Swimming For Love - A Standalone Novel (A Bad Boy Sports Romance Love Story) (Burbank Brothers, Book #1)

by Niles, Naomi

  She came up behind me, grabbed a hold of the zipper, and pulled it up smoothly. I stared at my reflection as the dress took the shape of my body. It had thin straps that fell into a deep V neckline that highlighted my cleavage in a sexy, yet sophisticated way. There were black, lace accents on the bottom of the dress and a satin belt that cinched my figure at the waist. The dress was shorter than I was accustomed to, but it made my legs look six feet long.

  “What do you think?” Winnie asked appreciatively as she looked at my reflection.

  “Umm… I look different,” I said finally.

  Winnie smiled. “You look sexy as fuck and you know it.”

  I couldn’t help but smile. I wouldn’t have put it quite that way, but I had to admit I did look good. It was as though the dress had transformed me.

  “Sit down,” Winnie instructed. “I’m going to work some makeup magic on your face.”

  “Umm, okay,” I said uncertainly. “What exactly are you going to do?”

  “Chill out,” Winnie said calmly. “I know what I’m doing.”

  “I’m sure you do,” I agreed. “I just… I don’t usually wear a lot of makeup.”

  “I’m not going to cover up your features with makeup, Jess,” Winnie said. “I’m just going to highlight them. You have natural beauty, so it’s not like I’ll need to use too much makeup anyway. Now sit back and trust me.”

  I took a deep breath and did just that. Winnie had me angled away from the mirror in any case, so I couldn’t take a peek as she got to work on my face.

  “So… are you looking forward to tonight?” I asked, trying to make conversation in an attempt to distract myself from my nerves.

  “Fuck yeah.” Winnie nodded vigorously. “I’ve been in a flurry of anticipation the whole day. I don’t think I’ve ever been so horny.”

  “So, tonight’s finally the night, huh?” I asked.

  “If you mean tonight is the night that Langdon and I are finally going to fuck, then yes,” Winnie said with a wink. “It is and it’s long overdue.”

  I nodded, my thoughts pivoting between Winnie and myself and how hugely our experiences differed. “Winnie…?”

  “Yeah?”

  “What does sex feel like?” I asked, plucking up the courage to say the words before I chickened out.

  Winnie froze for a moment and glanced at my face. Then she gave a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment. “It is the most… amazing feeling in the world,” she said before she opened her eyes again. “And it can make you feel so many different things… it just depends on the kind of sex you’re having. Sometimes it can be rough and wild and exhilarating. Sometimes it can be slow and tender and passionate. Sometimes it can be angry and brutal and animalistic. It’s the only time feeling like you’re on fire is a good thing.”

  “Huh?” I said, because I didn’t know what else to say.

  Winnie looked at me pointedly as she applied something to my cheeks. “You’re going to see Alan tonight.” It felt like a leading question.

  “I know.”

  “Are you prepared?”

  “We’re not going to have sex, Winnie,” I said firmly. “It’s not like that between us.”

  Winnie smirked. “You think that just because you and Alan aren’t as aggressive and obvious as Langdon and I are that it means something different? You two have been engaged in foreplay for just as long.”

  “You think he expects sex from me?” I asked.

  Winnie stopped for a moment. “Do you want to have sex with Alan?”

  I hesitated for a moment. “Well…”

  “Don’t think,” Winnie said firmly. “Just tell me what you feel. What is your gut reaction?”

  “I want to have sex with him,” I admitted in a small voice.

  “Good.” Winnie nodded.

  “It’s just that… I don’t know if I’m ready…”

  “Maybe it’s time you found out,” Winnie said.

  “Right,” I said, confused by my own indecision.

  “Can I just make an observation here?” Winnie asked.

  “Sure.”

  “It seems to me that this is less about you being ready and more about you being scared,” Winnie said gently.

  I sighed. “You may be right,” I said after a moment.

  “What do you think you’re scared about?”

  “I’ve never had sex before,” I said, forcing the words out of my mouth. “I’m twenty-three, and I’ve never had sex before. What if… what if I’m horrible?”

  “You won’t be,” Winnie said confidently.

  “How do you know?”

  “I just do,” Winnie said with a shrug. Then she whirled my chair around to face the mirror. “What do you think?”

  Winnie really did know what she was doing. She had been subtle, but effective. My skin glowed with natural brightness; my eyes were subtly highlighted with only the lightest touch of eyeliner and eye shadow. My lips looked plump and pink and my cheeks appeared rosy.

  “Wow,” I said. “You are a magician.”

  Winnie shook her head. “It’s easy when you have a pretty face to work with. Now, the finishing touches.”

  She undid my hair and shook it loose. Then she fastened a thin, black choker around my neck and passed me a pair of open-toe heels with black netting and a reasonable heel.

  “There we go,” she said. “The look is complete.”

  I couldn’t help but stare at my reflection in the mirror. “I can barely recognize myself,” I breathed.

  “This is the real you, Jessica Winters,” Winnie said. “Get used to it.”

  Quickly, Winnie applied her own makeup and then we headed downstairs. All the girls had left, so the house was extremely quiet. By the time we reached the boys’ house, it was almost ten o’clock and the party was in full swing.

  “Wow,” I said as I took in the sight.

  The sounds of laughing, shouting, talking, and giggling mixed in with the music that reverberated through the house. Lights sparkled and drinks flowed everywhere and far more people had attended than I had expected.

  “Looks like the boys invited a few more people than just our team,” Winnie said as we walked up the drive.

  I was starting to feel extremely self-conscious the closer we got to the house. I concentrated on not tripping. I worried that my boobs were going to jump out of my dress. I prayed that I wouldn’t make a complete fool of myself in front of Alan.

  “If you see a cutie in a Speedo, let me know,” Winnie said with a wink.

  I barely heard her. I was too busy scanning the room for any signs of Alan. Each room boasted an impressive collection of people. Some were on tables, dancing, some were in circles, talking and drinking, others were making out in corners. The house was alive with sound and color, and the enticing smell of alcohol and freedom.

  “Jessica, is that you?”

  “Hi, girls.” Winnie waved to Brook, Heidi, Michelle, and Erin. “Doesn’t she look amazing?”

  The girls looked me up and down, obviously impressed by my transformation. “Geez, Jess,” Brook said with wide eyes. “You look like a model.”

  “Your boobs look amazing in that dress,” Michelle said.

  “And your legs,” Eric said with a smile. “Damn, girl.”

  “All right, that’s enough,” I said, shaking my head at them. As uncomfortable as I was with their scrutiny, I couldn’t help but be flattered.

  “Winnie,” Heidi said, turning to her. “Langdon is walking around in a red Speedo looking for you.”

  Winnie threw back her head and laughed. “Excellent,” she said, clapping her hands together. “This is going to be a fun night.”

  She gave me a parting wink as she went off in search of Langdon. I was standing there with the girls when I spotted him. He was standing by the open doors in the back, talking to a friend. He was wearing dark jeans and a white shirt. His dark hair looked carelessly windblown and his light-blue eyes shone under the pulsing lights of the party.
My heart skipped a beat as I took in his flawless form and a spark of electricity rushed through my body.

  Wow.

  It was in that moment that I realized something: Winnie was right. It wasn’t that I wasn’t ready. I was scared. And I knew instinctively that it was about time I learned to face my fears.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Alan

  I did a double take when I saw her standing there amidst a bunch of girls. I didn’t even see their faces. The only girl I had eyes for was Jessica. She looked spectacular in a tight black dress with a plunging neckline that made my blood rise. Her dirty-blonde hair fell freely around her shoulders and her green eyes were bright and sparkling.

  I didn’t even really end the conversation I was having with Kenneth and Louis. I just walked away from them toward Jessica. She saw me coming and instantly I saw her tense up a little, as though nervous. I wondered how a woman as beautiful as she was could ever be nervous. Didn’t she realize that she had all the power here? I was like putty in her hands.

  As I approached, she turned those intoxicating green eyes on me, and my heart jumped a little in my chest. The effect she had on me was powerful. The girls she was standing next to seemed to melt away, giving us some privacy.

  “Wow,” I said, staring at her and struggling with the compliment that would best describe how amazing she looked. “You look absolutely beautiful.”

  She looked down as though she were embarrassed. “This is all Winnie,” she said quickly. “She was the one who helped me get ready. This is her dress.”

  “It suits you,” I said immediately.

  I wondered if she realized she was pulling down the hem of the dress slightly. “Does it?” she said with a conscious laugh. “Well, I’m glad you think so.”

  I just stared at her, unable to start a conversation until I had taken the time to appreciate her fully. Jessica seemed supremely uncomfortable with the silence and my obvious infatuation with her.

  “Winnie did my make up, too,” she blurted out before going bright red.

  I smiled. “With or without makeup, you still look amazing.”

  She blushed scarlet and averted her gaze.

  “I’ve been looking forward to this party for ages now,” I told her.

  “Everyone has,” Jessica said, trying to brush off her self-consciousness. “Winnie’s been talking about it since Langdon mentioned it to us.”

  “I wasn’t totally on board with it at first, to be honest,” I admitted. “But then I changed my mind.”

  “What changed your mind?”

  “You,” I said honestly.

  “Me?” Jessica asked, the color coming back into her cheeks.

  “I figured a party would be the best way to see you outside of the training facility,” I admitted. “And I really, really wanted to meet you outside the training facility.”

  “Why?” Jessica asked, seeming genuinely curious about my answer.

  “Because… I like you,” I said boldly. “Because I find you interesting. Because I’m curious about you.”

  “Wow… I didn’t think anyone would be curious about me,” Jessica said.

  I raised my eyebrows. “Why not?”

  She dropped her eyes awkwardly. “I… never mind.”

  “No, tell me,” I insisted.

  “I just… I’ve never seen myself as a very interesting person,” she said at last. “In fact, I’m downright boring. The most interesting thing about me is that I compete in the Olympics.”

  “Hmm…” I said thoughtfully. “You don’t see yourself very clearly, do you?”

  “I think I do.”

  “You should see yourself through my eyes then,” I said. “You’d be very impressed with yourself.”

  Jessica laughed and it lit up her entire face.

  “Can I get you a drink?” I asked.

  She hesitated for a moment. “I… sure… okay.”

  I led her to the table where all the drinks had been set up and turned to her. “What will you have? We have all kinds.”

  Jessica was looking at the table uncertainly. I noticed that she was biting her lower lip as though she wasn’t sure what to do next.

  “Jessica?”

  “Sorry,” she said, looking up at me. “Why don’t you decide for me?"

  “Okay,” I said, pouring her a drink that wasn’t too strong. Then I passed it to her. She took a sip and her face went sour for a moment before it smoothed out again.

  “Is that okay?”

  “Yeah,” Jessica said. “It’s just that… I don’t drink very often.”

  “Oh.”

  “Actually… I don’t really drink at all,” she admitted, and I could tell that she was looking for my reaction.

  I smiled. “You don’t have to drink that.”

  “No, it’s okay,” she said, keeping a hold of her cup. “I think I’m going to press on.”

  There was a commotion from the next room and I peeked inside. “Looks like the guys are playing a drinking game.”

  “Maybe we could play one of our own?” Jessica suggested, and I looked at her in surprise. She smiled up at me, and my heart beat a little faster.

  “That sounds like a great idea,” I said.

  I grabbed a tray of shots and took Jessica’s hand. Then we maneuvered through the crowd to the staircase and up to my room. The moment we were in the room, I locked the door and the noise and music carrying through from downstairs softened instantly.

  “What a difference a closed door makes, huh?” I said as I set down the tray of shots. “Why don’t we sit?”

  Jessica glanced around the room tentatively and then she sat down on my bed. I sat down opposite her with the tray of shots between us.

  “What game should we play?” she asked.

  I tried to keep my eyes off the soft curves of her cleavage. “I have a good one. We ask each other questions,” I explained. “You must answer and you must answer honestly, but if you choose not to answer a question, then you have to take a shot.”

  Jessica smiled. “Sounds like a dangerous game to play. And not because of the alcohol.”

  “Are you game?” I asked.

  She hesitated for a moment. “I’m game.”

  “Okay. I’ll start,” I said. “What did you think the first time you saw me?”

  Her face broke out into a smile that turned shy. She held my gaze for a moment and then she reached for a shot.

  “Oh no,” I wailed. “You’re not going to answer that?”

  “Nope,” Jessica replied as she threw back the shot. “Oh God.”

  “Give it a minute,” I coached her. “The burning will subside in a few seconds.”

  Once she had shaken it off, she looked at me. “Okay my turn. Did you really enjoy Wuthering Heights or did you only say you did because you knew I loved it so much?”

  I laughed as I reached for a shot. Jessica shook her head at me and waited patiently for my next question. “Who do you think would win in a race? Me or Michael Phelps?”

  Jessica kept a straight face as she reached for another shot.

  “Man, at this rate, we’re going to be drunk in no time,” I laughed.

  “I don’t have any tolerance for alcohol,” Jessica said. “I’m probably already drunk.”

  “You’re next,” I reminded her.

  She looked at me thoughtfully. She opened her mouth as though to ask me a question and then she closed it at the last moment. She seemed to steady herself and then she pressed on with the question. “How many girls have you been with?”

  I raised my eyebrows, but she didn’t rescind the question. I groaned as I reached out and took another shot from the tray.

  “Okay,” I said, shaking off my buzz. “What’s the real reason you don’t stay at the house with the other girls?”

  She froze in place for a moment, and I realized that I’d hit upon something she hadn’t expected. She reached for a shot, but then at the last moment, she changed her mind.

  “I
do live only ten minutes away from here,” Jessica replied slowly. “But the real reason I don’t stay at the house with the other girls is because of my parents.”

  “Your parents?”

  “They’re extremely protective,” Jessica said softly. “Overprotective would be more accurate. The only reason I’m here at all is because my father thinks we’re doing team-building exercises. If he had known it was a party, he would never have allowed me to come.”

  I raised my eyebrows, shocked by her admission, but touched by her honesty. It was a gesture of trust that she had opened up to me. “Do you always do what your parents tell you to?” I asked as gently as possible.

  “Yes,” Jessica replied. “It’s one of the reasons I read so much. It’s a form of escapism.”

  “Don’t you feel… stifled?”

  “All the time,” Jessica sighed. Then unexpectedly, she reached out, grabbed another shot glass and downed it in one gulp. “My father would never approve of my drinking… especially during training season.” She grabbed another shot and threw it back with vigor. Then she looked at me with bright eyes filled with realization. “I think this is me rebelling.”

  “How does it feel?” I asked, mesmerized by her eyes.

  “It feels like freedom,” Jessica said.

  It happened all at once. She leaned in to me, and I leaned in to her at the same time. Our lips met and for a moment, I could taste her. Then she pulled away, and I let her go, not wanting to push her.

  “Tell me something real about yourself,” Jessica said in a soft voice.

  “My mother abandoned us when I was ten.”

  I don’t know what made me say it. She asked the question, I was looking into her green eyes, and the words just slipped out of my mouth unchecked. We stared at each other for a moment.

  “I’ve never really volunteered that information to anyone before,” I said softly.

  “You can trust me,” Jessica said gently. She reached out tentatively and took my hand. “Why did she leave?”

  “I don’t think she was happy,” I said. “It wasn’t enough for her… to be a wife and a mother. I think in her own way… she felt stifled, too.”