The Girl Next Door

I glance at the fluffy material I’m holding and frown.

Damnit. Caught red-handed.

“That’s all right.” I swat my hand and take a tentative step toward freedom. “You’re obviously enjoying some alone time and I wouldn’t want to disturb that.”

Beck stretches his arms out in front of him. His muscles ripple with the arcing movement as his fingertips skims the surface of the water. “There’s enough room for both of us, don’t you think?”

Unfortunately, the pool is big enough for the Olympic swim team. So, yeah…there is.

He knows I don’t want to be alone with him. Can’t he let me slink away without calling me out on it?

“No worries,” I wave a hand, “another time.”

“Damn girl,” he laughs, eyes crinkling at the corners, “do I frighten you that much?”

Abso-fucking-lutely.

“Don’t be ridiculous!” I bristle and straighten to my full height. “Why would you say that?”

Challenge sparks to life in his eyes. “Because you avoid me like I’ve got a contagious disease.”

“For all I know, you do.”

“Nope. Totally clean.” He gives me a wink. “I always wrap it up tight.”

Ugh. “Gross.”

“So prove it.”

“Excuse me?”

“Prove that you’re not afraid to be alone with me.”

Damnit.

Damnit.

Damnit.

I force out a laugh even though my mouth has turned cottony. “I don’t have to prove anything to you.”

“You’re right.” He nods. “So prove it to yourself.”

I gnaw my lower lip. If I’m not careful, it’ll be a bloody mess in a matter of minutes. I glance at the gate, tempted to walk away without another word.

“Come on, Stanbury,” Beck cajoles, his voice turning silky. Too many panties to count have fallen around ankles from just such a voice. “You came here to swim, so do it. I wasn’t planning to stay much longer. Then you’ll have the pool to yourself. Isn’t that why you came over? To cool off?”

Yes, it is. But Beck wasn’t part of the deal.

I stare wistfully at the water from the cement patio. It looks so inviting. It’s crystal clear and sparkling. Already beads of sweat are rolling down my back and I only stepped outside. I’ve been looking forward to this all day.

It’s not like I owe Beck an explanation.

And I certainly don’t have anything to prove to him.

But…

Maybe he’s right about needing to prove it to myself. If I can swim with him and nothing happens, then I can stop going to such great lengths to avoid him. Avoiding Beck at home and on campus is exhausting. It takes a ton of energy to constantly be on my guard.

By his own admittance, he isn’t planning to stick around for very long. There’s no reason we can’t swim together for ten or fifteen minutes without me ending up wrapped around him and sucking face.

So what am I concerned about?

“Fine.” The word slips from my mouth before I can stop it.

When his lips bow up at the corners, I have to tamp down the nerves that flutter around in my belly like a million butterflies.

Why do I feel like I’ve fallen into a well-laid trap?

Like a deer in headlights, I stand frozen, waiting for Beck to get back to swimming laps, but he doesn’t move. Instead, he continues to watch me. I lower my gaze, needing to break eye contact. Even though I’m not looking at him, the heat of his stare crawls over my covered body.

It takes a moment to gather my courage and shed the cover-up shielding me from view. With his attention focused solely on me, it feels like I’m putting on a striptease which couldn’t be further from the truth. Nerves skitter along my spine as my fingers grasp the hem. With a shaky breath, I yank it over my head in one fluid motion before tossing it to the plush lounger. It takes eight steps to reach the edge of the pool and dive headfirst into the water.

As soon as I’m submerged in the cool liquid, all the anxiety swirling through me vanishes. This feels as amazing as I imagined it would. It’s a refreshing slice of heaven. My body hums with pleasure. If I had allowed Beck to chase me away, I wouldn’t be enjoying this now.

All I have to do is keep my distance.

How difficult can that be?

As I resurface, Beck’s attention stays focused on me. A satisfied expression fills his face. No matter how much I try to pretend otherwise, I’m ridiculously aware of him on every level.

Every shift of muscle.

Every flick of his green eyes.

I’m all too cognizant of the attraction that buzzes between us.

Pretending to ignore him, I swim a few laps. As far as I’m concerned, he’s not there.

That’s what I tell myself, anyway.

“How’s Arron doing?”

I glance at him with confusion. “Who?”

“I guess that answers the question, now doesn’t it?” One side of his mouth hitches in amusement. “The last time we ran into each other, you were with some guy named Arron.”