I gulp. Shit, this is not happening to me. I try, unsuccessfully, to tell my nipples to stand down, but they ignore me and pebble into tight buds eager for any attention. I turn and give him my back. The feel of the cool liquid on my hot skin gives me goose bumps. I try hard to pay attention to my surroundings and notice the white-washed fence needs a fresh coat of paint. Half of the pool floaters should be replaced and there are four broken lounge chairs. None of it helps. I’m super aware of the feel of his fingers on my skin as he slides the lotion over my body.
“Turn over.”
His voice is rough. I turn over and my eyes dart down to his shorts. Oh yeah, he’s excited. Well that makes two of us. I eye the pool. I’m going to have to take a swim to cool down.
“Thanks. I just did my front. I’m going for a swim before I leave.”
I try to sound calm but fail. I take the lotion from him and drop it to the ground, aware of the brush of his scented fingers. When I get up he follows suit.
“That’s a good idea.”
Good idea? Try last resort. At the edge of the pool I jump in for a shallow dive. The water is cool and feels refreshing but it does nothing to take the edge off the desire I’m feeling for a man I don’t know at all. I break the surface, swiping my hair back.
I don’t look behind me. The ripples in the pool inform me he’s plunged into the water. A second later his arms snake up behind me. I could squirm away or act affronted, but the truth is the feel of his body up against mine is too good to ignore.
He hauls me back into his embrace.
“I’m not usually this forward with a woman.”
His confession is like a caress as he whispers into my ear.
Should I lie and say I’ve never done something like this before? Instead I lean back into him, my bottom nudging his erection. “Well, that’s good to know. You feel good.”
He groans and nuzzles my neck. “You, Alyssa, have bad written all over you.”
I find myself being twisted around so that we’re now face-to-face. His eyes are a hazel color filtering between green and brown thanks to the noon sun. His hair is a tawny brown and I find my eyes darting to his lips. Like he’s reading my mind, he leans in for a kiss. I swear my heart’s beating a mile a minute. This kiss is all languid passion, we’re savoring the feel of each other’s mouth. His tongue darts in and I suckle deep. His hands, under the water, clutch my ass and I find myself tangling a hand in his hair. I’m not sure how he does it, but we maneuver to the pool’s side. The bite of the concrete digs into my back but the feel of him now between my legs is totally overwhelming. We finally break our kiss for much-needed oxygen.
“You going to scream now?”
There’s a mischievous glint in his eyes I find totally disarming. I trace the large tattoo etched over his right shoulder with my fingertips. The eagle is a work of art. The wings of it adorn his back gracefully. I wonder what it means to him.
My own tattoo spells one word—freedom—but it’s in the Greek alphabet and hidden low. The only time a guy gets to see that script is if I’m totally naked, which isn’t going to happen, I tell myself over and over again.
“I feel like I should scream. I don’t even know you.”
“Yet you enjoy kissing me. I seem to have that effect on women.”
He’s teasing me and it works. I find that armor I had built when I ran away from home beginning to slowly dismantling. We’re still hip to hip in the water.
“I just bet you do,” I say, splashing water at him. I need to get some distance between us. This is all happening way too fast.
He laughs and lets me go, but not too far. He moves to my side so he too can lean against the side of the pool. “So what do you want to know about me? Ask and you shall receive.”
Nice, open invitation for a Q&A, but I hesitate. As much as I long to find out all his nooks and crannies, I’m not into sharing my own. And lying is something I’m getting tired of. Like he’s reading the hesitation in my eyes he reclaims my waist, and hauls me back into his hard chest.
“Or we can let this be a mystery between us.”
“Mystery?”
“Yeah, I could be your mysterious lover for the summer.”
I laugh at that cheesy line. “I think you’re assuming a lot, Blake.”
“I’m certainly hoping a lot. Listen, I came up here to think about my future. And to take it easy. But the minute you dropped the beer in my lap, I became entranced by you. Cheesy I know, but we’re both consenting adults. So, you want to give it a go?”
“You mean like sleep with you?”
He nuzzles my neck and murmurs into my ear, “Honey, we won’t be sleeping. The things I want to do to you had better make you scream in pleasure.”