“Yes please.” I smile at him, and he nods like we just made a deal.
We float for a while, quiet except for the water lapping around us. Then he swims toward the deep end, arms slicing clean through the water, and I drift toward the steps, easing myself out.
I can feel his gaze on me, and for a second I almost look back, but I don’t. Instead, I grab a towel, wrap it around my hips, and sit down on the white sun lounger.
I close my eyes and lean back, letting the warmth soak back into my skin.
The water cooled me down, but it didn’t quiet the thoughts. Notcompletely. Because Lucas is right there. Just a few steps away. Shirtless. Looking like that. Being that kind. Too kind.
And that’s the problem, isn’t it? He’s everything I should want. Everything Idowant. But that kind of good? That kind of safe? It feels almost foreign to me. I don’t know what to do with it.
I told him we couldn’t do what we did again. I told myself it was the smart thing, the healthy thing—and it is.
But now I’m lying here wondering if I just said it because I’m scared of falling for someone who might actually be good to me.
And the worst part? I think he knows.
He’s been nothing but respectful since I put up the boundary.
No comments. No touching. No teasing. And it’s undoing me.
Because it proves that he heard me. That he’s listening. That he actually cares about what I need.
Sean never did that. Sean would’ve pouted, sulked and demanded. Lucas just… stepped back. And it’s making me want him even more.
I open my eyes and glance over. He’s leaning against the edge of the pool, talking to Tyler who’s jumped in the pool now, laughing at something stupid and carefree. The kind of laugh that makes your chest warm just hearing it.
I’m in trouble. I’m not ready for this. Not yet. But part of me. The broken, hopeful, quietly healing part is starting to wonder if maybe I could be. Eventually. But not today.
Today, I’m just grateful. For this space. For the kindness.
21
Sunday roast
Her staying here? It’s going to be a harder than I thought. I’m so damn attracted to this woman and now she’s completely off-limits.
She set a boundary, and I want to respect it. But fuck, I want her again. So badly.
I try to shove the thoughts out of my head—the way she looked in that red bikini, the way she kissed me like she needed it just as much as I did that night, the way she laughs without realizing how beautiful it is.
No. Camille needs a friend right now. Someone safe. Someone she doesn’t have to worry about disappointing or pleasing. And that’s something I can be. As much as I’d love to be more.
So I spent the afternoon keeping it light. No pressure. No loaded glances. Just the kind of presence I wish someone had been for mewhen my world was falling apart. And when she laid back on a sun chair—wet hair dripping, skin glowing, eyes closed as if she could finally breathe again—I decided that being her friend right now might be the most important thing I’ve ever done. Even if it means pretending I don’t want her every single second.
I roast the lamb, make some crispy potatoes and asparagus with garlic and butter. I feel like some kind of domestic god.
The food gets devoured, and Camille actually moans when she tries the gravy. Not the kind of sound I need from her right now.
She looks relaxed. Peaceful even. And I can’t help but admire her.
She really fits in here, with us. I expected it to feel a little awkward or stiff. Our first day of all living together, Camille carrying the weight of everything she’s been through, trying to settle into this house that isn’t really hers. But she laughs along with us like we’ve all known each other for years.
She keeps thanking us, over and over, and Tyler just grins and shrugs it off, while I smile and tell her she doesn’t owe us anything.
Except maybe more moaning over gravy. That I’ll accept.
“Okay, who gave you permission to cook like this? This lamb is ridiculous.” Tyler says between chewing.
