And she didn't want to start now.
She cleared her throat. "So why are we here?"
"Get out, and I'll show you."
A few minutes later, they were standing at the gate to Barton Springs Pool. "You game?"
"Are you insane?" she countered. "I love this place but it's fricking cold."
"It's pure Austin and it's amazing. And if you stay close to me, I'll warm you up. Besides, Robert Redford learned to swim here, according to Wikipedia, anyway. Doesn't every woman want to be close to Redford?"
She rolled her eyes, but she couldn't argue. Maybe there was some Redford magic in the water.
A huge dammed-off section of Barton Creek, the pool was fed by an underground spring, which kept it at more or less sixty-eight degrees except in the hottest part of summer. Now, this early in spring, it was going to be chilly.
Still, she loved the pool and had spent much of her childhood there. Some of her happiest memories were of hanging out with her friends on floats on the water or blankets on the grass. And she had to admit she was eager to gather more happy memories with Eric.
Twenty minutes later, when she'd changed into the bathing suit he'd brought for her and was standing in the water turning blue, she was starting to think differently.
"You're going about it all wrong."
"If you say jump in, I'll splash you."
"Jump in," he said, and she splashed as promised. But all that did was have him stalk to her, and since she didn't want to slip on the rocks that formed the base of the shallow end, she couldn't scurry. Soon, he'd not only caught her in a kiss, he'd pulled her down onto the rocks, his body beneath hers, his mouth exploring hers.
She had no idea how he managed it, but during the length of that slow, heated kiss, he'd scooted them both further into the water. So that when they broke, she was halfway submerged, and still in his arms. "Another?" he asked, pulling her close. "They say body heat is the best way to stay warm."
"In that case," she said as she pressed hard against him, "you're going to be warming me all day."
Since Tiffany had a major paper to write over the break, she'd reluctantly gone home after their date, which had ended at Matt's El Rancho, where they'd devoured a dinner of cheese enchiladas and enough chips and hot sauce to fully warm them back up.
Now alone, she took a hot shower. Not because she was chilled, but because there was something sensual about the hot water sluicing over her as she thought of the way Eric touched her, and--
The ring of her phone cut off her thoughts, and she frowned, irritated at the aborted fantasy, but also grateful. Go down that road and she'd get no work done.
By the time she got out of the shower, the call had rolled to voicemail. Since she didn't recognize the number, she didn't bother listening straight away. Instead, she put on her most comfy sweats and T-shirt, then settled down at her kitchen table with her books and laptop spread around her.
She was just settling in to read an article from the British Journal of Clinical Psychology, when the phone rang again. Same number. She grabbed it up, expecting it was a robocall, but figuring she could block it if it was.
It wasn't.
It was Ben.
"Tiffy," he said, using the nickname she'd never liked. "How are you?"
"Ben. I didn't recognize your number."
"I decided to get a number that matched the area code I live in. And as for what's up, I'm in town."
"Oh. Wow." How was she supposed to respond to that?
"I'd love to get together. Have a coffee and catch up. Any chance you're free?"
"I'm working on a paper, but ... just for coffee, right?"
"Yeah. You know, it's been a long time, and, well, I'm trying to catch up with everyone while I'm in town."
Was he catching up with Eric and his parents, too? Because surely Eric would have said something if he knew Ben was in town.