It took all he could muster not to burst into laughter, watching her tap her toes impatiently as she rattled on and on about why they could not go swimming in the middle of the day. He watched her in her expensive handmade white boots, denim dress and white purse hanging from her shoulders, sunglasses on top of her perfectly done up hair. She kept pointing her manicured fingernails at him as she listed all the reasons why this was a bad idea.
"…we still need to finish two songs and practice for the Bluebird on Friday. That's in three days, Deacon! We haven't even come up with a set list!"
He rolled his eyes as he started unbuttoning his shirt.
"Watty said there might be an agent there and… what are you doing?"
"I. Am going swimming. Because I'd like to remember way back when when I still had fun." He said matter-of-factly as he took off his shirt and threw it on the grass.
She stared and looked around.
"I know how to have fun, Deacon. But I am guessing this is a private lake and we shouldn't be here!"
"You know, I remember there being a time I met this girl and she was all pretty, but man was she wild. She used to sneak out of the house to come see me. All while her daddy was right there in the living room." He smirked as he removed his shoes and started unbuckling his belt.
"That is not fair. I…" She could not help stare at his muscles in the sun, flexing as he was removing clothes. "I was younger then."
"It was last year Rayna." He reminded her as he pulled down his pants.
"Well, things were different then. I had less responsibilities and it was before my daddy kicked me out of the house. I'm trying to build a career now, so I need to be more serious."
"Uhuh." She was at a loss for words for a moment when he pulled down his boxers right in front of her.
"Well it's true. I have to be serious and… and work on my music and you're supposed to help me… it doesn't involve swimming on private property… like that."
He grinned at her. "I promised Watty I'd look after you. And that includes loosening you up. So take off your clothes and get your pretty little Belle Meade ass in the water."
She gasped at him. "Oh I am not doing that! What if someone sees me?"
He rolled his eyes again before jumping off the pier into the water with a huge splash. She shrieked as water hit her.
"Deacon! This is a new outfit!" He laughed as he came up for air and watched her stomp her feet.
"You're cute when you're angry."
"This isn't funny! You need to get out of there before someone sees you or us and arrests us or something…"
"Rayna, there is nobody here. And we're not doing anything wrong, just come in, the water is really nice." He grinned as he swam on his back.
"I am not risking this. Get out of the water right now!" He couldn't help but laugh again as she crossed her arms and stomped those white boots. "Why are you laughing?"
"Nothing, baby. I just love all that fire in you. Just too bad you're always too scared to take risks and live a little." He shrugged.
She frowned. "What? I am not scared to take risks. I got kicked out of the house for performing my music at the Bluebird and for hanging out with you!"
He nodded. "Those were the good old days."
"Hey I have not lost that! I still take risks and I know how to have fun. Jumping into someone's private lake in the middle of the day is not fun."
Deacon shrugged. "Okay, princess. Suit yourself."
"I am not a princess!"
He splashed her and laughed as she shrieked again.
"Do you have any idea how expensive this was?!"
He didn't respond as he dove underwater with a smirk.
"Deacon! I am not staying here, you hear me? You better come out of that water in the next 2 minutes or I am leavin' without you!"
She looked around as the water was completely still.
"Deacon? You're not scarin' me, just get out of there and we can go finish those songs."
She tapped her foot impatiently as she looked at the water again, slowly uncrossing her arms.
"Okay, it's not funny anymore. You can come out now!" No response. "Deacon?"
She bit her lip, looking back at his car parked in the distance and sighed. "Why me…" She went to take her boots off, putting down her sunglasses with them, looking at the water tentatively.
"Deacon?" She kneeled down a bit, trying to look for any sign of him. She never saw him grinning up from under the pier as he went to grab hold of her and pulled her in. She screamed as she hit the water fully clothed and spluttered as she came back up.
He laughed as he watched her. "Oh my god, you should see your face. You're like a drowned cat."
She threw him a murderous glare as she pushed him.
"How could you do that?" She only felt more annoyed when he laughed even harder. "I actually thought you were drownin' or something, you are such a bastard!"
He laughed and went to grab her. "I'm sorry, darlin', but honestly you looked like you needed to cool off a bit."
She slapped his chest. "I paid a lot of money for this outfit."
"Well see that was your first mistake. Cause if you are trying to impress people, you could wear a garbage bag and they'd still stare." He smirked as he kissed her neck.
She rolled her eyes. "That's not funny. I like looking good and I want people to take me seriously."
"Darlin', you don't need expensive outfits to do that. People love you for your music and that sexy body…" He grinned, kissing her jawline.
She couldn't help but smile a little. "I guess it will dry fast in this weather. But you're not off the hook for doing this. We have way too much to do and…" She was cut off by him kissing her deeply without warning.
He was grinning as she blinked at him after he ended their kiss. "You need to stop thinking so much. You stress about everything while we have plenty of time. Plus you are at your best when you are completely relaxed. And that just so happens to be why I'm here."
"Oh is that so?"
"Mhm, it is…" She finally smiled as they wrapped their arms around each other and her wet clothes soon joined her boots on the pier as he finally helped her relax.
Three hours filled with laughter and a lot of relaxing, finally lead them to a meeting with Watty and their new band. On the outside nothing was out of the ordinary. Clothes were dry and even her hair looked like she walked right out of the salon. They would never know the details, but everyone in the room saw their glances, noticed their whispers and the secret smiles they shared.
No one would ever deny the "thing" that was between Deacon Claybourne and Rayna Jaymes. When they were in a room together, the atmosphere shifted and they brought the best and worst out of each other. And while they faced a lot of hardships and had been driven apart over the years, everyone who had ever been in a room with the Queen of Country and her once bandleader, lover and father of her daughter, would admit that that "thing" would never go away. No matter how much some would wish it to.