***
Sophie couldn’t remember the last time she’dlaughed so hard. “Freya, I’m so glad you’re moving back to town. Asmuch as I adore Pippa,” she winked at her best friend, “I could usesomeone with decent taste in movies around here.”
Raising her nearly drained second glass ofwine, Pippa glared at Sophie playfully. “I like a good cry now andagain. Not every movie needs a happy ending.”
Freya, Sophie’s declared new friend andPippa’s closest cousin raised her glass in a toast, “Sophie, Ipromise to watch Captain America movies with you as often as youneed me. Pippa, you’re on your own with the tearjerkers.”
Yeah, she definitely liked Freya already.Taller than she was, wild waves of black hair, piercing blue eyes,and a sharp intellect… but clearly good taste in movies as well.Freya had been studying art throughout Europe for the last fewyears, so Sophie hadn’t been able to meet her yet. Close in age toPippa and Asher, the cousins had always been good friends.
Rising from the table, Pippa managed to holdher laughter long enough to be the boss again. “I really appreciateyou guys putting up with my bridezillaness. I had no idea I wouldhave such tendencies–”
Lincoln coughed into his fist, discreetlymuttering, “Bullshit.”
“Remember that thing you wanted to try on ourwedding night? Not going to happen if you keep that attitude.”Pippa winked at her fiancé. “On with my bossiness. Let’s head tothe hot tub. We have spare suits if you need them.”
Grady teased this time as he rose from hischair. “Pippa, you scare me too much for me to ever forget one ofyour commands.”
In her bedroom, Sophie quickly put on herfavorite one-piece suit, glad she’d remembered to shave her legsand bikini line this morning. She hadn’t been in the pool yet andcouldn’t wait to slide in. Despite the fans, the house was justplain hot on days like today.
Wrapping herself in her towel, she hopedshe’d beat the others. No such luck. Grady waited just outside theback door.
“I was hoping to get one of the good spots inthe hot tub before everyone else got out here. I haven’t been herein years, but the times I was over in high school, I discovered thebest spot in the tub.” Grady made casual conversation as he put hishand on her back again.
He kept doing that. It was so possessive, andshe didn’t particularly want to be possessed. She supposed it wasactually a sweet gesture; it just struck her wrong tonight. Maybebecause she wished it was someone else’s hand.
“Go for it. I’m taking a quick dip in thepool first.” She crossed her fingers he wouldn’t change his mindand decide to join her for a swim. Without waiting for hisresponse, she silently declared her independence and walked rightup to the pool and dove in, swimming half the length of the poolbefore surfacing again, then swam the rest of the lengthleisurely.
When her mother had been alive, she’d beenpart fish in the local swim club. In high school she’d joined theswim team and had kept up with it through college as well. Yvettecouldn’t argue with no-cost school sports, and she appreciated whenSophie wasn’t underfoot.
Reaching for the far wall, she turned around,debating whether to swim a few laps or just float for a while.Asher strutted out of the house in black board shorts that hungjust low enough she could see the narrowing of his low abs.Strutted was the wrong word. His walk was confident, but it lackedthe cockiness of a strut.
He didn’t even pause as he reached the edgeof the pool and dove in sleekly, with hardly a splash. Swimming thelength of the pool, he surfaced inches in front of her. Grinningwith the rush of sensation, he was clearly as at home in the wateras she was.
Rolling her eyes playfully, she swam aroundhim and stopped in the middle of the pool to float and look up atthe stars. She could just hear the others in the hot tub, laughingand enjoying themselves. She’d join them in a few, but she couldn’tresist stretching her body in the bathwater-warm pool first.
Why hadn’t she gotten out here beforetonight? It had been too long since she’d loosened up like this.Listening to the Darth Vader sound of her own breathing with herears just under the surface, she lay perfectly still and stared upat the night sky. A shooting star passed the length of the horizonbefore burning out, no sign it had ever existed.
She should have been startled by the bodythat came up from under her like a surfacing submarine. Handscircling her waist, cheek pressing against her own, Asher liftedhis head from the water, an otter snuggling with its mate. Didotters mate like that? Relaxing into him, she succumbed to the deepyearning for the skin-to-skin contact.
Then she was more afraid Pippa would see.What was he thinking? Shifting, she rolled so she was facing him.He was still only inches away.
“Don’t scare your sister like this. I amactually a little terrified of her right now,” Sophie joked. Mostlyjoked. Undeniably a little bit serious.
Asher slicked his hand through his hair andbrushed out a thick spray of water. He whispered back, “She can’tsee us.” He nodded his head toward the hot tub.
Huh, fancy that. The sides of the hot tub andwaterfall pouring out of it were high enough that the hot tubresidents were rather clueless about the pool happenings. Unlessthey were trying to see over the side.
“We still shouldn’t.” Sophie searched Asher’seyes, seeking his refute.
Ignoring her thinly veiled protest, Asherleaned in and pressed his cool, damp lips against hers. Testing,teasing, he kissed the corners of her mouth, her lower lip. Firestirred low in her belly at his feather light touch. Relying on himto keep them afloat, she wrapped her arms around him and deepenedthe kiss, letting the embers ignite into a full wildfire.
Clinging to him, she devoured him, and hekissed her back with equal fervor. Forgetting to tread water, theyslipped carelessly underwater and perpetuated the kiss until theyran out of air.
Surfacing again, both were breathing rapidly,from the lack of oxygen, the kiss, or both. Asher looked to the hottub, realizing the risk they’d taken if anyone had made the effortto check on them. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have… we shouldn’t have.She’s going to kill me.”
Sophie swam a few feet away, needing thedistance or she’d dive right back into his arms. “Agreed. We’re nota couple of horny teenagers. We can be more discreet.”
Feeling absurdly sad, her heart shattering alittle bit, Sophie swam to the steps. Looking back, she saw Asherwatching her distance herself, his face drawn, his misery mirroringher own. She’d never betray her friend, but she wished she couldtell her friend what she was feeling, and how much pushing thisaside sucked.
