by Layla Hagen
We were walking at a slow pace. The shop was super crowded, but that was okay. We weren't in a hurry. We just stopped whenever we saw something interesting, took pictures, and moved on.
"Hey these tiles remind me of the ones we had in the apartment we moved in after Dad died.” She pointed to blue tiles. I could see the resemblance.
“You’re right. They look similar.
“You were such an awesome sister. You spoiled me rotten even though we had nothing. Remember those amazing lemonades?"
I smiled. "Hey, it was all in the honey. You loved it because it was sweet."
"Yeah, obviously, but you were so good at helping me with homework and even super inventive to keep me from freaking out about the visits from Miss Spooky."
I stared at my sister. Miss Spooky was what I’d dubbed the social worker who came to our place, mostly on surprise visits when Mom was working. The neighbors alerted her that we were unsupervised, and I used to hide with my sister when she knocked at the door. Sometimes she left after knocking a few times, but we couldn’t fool her every time.
"What do you mean?"
"You know, when you asked me to play under the table and not make any noise. Remember that one time when you said we were having a contest of who could keep still for longer, and at the end of it, the winner would get a chocolate chip cookie?"
I was stunned. I’d hoped my sister wouldn't pick up on the fact that I was basically making her hide, but it seemed I’d failed.
"Okay. Wow. I'm sorry. I honestly hoped you wouldn't notice why we were doing that."
She shook her head. "Don't beat yourself up about it. It was a tough time, and you did your best."
We made a round of the whole store, and I noted the name and barcode of the tiles that were within my price range on my phone.
"I think I'm going to have to stick with basic ones," I said, pointing to boring white tiles. "But why not? I could make them seem interesting with all sorts of accessories."
"They remind me a bit of those public pools. And speaking of the pool, are you looking forward to seeing Tyler naked?" She wiggled her eyebrows.
I almost choked on my inhale.
"Hey, almost naked,” I replied when I’d recovered. “Almost being the operative and very, very important point."
"Right, okay, almost naked," Emma said with a grin. "Still looking forward to it?"
I sighed, shrugging. I couldn't lie to my sister. "Well, who wouldn't? I bet the man's a work of art."
"Yes, I bet that too.”
“But he's super good at flirting, so clearly he has lots of experience with women, and honestly, I don't want to get into all that."
Emma pointed at me. "But you said this thing he’s doing for the kids is swoonworthy, right? That's your kryptonite."
"Hey, can you not remind me of that, please?"
She smirked. "Why? Does it make you change your mind? Want to flirt back?"
"Oh, I already went there with my message."
"No, that was involuntary. I don't know if it counts.”
I rolled my eyes. “Trust me, in Tyler's book, it does count."
“Ha! Then your little pool trip will be even more awesome than I’m imagining it. I’m requesting a full report, obviously.”
I chuckled. “Yes, ma’am.”
***
On Thursday, I arrived at the spa a bit later than everyone else. It was in the Gold Coast, the most upscale neighborhood in Chicago, in my opinion, and it was pretty intimidating. The walls in the reception area were draped with dark blue silk curtains, creating the illusion of small recesses everywhere. The lighting fixtures were silver, casting a diffused light. The friendly receptionist gave me precise instructions to reach the pool, but I got lost twice in the narrow corridors lined by bamboo rods.
In the changing rooms, I only took off my shoes and put on flip-flops. They looked a bit ridiculous with my crisp white office dress, but it was forbidden to walk with street shoes in the pool area.
I was extra jumpy, and I knew it was because a certain hot hockey player was nearby. I couldn't believe he’d invited the kids here. Tyler Maxwell was in a league of his own when it came to generosity and just being an overall decent human being. I wished more people were like him.
Pulling my hair up in a tight bun because it would curl from the humidity in the pool room, I held my chin high as I walked out of the locker room.
The pool was great, and there were a gazillion slides around it. The kids were already having fun. There were no other guests here. I glanced around carefully, looking for Tyler. My body seemed to be aware before I finally spotted him and his lips curved into a smile.
This day was starting great. I was still embarrassed about my mishap with the message, but since there was no hiding, I had to own up to it. I smiled wildly as he swam to the edge of the pool closest to me.
"Kendra, I thought you might not make it."
"I have to be here, remember? Besides, I couldn't miss a chance to see Tim and his friends have fun."
"Damn, and I thought you couldn't miss a chance to see me."
I felt that molten gaze travel through my whole body.
“Did you now?” I teased.
He pushed himself out of the water, and I blinked rapidly, taking a step back.
Is this guy real? Holy hell, who even has this many muscles?
“Aren’t you joining us in the pool?” he asked.
“No. I’m not supposed to engage, just observe.”
“Damn. I assumed you would. I was already imagining you in a bikini.” His voice was a low, deliciously sensual whisper. His eyes were playful and hot at the same time.
I fidgeted in my spot, and my flip-flops squeaked against the tiles.
“I’m going to corrupt you into joining us,” he declared in a serious voice.
Fighting a smile, I folded my arms against my chest. “I don’t have a bathing suit.”
“There’s a shop upstairs. And skinny-dipping is always an option. But only after I evacuate every single person.”
I swallowed hard. “There are cameras.”
“So if there weren’t any, you’d agree? I’ll file that information right here.” He tapped his temple.
My goodness, I’d walked right into his trap. I laughed, bringing a hand to my ear out of reflex, intending to push a strand of hair behind it, but it was up in a bun. I patted my head as if I was checking if there were any hair bumps or strays. Way to be awkward.
“Tyler... there are kids around,” I whispered.
He looked at me intently. "Right. We're supposed to be role models."
"Exactly."
He came closer—close enough that I could smell the spicy notes in his cologne. "I have a hunch you're going to be that role model, Kendra, because I won’t. I intend to look a lot, and I will make no secret of it," he said right before diving into the pool.
All right. My panties aren't combusting or anything.
I sat down on one of the lounge chairs, wishing I could get in the pool and feel the cold water against my skin.
I looked around, grabbing some pics with my phone. The kids were so giddy that it made me laugh too.
A few feet away, I saw Tyler showing Tim how to do some back strokes after he came down one of the slides. This was too good of an opportunity to pass up, so I took a good look at those washboard abs before focusing on the pics again. Don't be greedy, Kendra. You can look more later.
I only managed a few minutes before I gave in to temptation, risking another glance at Tyler. This time I admired his biceps. The one downside about hockey was that you couldn't see the player's body underneath all those pads and that bulky jersey they wore, especially the goalies. But you could assume they were super muscular.
Tyler was sinfully sexy even in the bulky uniform.
Him wearing nothing but swimming trunks was simply delectable.
He caught me looking that time, and my entire face flushed as I quickly glanced away, trying to mind
my own business. I’d snapped enough photos, so I opened the email app on my phone and started answering the most pressing ones.
“Trying to hide in plain sight?” a teasing voice said from next to me a few minutes later.
“Holy shit,” I exclaimed, jumping a bit. I hadn't realized he’d come up beside me.
“You don't have to hide. You can admire me to your heart's desire.”
I laughed even though my cheeks heated up.
“Do you enjoy putting me on the spot? It's not very gentlemanly.”
“I know, but I like the way you blush for me.”
And that just made my cheeks feel hotter as he sat next to me.
“You’re different today than last time.”
“You mean even cockier? I was holding back before.”
I burst out laughing. “Were you?”
“Oh yeah.”
“Well, I wouldn’t say cocky. You’re confident.” I came to that realization sometime between him offering to bring the kids here and seeing him in the pool. “That’s different. But you’re... daring.”
He smirked. “And I’m still holding back when it comes to that.”
I laughed, and he added, “You're having fun, aren't you?”
“Yeah, it's a great day, and look at them. They're just so happy, which makes me happy.”
He glanced at me with an intense gaze, but it was different than before. “The program you benefited from as a kid was this same one?”
“No, but it was very similar. I started working here right after college, and my sister too.”
“I didn’t know you worked together.”
I nodded. “We even share an office. It’s a lot of fun.”
“Your parents must be proud of you.”
I sighed. “They both passed away, but I think they would be.”
He dipped his head. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Daddy passed away when I was six. He was working for the railroad and had an accident. My mom was so devastated. She didn’t even have time to mourn him properly.”
“Why?”
“Because we started having financial problems right away. The bank took our house because Mom couldn’t afford the mortgage. We moved into a tiny, run-down apartment in a shady neighborhood, and she had to take on a second and third job. She always felt so guilty for not being home. We had to make up stories so the neighbors wouldn’t call child services.”
He frowned. “Why would they even consider doing that?”
“Because we were home alone a lot. A couple times, they did contact them, and I convinced my sister we were playing hide-and-seek and had to stay hidden in the apartment and not answer the door. But eventually they did find out, and after that, they constantly checked on us, even threatened to take us away from Mom.”
Tyler looked stunned.
“Um, sorry. Too much information. I miss my parents a lot, so once I start talking about them, it’s hard to stop.” He didn’t need to hear about all that.
“You don’t have to stop. I’m interested in you, Kendra.”
Whoa...
“Yes I do, because you’ve got to go back to the kids. I don’t know what makes Tim more excited, that you brought them to a pool or that you’re here with them.” I looked at the kids, then back to Tyler. “Go on, go back to them. Tim’s been looking at you this whole time. They’ll treasure this forever. When I was part of the program, they took us to watch Cinderella once. It was so magical. I still remember the whole day.”
“You’re the most fascinating person I’ve ever met.”
“I don’t believe that,” I said playfully.
“Actually, you are, and I’m more than happy to prove it to you. In fact, I’m eager to. You’re real, Kendra. I miss that in people. It’s a quality I only see in my family and the team these days.”
I blinked, at a loss for what to say, but Tim saved me from having to reply.
“Tyyyyyyyyyyyler, come back in the pool, please.”
I chuckled, pointing to him. “Told you he’s been looking at you the whole time. You’ve only got about ten more minutes before we have to leave.”
Tyler was still looking at me intently as he stood up, and I melted into my seat.
Lowering my eyes to my phone, I quickly drafted an email where I summed up today’s events. I was also required to keep a spreadsheet where I noted what I did in chunks of twenty minutes. Some coworkers considered it a chore, but I didn’t mind. I liked being efficient, and it was rewarding to look back on my day and see all I’d accomplished.
Just as I was wrapping up my notes, Tyler startled me again. “Kendra, all good?”
I nodded, looking up from my phone. We were alone.
“Everyone’s gone?” I asked. My heart rate quickened.
“Yes. Their parents picked them up in front of the building.”
How hadn’t I noticed?
I got up, putting my phone in my purse and then slinging it on my shoulder. The air between us shifted. I was far too close to him, and he had nothing but swimming trunks on.
“Okay, then, I’ll go too.”
We walked side by side at the edge of the pool. I took a sidestep, needing some distance, and nearly went into the shower that was mounted just next to the pool entrance. Fortunately, I didn’t walk into it. Unfortunately, the shower had a motion sensor, and it turned on instantly. I shrieked, instinctively lifting my arms to keep my purse dry.
I could, of course, have stepped out from under the spray, but my brain was running its own show right now. Today shall always be known as Kendra’s Awkward Day.
Tyler relieved me of my bag around the same time I got my wits together and moved out of the way. The water stopped as abruptly as it started. I was shivering.
Tyler was laughing so wholeheartedly that I couldn’t help but chuckle too.
“Come on. There are towels in the locker rooms,” he said.
I followed him without a word, eager to get out of my wet clothes. The second we got into the changing rooms, he put my bag on a bench, then handed me two towels. Our hands touched briefly, and I gasped, his hot fingertips on my cold fingers sending a sizzle through me. Tyler’s eyes zeroed in on my chest, and I immediately realized why. I was wearing a white bra without cups underneath my dress—and my nipples were visible.
“Kendra...” He moved forward, and I said nothing because all I wanted was for him to come even closer. “I want to kiss you so damn bad. I want to taste you.”
I nodded, sucking in a breath. He brought a hand to my face, touching my lower lip with his thumb before circling my mouth. I shuddered, feeling that touch as if he'd pressed his fingers between my thighs. I looked him in the eyes for a brief second, and then he kissed me.
Oh my God, how he kissed me. My entire body felt alive and pulsing. He touched my right shoulder and cupped the left side of my jaw and cheek with the other hand, kissing me deeper and deeper, entwining our tongues.
He moved even closer, and I felt the metal door of the locker behind me. I dropped the towels I was holding as he pressed his chest flat against mine, and the shudder in my body intensified. The door was cold, his body was hot, and his kiss was smoldering.
I touched the side of his body, desperate for more of his skin, wanting to explore him, tracing his back muscles up, then down his spine. He groaned right in my mouth, pushing his pelvis into me. I could feel that he was rock-hard. Desire pooled between my thighs. I was so close to losing control that I almost forgot where we were. I’d never been kissed like this; the passion from his mouth and his grip on me nearly brought me to my knees.
With a groan, he pulled away, taking a step back. I blinked through a haze of lust.
“Oh my God, the cameras,” I murmured, looking around wildly.
Tyler lifted one corner of his mouth in a half smile. “That’s your first thought?”
“Isn’t that why you stopped?”
“No, Kendra. There are no cameras in the changing room. I stopped b
ecause I was close to losing my mind. When it comes to you, it’s inevitable, but it's not going to happen in the showers of a locker room."
His words went straight through me. My thoughts snapped back, and I composed myself just in time because we heard the patter of feet. Then, somewhere in the locker room, a door opened.
"Oh, here they are,” one of the boys, Rupert, said. As he grabbed a pair of small trunks from one of the benches. He looked up and noticed us. “Tyler, you’re still here. Miss Kendra, why are you in the men’s locker room?”
“Oh... I didn’t notice,” I said truthfully.
“What happened to you?”
“A mishap with the shower. I’ll dry myself off, and then I’ll try to dry the clothes with a hairdryer or something.” It would probably take forever, but I didn’t have a better plan.
“Tyler, we have to go, then. Miss Kendra needs privacy.”
I gave a nervous laugh. Tyler cleared his throat.
“Rupert’s right,” I said.
Tyler stepped back, looking straight at me. His gaze was so smoking hot that I was surprised my clothes didn’t instantaneously dry up.
“Are you sure?”
“Oh yeah. Very sure.”
“Okay. Then let’s you and I be gentlemen, Rupert, and leave Miss Kendra alone.”
Holy smokes. Even after I was alone, my skin was still simmering.
I went to the women’s changing room and took off my clothes, putting the towels around me. Tyler’s friend had graciously kept the pool private for us for a few hours, but I didn’t have too much time until it would be open to all guests again. I found the hairdryers quickly and held one in each hand over my dress.
Today had been so unexpected that I didn’t even know what to make of it.
And that kiss. My God, that kiss.
I committed every detail to memory, knowing I probably wasn’t going to see Tyler again. I only had to be present when a volunteer started or when a new activity was added. My heart gave a sad sigh. Maybe it was better, though. After all, what could this crazy attraction possibly lead to?
More smoking-hot kisses, a wicked voice said at the back of my mind.
I usually didn’t act on impulse. I’d learned to be careful about everything growing up. I learned to be thrifty and to stay healthy because we couldn’t afford to be sick. I thought twice about every decision, just in case it could backfire in the future because there was no safety net.