“Me too,” he said, and a spark lit in his eyes, like they’d both agreed on an unlikely conclusion. “It’s hard to believe though, because you’re so young and friends with Madison—who loves to be around as many people as possible.”
“We balance each other out, I guess.” Her whole life, she always wanted to blend in. Not because she wanted to be like the other girls, the other families, but because she was tired of having attention drawn to her. She hated being the one with the crazy mother, or the foster child.
“You know… until earlier, I didn’t know about your childhood. I still don’t, but I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. I was dealt bad cards, but doesn’t mean I can’t learn to play the game, right?” she said.
“Right.” He gave her an apologetic smile. Great. Now he felt sorry for her. And she might not be a sex expert, but even she knew that pity was the world’s biggest cockblocker. Not like she’d want a charity fuck anyway. Or a charity take-my-virginity session. “Is that why you’re still.. hmmm…”
“A V-card holder?”
“Yes. I can only assume it’s hard to trust people when you’ve been let down so much.”
“I also didn’t want to trust men so much. My mom would always latch onto someone new, and I didn’t want that to be me. I was afraid I’d be weak like her.”
“That’s impossible. You’re already stronger than she is. I say that because of what you’ve told me… you’re emotionally mature. You had to build all these walls and layers to survive.”
She had. And now she felt like peeling every single one of them for him. The ball of frustration got stuck in her throat. What was it about him that made her feel so adamant about being with him? Trusting him? Giving herself to him in a way she’d never anyone else? “Thanks,” she said.
“You’ll find the right person for you,” he said in a low voice.
“I think you’re right,” she said, doubting they meant the same thing. God, how she wished she had experienced an unstoppable, all-consuming do-or-die crush when she’d been fifteen or sixteen, like most girls. Maybe then now, she’d be better equipped to deal with the emotions surrounding Knox. To snap herself out of her own head, she splashed him, and cocked her head to the other side of the pool. “C’mon. I’ll race you.”
He accepted her dare, and they both swam to the other side. For the first lap, she was certain he let her get there first, because the man had to do only a few back strokes to catch up with her. Two other laps to both sides followed, and on the last one, he won. She didn’t let him win, but she suspected he finally put more effort and she appreciated him for it.
She touched the edge of the pool, chuckling. “This is fun.”
He was a couple feet closer to her, closer than before, and with his hair wet and droplets of water running down his handsome face. Knox was dynamite. “One more?”
She tapped him on the shoulder, accepting the challenge, then dove underwater, hoping to make it this time. She felt him swimming alongside her, with powerful and graceful moves, and she kicked her feet to the best of her abilities, but he beat her by a couple of seconds to the edge of the pool.
She resurfaced, her breath panting, heart about to leap from her mouth. “Damn it.”
Their faces were close. Dangerously close.
She sucked in a breath, her chest raising, nipples puckering. Then, she parted her lips, her eyes on his. Her stomach lurched, anticipation stretching her like a taut violin string. Tight and hard. She expected for him to make a move, hating herself for the fear of rejection.
He withdrew for a moment, a bare shift in the water. But it splashed her as she treaded, kicking her feet as she gripped on the edge. “Too deep?” he asked, his voice deeper than before.
“Y-yes,” she hissed, and with a swift move, he grabbed her waist and took her to a less deep area. Her feet touched the textured surface in the bottom, but the lightheadedness from earlier still buzzed her brain.
She realized his strong hand still remained on her waist, steadying her. He pressed his fingers into her skin, and the touch sent tingles to her core. She parted her lips, her gaze falling to his mouth, breaths mingling in the misty air.
It was like they moved toward each other, and determining who made the first move was impossible. He dipped his head, and their lips met, crushed and burned. He found no resistance from her when he delved his tongue into her mouth. Millions of little shocks charged her from top to bottom, and even though her toes touched the textured bottom of the pool, she truly felt like she levitated. She’d been lifted from this planet and sent to a much more pleasing one.
She circled his head with her arms, plastering herself against him. Scared that if she let him go, he’d slip away from her.
His response turned her on one more notch. He pulled her to him, his impressive erection a delicious reminder that she might not be the most experienced girl on the block, but she got his attention. Oh, yes.
The way he held her was assertive, intense, overpowering. He intensified the kiss, his tongue laving at hers, lapping and dominating every bit of her mouth. Groaning, he sneaked his hand behind her neck, and grabbed a fistful of her hair, tugging it.
She bit his lower lip, then traced her tongue along his flesh. He trembled a bit, and she loved to know she was the one provoking that reaction in him. The kisses became more ravenous, greedier, and she let out a moan when he dragged his mouth from her, then planted a kiss on her earlobe—then nipped it, and her sex throbbed. She touched his chest, gliding her hands down his pecs, knowing this was all new territory for her—but the unknown never seduced her more.
Should she keep going?
She rested her hand on his waistline, her fingers caressing the fabric. Giving him a taste of what she wanted to do. He lowered his mouth down her neck, and she leaned back a little, until she felt the tiles of the pool against her legs. Growling, he removed her top, and tossed it aside. Her breasts felt full and heavy, and he caught one of them in his mouth, and cupped the other.
The rough edge of the pool scratched her bare skin, but she didn’t care.
