“Sorry! It’s me!”
What a dumbass move. I winced as her steely gaze wracked over me.
“You scared the crap out of me.”
“Sorry, I wasn’t thinking.” I grimaced.
With a little grin, she pushed a wave of water at me. While I was coughing and spluttering, she lunged towards me, dunking my head under the water. I wrapped my hands around her hips and pulled her down with me before we bobbed to the top and laughed. I gripped the edge of the pool, while pulling her towards me with my free hand. The air between us sizzled as our laughter died away. I pressed her between me and the wall, kissing her mouth with a heated passion I was now allowed to show.
It felt good.
My body responded immediately and if I’d been allowed to, I would have stripped off her bathing suit and explored every inch of her.
She jerked away from me when she felt my arousal. Her lips quirked to the side and her right eyebrow shot north. My cheeks felt like they were on fire as I sheepishly chuckled. “I’m not the only hottie in this pool, you know.”
Her sweet laughter echoed in the cavernous space.
“Come on, let’s start laps before we both get in trouble.” She winked and ducked under my arm. Pushing off the wall, she got into her lane, her sleek body carving through the water with its usual grace.
We raced the last few laps. I won and pulled her from the water, wrapping my arm around her as we headed for the towels. It felt so natural and easy between us now. It would have been easy to forget that my weekend ever happened.
But it jumped forward in my brain as I watched her wrap the towel around her body. Her blue eyes caught me, making me realize I wanted to do this every day for the rest of my life. She trusted me. I could tell by the open look in her eyes, her carefree grin. Yesterday had released some kind of coil within her and she looked happy. I didn’t want to damage that.
I scrubbed the towel over my face, hiding my guilt at letting Uncle Alex in.
Maybe I shouldn’t have done it.
But it was too late now. I had.
And if I was going to help him do his job, I had to get on with it.
I flung my arm over her shoulder and walked her to the changing rooms. “So, where’d you grow up?”
She flinched. “Zach, you promised you wouldn’t say anything.”
“Yeah, which is why I’m asking you in a place that no one else is in. There’s no way I’d raise this around our friends. I’m just curious about you. I want to know you.” I stopped and turned her towards me. “And there’s no hurry to do that, but I’m gonna ask you questions, Dani. I can’t help it. Just tell me what you want to.”
She hesitated, her carefree smile disappearing. “Okay.” She finally sighed. “Sorry, it just felt like you were probing for more on my parents, that’s all.”
I shrugged, trying to work out how to get around that one. “I want to know more about it, yeah, but I know you don’t want to tell me. Just, whatever you wanna give is great.”
I pushed an innocent smile over my lips and she finally relented with a sigh. “L.A. I grew up in L.A.”
“Nice. I spent my first eight years in Sacramento and then we moved here when I was thirteen.”
“Nice.” She bobbed her head with a grin.
“So what part of L.A.?”
Her head tipped and she shot me a droll look.
“Too far?”
She snickered, her smile looking adorable as she shook her head.
I couldn’t stop myself from kissing those lips, I pulled her towards me, my tongue skirting into her mouth until it was ripped out by Elliot’s shout. “Hey Zach!”
He stood on the opposite side of the pool, feet apart, hands in his pockets… he looked pissed. Damn it, I should have called him last night.
“I’m gonna go shower.” Dani slipped out of my arms as I turned to face my irate friend.
He stopped a few feet from me, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. His brown gaze bore into me, flinging silent accusations. “I see you and Dani have stepped it up a notch.”
“Yeah.” I glanced behind me then back to Elliot, pushing an easy smile over my lips.
“Were you with her yesterday?” His voice was cutting.
“I, uh, yeah, I’m really sorry about that.”
He shoved my shoulder. “You’re such an ass. Yeah, you sound really sorry.”
I grimaced. “Shit, man. I really am. I just— I forgot.” I ran my hand through my wet hair, guilt singeing my insides.
“Yeah, obviously.”
“And I left my phone at home too, so that’s why I didn’t get your calls. I was gonna call you when I got home, but—”
“Save it. I don’t give a shit. I’ve wasted enough of my time on you anyway. I turned up at your house and your mom said you’d gone to study so I went to find you at the library, but no show. You never go anywhere else to study so I figured you’d bailed on me.” He tipped his head. “For Miss Mystery too. Thanks for that.”
“Look, dude, I didn’t mean to. This weekend was crazy for me.”
“Why?” The anger fled, concern flashing across his features briefly.
“I, um. It just got busy.”