I light a fire because the storm has stolen the warmth out of the air. I also do it to kill time. Adley told me she wanted to rinse the chlorine from the pool of off her body an hour ago, so she went into her room to shower. I didn't follow her although I wanted nothing more.
A shower wasn't what I needed. I'm not washing away the sweet smell of her from my hand anytime soon. What happened earlier was an appetizer. It was a sample of what awaits me.
I hear her gentle footsteps on the hardwood floor before I see her round the corner.
She's wearing a thin white dress that is almost sheer. I can tell immediately that she's not wearing a bra and that her panties are white too.
"Hi," she says when she nears.
I don't want her to feel anything but completely comfortable around me. She cast her head down when we ran from the rain. Once we were inside, she was down the hall so quickly that I couldn't say a thing in response to her announcement that she was having a shower.
"Sit with me." I pat the spot next to me on the sofa.
Her eyes skim over my clothes. Black T-shirt, matching sweatpants and nothing else.
"Do you want some wine? A soda?" I fist my hand on my thigh to prevent myself from reaching out to touch her knee once she's settled beside me. "I can get you anything you want."
Her gaze lands on my lips. "I'm fine. Thank you."
"You're scared," I say it because I see it. It's there, not only in her face but in her body language too. Her shoulders are tense. Her hands folded tightly in her lap.
She nods as she bows her head. "I don't think you understand how much I need a friend like you."
I get it. I need her too. I have other friends, some women, but none are as close to me as she is. She's the person I depend on to give it to me straight. She's also one of the few people in this world who doesn't give two shits that I'm rich or successful.
Ad likes me for me, and in my world, that's a rarity.
"I understand," I offer gently. "I need you just as much as you need me."
Her head pops up. "I don't think so, Crew. You have a lot of friends. Probably ten times as many as I do. If things happened that would pull us apart, you'd have someone else to go to. There's always a friend a call away for you."
It's true, but those friendships are shallow at best. They can't compare to what the two of us share.
"I have very few close friends."
A smile curves her lip, but it's gone with the next beat of my heart. "I know I'm one of the close ones. I think I know you better than most of your friends."
There's something woven into the words. They hold a weight to them beyond the obvious. "You do know a lot about me."
"And then some," she adds in a whisper.
My heart drums against the wall of my chest in strong, measured beats. There are things I've never told her about me. Things I've only told Nolan and I would bet my life and hers that he would never break that confidence. "What do you know about me?"
Her gaze roams my face. "You're a good friend."
"I'm an even better lover," I quip.
She rubs her hands on her thighs. "What if it all goes to hell? How will we handle that?"
I don't see that as an option so devising a plan is a waste of my time. I want her, and that goes beyond the sex. I want her heart. I want it all because I'm seeing her in a way I haven't before.
"What if it doesn't go to hell?"
She sits back. "You like women too much for this to not go to hell at some point."
It stings. Her words cut through me with the force of a jagged knife because it's my actions that have given her those thoughts and those words. We may not talk about who we're fucking but there are enough clues in my life that I'm getting my fair share of pussy for her to know what's going on.
Condom packages in the guest room nightstand because sometimes I want to fuck with a different view of the city.