She laughs again. I love that sound. Then she lifts her glass to match mine.“You’re lucky I like rosemary.”
I don’t break eye contact. “I know exactly how lucky I am. We all do.”
She looks down, then meets my eyes again. “What about you? Is this the life you pictured?”
I think about it, then shake my head. “Not even close. I figured I’d age out of the League by this point. Do something else. I’ve always wanted to try writing a fantasy book.”
A curl slips loose, and she tucks it behind her ear. “You should. You’re always reading them. I bet you could write a good one.”
I glance down at the table and scratch the back of my neck. “Thanks.”
She finishes the last bite and sets her fork down. She stares up at the fairy lights and hums. “I still remember the day you broke your elbow at camp in our second year. When we climbed the rock wall without supervision. I don’t think I’ve ever been that scared, watching you hit the ground like that.”
I rest my forearms on the table. “It scared me, too. But staying down and crying wasn’t an option. Not with you watching.”
Her mouth tilts, not quite a smile. “You came back with that big neon green cast. We thought you would stay home since you couldn’t really do any of the sports. But I’m glad you came back, wouldn’t have been the same without you.”
“I came back for you and the guys. My mother fought me tooth and nail over it. But I wasn’t going to pass on getting to spend time with you.”
Frankie swallows hard as she looks over at me. The candle between us burns low. Wax pools at the rim.
A soft huff leaves her as she shakes her head with a smile. “You really remembered the rosemary thing?”
“You told me the summer we got stuck doing kitchen duty. You said the smell made you feel less homesick.”
Her eyes shine for a second before she blinks it back.
I reach for her hand across the table. “I remember everything, Frankie. If you told me or mentioned it in passing to one of the others, I remember.”
She exhales and takes it. Her thumb strokes across my knuckles. “Yeah. I’m starting to believe that.”
I nod toward the hot tub. “We don’t have to call it a night yet.”
A smirk pulls at her mouth. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
She stands, fingers already at the zipper on the side of her dress. It drops from her shoulders in one clean motion, revealing her bare perky breasts with dark nipples that beg to be sucked. The dress pools at her boots, which she kicks off one by one. Then peels down her black, lacey underwear. No hesitation or shame, even with us being outside.
Her hips sway as she walks past me, her arm brushing mine. “You still have far too much clothing on.”
The sight of her naked in the golden rooftop light hits low. I’ve been half-hard all night. Now there’s no hiding it.
By the time I stand and strip down, she’s at the edge of the tub, one hand braced on the rim. I hurry over and flip on the jets. The water bubbles to life.
I step in first. It’s hotter than I expected. So is the look she gives me when I turn to her. I place my hands on her waist and lift her before she use the step.
Her eyes widen. “Logan, I’m—”
Before she can finish her sentence, she’s in the water. I kiss her forehead. “Trust me, you’re not too heavy.”
She lets out a sigh before she sinks in and moves to the seat. I follow her. For a while, we sit here, steam curling up between us. The heat works into our muscles.
Frankie tips her head back against the tub’s ledge. Her eyes shut for a beat. Then open again to look at me.“So, is this your move?”
I lean my head to the side. “Depends. Is it working?”
She doesn’t answer as she shifts closer.
Her thigh brushes mine under the surface. Then her hand drifts over and settles on my knee.“I realized you’ve always anticipated my needs before I knew I had them. Like when I would forget to grab a fork at meals, but you always had an extra ready.”
