye. "Whatever you say. Want to take a few more spins and then head down to Whiskey River?"

"Sounds good to us. Alyssa wanted to ride a little more then we'll go."

Three beers in and Alyssa was feeling tipsy while she was balancing on a narrow tree that had fallen. It went across the river and about ten feet up from the water. If she wasn't careful, she could fall in.

She couldn't believe she was behaving this way, barefoot and reckless and letting go. Truth was, John did it to her. He brought out this playful, fun side of her. During the time she spent with him, she forgot about everything going on. She was happy and carefree and with friends who wanted to be with her.

"Can you swim?" he hollered, dirt covering his face.

She spun on her toes. "Yes, why?"