"Told you." He smirks.
I splash him.
He splashes back.
And just like that, we're laughing, acting like kids. Forgetting about everything else. It feels good. It feels normal. I splash him again. Harder this time. Water hits his face.
"Oh, you're going to pay for that," he warns.
"Catch me first."
I swim away, but he's faster, and his hand catches my ankle, pulling me back. I yelp. "That's cheating!"
"All's fair in pool wars." He pulls me closer, and suddenly we're face to face, treading water, his hand still on my ankle. The laughter fades. His eyes drop to my mouth, then I feel him wrap my leg around his waist.
"Emmett ..." My voice is barely a whisper.
"Don't say it." His free hand comes up, cupping my face, and water drips between us. His thumb traces my bottom lip. "I know we shouldn't. We both know we shouldn't. But I just can't stop myself. Tell me to stop."
I don't.
He kisses me, and everything else disappears. The water. The world. Everything but this. But him. His mouth is soft and demanding all at once. I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him closer. He groans against my lips, one hand slides down my back, pressing me against him. We're still treading water but barely. Too distracted. Too lost in each other. His tongue traces my bottom lip, and I open for him. The kiss deepens. Gets hungrier. His hand slides lower, gripping my hip. I can feel him. All of him. Hard against me through our swimsuits.
"Fuck, Joelle," he murmurs against my mouth. I rock against him, and he makes this sound. This desperate, needy sound that goes straight through me. His mouth moves to my neck. Kissing. Sucking. I tilt my head back, giving him access.
"We should stop." I gasp.
"I know."
But neither of us stops. His hand slides up my thigh, my fingers rake through his wet hair.
Then he freezes.
"What?" I breathe.
"Cameras." He pulls back slightly, nodding toward the corner of the pool area. "There's a security camera right there."
Reality crashes back. I unwrap my legs from around him and try putting distance between us. "Shit."
"Yeah." We're both breathing hard, staring at each other across the three feet of water that suddenly feels like a mile.
"We can't do this here," he says.
"We can't do this anywhere."
He gives me a look that tells me he doesn't like that opinion.
"I should go."
"Jo ... please."
"I have to."
I swim to the edge and pull myself out. I grab my towel and quickly wrap it around me. Then I pause, turning to see him inthe pool looking despondent. "Hey, Emmett." He looks up at me. The hope I see in his eyes is my undoing. "Text me later." I smile before disappearing out the door.
I'm a bundle of nerves as I lie waiting in my bed. I can't believe I just told Emmett to text me. But after that kiss, I'm all kinds of worked up. My phone buzzes and I almost jump out of my skin.
Emmett: You're killing me.
