The Girl Next Door

What the—

“Where are your shorts?” I croak.

He throws a devilish look over his shoulder before a wide grin breaks out across his face. Mischief dances in his eyes. When his feet land on the concrete, he straightens to his full height.

Oh.

My.

God!

He’s naked!

Full-on naked!

It’s not like I haven’t seen the goods before, but that was two years ago. I’ve tried so damn hard to eradicate the image from my brain.

“In the house.” He tosses out the comment nonchalantly, as if it’s no big deal I’ve been swimming around naked with him for the last half an hour.

How did I not realize it sooner?

Maybe because I was trying to avoid looking at him at all?

My tongue darts out to smudge my lips. They feel as dry as the Sahara.

“Don’t be shy, Stanbury, take a good look.” There is so much heat filling his voice that it could burn me alive. “I don’t mind at all.”

It takes effort to avert my focus. “Just do the dare.”

I need to get this over with before something happens between us. Something I’ll inevitably regret.

“Don’t rush me, woman.” He raises his hands, palms out. “I’m moving.” There’s not a bashful bone in this guy’s body as he saunters to the diving board before climbing up the stairs.

Once on the board, he pauses as his hands grip the metal railing before strutting to the end that juts out over the water. Beck softens his knees before taking a few preliminary bounces. His cock flops around and I can’t help but laugh. The sound breaks the sexual tension brewing dangerously between us.

A smile cricks the corners of his mouth. “Is there something funny?”

I press my lips together and shake my head. “Nope, not at all.”

“All right, if you say so.” He bounces and his dick continues to slap against his lower belly and balls.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen something so ridiculous. I’m all but dying now. My shoulders shake at the image he makes standing on the board in all his glory.

Even when he’s making a complete jackass of himself, he’s still gorgeous. All six foot three inches of him.

“You ready to be blown away by my mad skills?” he asks, bouncing away gleefully.

I clear the laughter from my voice and remind, “It’s a backwards flip.”

“Oh, yeah.” He points at me. “I almost forgot.”

“Maybe this isn’t such a good idea,” I say. “Seems like you could do irreparable damage to some rather sensitive pieces.”

An unconcerned expression settles on his face as he shrugs. “It’s sweet that you’re concerned about my tender bits and pieces.”

Hardly.

“A dare’s a dare, right?”

“Yeah, I guess.” Here’s my chance to end this stupid game. “If you want to quit, I’d be fine with that.”

A knowing glint enters his eyes as he smiles. “Sorry, sweetheart, you’re not getting out of this that easily. I’ll have to keep my legs together when I land and hope for the best.”

He turns around until I have a perfect view of his ass. I hate to admit it, but Beck has one hell of a gorgeous backside. The urge to squeeze those perfectly shaped globes rushes through me, and I have to tamp down the impulse that stirs inside.

With his back to me, he stands at the edge of the board until his heals can hang off the end. He holds his arms straight out in front of him and takes a few initial bounces before bringing them down to his thighs. Beck squats and launches himself off the board. I hold my breath as he tucks into a ball, legs rotating over his head before landing in the water.

I hate to admit that I’m impressed. The guy gets a ten for perfect form.

Once he breaks through to the surface, I ask, “Did your giblets make it out all right?”

“Yup. Kept my legs firmly pressed together.” He gives me a wink along with a sly grin. “Just like you’ve been doing for the last two years.”

All of my good humor evaporates as I narrow my eyes.

Now that I know Beck isn’t wearing board shorts, I keep at least ten feet of distance between us at all times. When he swims closer, I back away. But still, it feels like I’m being stalked in the pool. And I can’t migrate to the shallow end unless I want to get an eyeful of him.

Not that he would mind.

He tilts his head as a smirk simmers on his lips. “You afraid I’m going to give you cooties?”

I shrug and keep a tight rein on my nerves. They’re vibrating like crazy. “Anything’s possible.”

“Ready to take your turn?”

What I’m ready for is to get this over with. If I play my cards right, I’ll be out of here in three minutes. Five, tops. And then I’ll be able to breathe easier.

I jerk my head into a tight nod.