by Tay Marley
“What are we doing?” I whispered because I was afraid to speak in a normal tone, considering how quiet it was.
“Follow me,” Drayton instructed with a devious grin, and I was immediately on high alert. Whatever we were about to do, I suspected that it was not a good idea. I tiptoed behind him as we crept up the home’s hedge-lined path toward a back gate secured with a high-tech lock. Somehow, that didn’t deter Drayton, and without warning, he moved behind me and gripped me by my hips.
“Time to cheer,” he whispered before he threw me into the air. I might have been a flyer, but his throw sort of sucked. I couldn’t blame him. I was a human, not a ball. Grabbing the top of the gate, I flung myself over before dropping to the ground on the other side. Before long, Drayton dropped down beside me with a triumphant smile.
The backyard was lavish. The home must have been occupied by a family because there was a tree house that I could only have dreamed of having when I was a kid. There was a large trampoline and a swing set. All of the kids’ items occupied the far side of the backyard while the rest was taken up by a large deck, a pool, a spa, and an extravagant garden.
Drayton tugged on my hand and walked us toward the swimming pool. He lifted the second gate latch as quietly as he could, and we both walked onto the concrete surrounding the water.
“Seriously. What are we doing? Are you going to drown me?” I didn’t know why I was still whispering.
“Oh please.” He rolled his eyes. He started to pull off his shirt, rendering all coherent thoughts extinct. “We’re going to skinny-dip, Cheer.”
“You’re kidding.” My light laugh became strangled in my throat as he dropped his pants and kicked off his shoes. “Oh wow. You’re serious.”
“Yep,” he grinned.
“This is insane.” I was panicking as he stood in front of me in nothing but his Calvins.
“Yes, it is.” He nodded. “That’s the point. Live a little, Cheer. And remember to trust me.”
My attention moved between the house and the pool, and then back to the house again. I decided that I’d regret it more if I didn’t do it. What was the use in being young if you didn’t have a little irresponsible fun once in a while? I kicked off my shoes and dropped my cell phone safely into one of them so that it didn’t get wet.
When I stood up straight again, Drayton winked right before he tucked his thumbs into the sides of his Calvins and pulled them down, exposing all of his endowed glory. I stared. I couldn’t help it. I was starting to regret being so opposed to riding something that wasn’t his motorcycle.
When he turned around and dropped into the pool, I felt like I needed a moment. He waved me forward, gesturing to get in. “Let’s go, Cheer, the water’s perfect.”
“Turn around,” I ordered after I’d taken my shirt off, revealing my white lace bra but nothing more.
“Hey, you got to see me butt-ass naked.”
“What are we, five? Turn around.”
He rolled his eyes but obliged, twisting himself in the water so he was facing the back fence. I quickly finished undressing, my heart thumping the entire time in fear that someone was watching or that someone would catch us. But I couldn’t deny that the thrill of it was exciting as hell.
When I was completely undressed, I took a deep breath and slipped into the water, expecting it to be freezing cold but was pleasantly surprised to find that it was slightly heated.
“You can turn around now,” I told him as I walked through the water. It was dark, only the moon and stars illuminated the sky, so there wasn’t a lot to see once we were both facing each other.
“Feeling insane?” He grinned.
“I don’t know what I’m feeling,” I admitted as my arms swept the surface of the still water. “But it’s kind of amazing.”
“Feels good to let loose once in a while, doesn’t it?”
“I can tell you’re just itching to say I told you so,” I smiled. “Go on, say it.”
“You got in the pool, that’s good enough for me.”
There wasn’t a lot of space between us. We watched each other. The breeze picked up, and it was cold against my wet shoulders and face. Drayton noticed when I shivered. He moved closer again and his legs grazed mine under the surface. “Cold?”
I swallowed and sank a little deeper until the water came to my chin. “I’m all right.”
“I can warm you up?”
I was waiting for it. The joke. The innuendo. But his expression remained sincere. And then his hands settled on my hips. It startled me but I didn’t move. I just felt the thudding in my chest as he pulled me through the water and into his embrace.
Our bodies touched. There wasn’t an inch of space. I could feel him. All of him. His arms wrapped around me and his thumb made slow strokes on my lower back. His lips were parted. Mine were, too, and I felt short of breath.
Traffic sounded in the distance. Tree leaves rustled in the cool, night breeze. Water rippled. The filter flap in the pool opened and closed. The sounds around us were drowned out by the pounding in my chest and ears. He inched closer. When his face moved in, I saw his throat bounce as he swallowed. This wasn’t the same as it was last time, when he’d been teasing me. I could tell he was nervous too. Heart beating, heat gathering in places that demanded attention, and the chill of the night long gone, I leaned in as well.
As our lips brushed, a blinding light switched on from the back deck. It was abrupt and unexpected, and we broke apart with a harsh gasp.
“Shit,” Drayton snapped. He wrapped a hand around my waist and pulled me toward the edge of the pool. Both of us were panicked. I felt as if I might throw up. “Get as low as you can.”
We leaned our backs against the edge of the pool and sank as low as we were able to. I kept still.
The sound of footsteps padded across the deck behind us. My hands trembled under the water. I was trying not to breathe too loudly, but it was almost impossible not to hyperventilate. A woman’s voice echoed through the air.
“I can see you, Drayton.”
I turned to him, my mouth agape in total disbelief. I was wound up with panic, still, but now I was also confused. Drayton hung his head in defeat, but there was a definite amusement in his green gaze.
“Hey, Aunt Cass,” he called.
“There are two towels hanging on the gate here,” his aunt said, sounding as if she was smiling. “Come in and see me when you’re done with—whatever it is that you’re doing.”
When the door closed again a moment later, Drayton lifted his head, gave me a splitting grin, and then turned around to hold the edge of the pool. I had no chance to become clued in on what was going on because he lifted himself out of the pool beside me, and I got an eyeful.
“I’ll get your towel,” he offered, water hitting the concrete as his wet feet walked toward the gate.
A moment passed. “Here.”
I turned around and found him holding a large white towel. The other one was wrapped around his waist. It sat low, exposing the defined V-line on his hips. I hesitated, glancing down at the water keeping my body hidden.
“I won’t peep,” he said, turning his head to the side, eyes closed tight. He was full of devious comments and sexual jokes, but he was respectful. Placing my palms flat on the poolside, I heaved myself out before dashing over to the towel. As promised, he kept his eyes closed.
When I was wrapped, the towel tucked in and my long hair dripping down my back, I said, “You can open your eyes.” He looked down and let his gaze move over me slowly and appreciatively.
After a moment of blatant staring at each other, he said, “Come on.”
After we collected our clothes, he led us toward the house, which was convenient because I got to watch his strong back and shoulders. His skin was pulled taut over his frame, and it was mesmerizing. He had a large, dark freckle on his shoulder bl
ade. It was sort of cute.
Inside, Drayton closed the French doors behind us, and we were in a kitchen/dining area, where the walls and fixtures were white and charcoal. The floors were polished wood and the appliances were state of the art. A beautiful, tall woman stood behind the kitchen island. Her complexion was flawless, and her light-brown ringlets were in a fountain on the top of her head.
“I want to ask,”—she grinned, pushing two coffee cups across the granite counter—“but I’m also not sure that I want to know.”
Drayton laughed. He looked nervous as he ran a hand through his hair. “Please don’t tell my mom we were here . . .”
“Don’t tell your mother, who’s under the impression that you’re tucked up in a motel bed, that you’re actually halfway across Fort Collins skinny-dipping in my pool at midnight?” She pointed at the door behind us. “I don’t think that’s a conversation that I want to have with your mom.”
Cass rinsed a cloth under the faucet and began to wipe down the countertop. She seemed young, but her hands were aged.
“I’m . . . confused,” I said, feeling self-conscious. I was standing in a towel with a puddle of water forming around my feet from my hair.
“Aunt Cass, this is Dallas.” Drayton pulled out a seat at the four-seater kitchen table, waving his hand between me and his aunt as he sat. “Dallas, this is Aunt Cass. She was married to my dad’s brother, Noah. But—”
“They kept me and got rid of him because he’s a cheating little asscrack,” Cass finished with a wicked smile. She rinsed her cloth and began wiping down the stove top, which was already clean. No wonder her hands looked so aged.
“Yeah,” he turned to me while watching Cass with mild concern. “Sorry you had to meet a member of my family like this.”
“She hasn’t met your parents?” Cass recoiled. Her expression became proud and she rolled back on her heels. “Well. I’m honored to be the first family member to meet you. Drayton doesn’t bring girls home all that often. Not that this is home. But yo—”
“We’re not”—Drayton cast a subtle glance in my direction—“we’re just friends.”
“Do you swim naked with all of your friends?” Cass teased, obviously amused. She sounded like Nathan.
“W-w-wait—” I shook my head and stared at the floor. “Why’d you let me think we were in a stranger’s pool?”
“I wanted you to feel the rush of doing something bad.” He shrugged. “Without getting into any real trouble.”
My stomach twisted. It turned to mush while he sat in front of me giving me a heated stare. The fact that he was considerate enough to keep me out of trouble but reckless enough to do what we’d done in the first place—it was sort of perfect.
“But someone,”—Drayton broke our eye contact and turned his head toward Cass—“ruined my good deed.”
“Don’t look at me.” Cass held her hands up in defense. “You could have texted to warn me, and I would have left you to it.”
“Never mind.” He stood, brushed past me, and picked up the coffee, and I couldn’t help but watch. “But you’ve got bigger balls than me. I never would’ve skinny-dipped in a stranger’s pool.”
“Great.” I grinned and folded my arms across my chest. “You’re really not living up to this badass reputation you supposedly have.”
“Don’t be fooled by the brooding attitude and motorcycle,” Cass teased. “Dray here is a big ole softie.”
He rolled his eyes.
“May I use the bathroom?” I asked, gathering my clothes from the table. I needed to stop ogling Drayton while I was naked because it was winding me up.
Cass nodded and pointed behind her at the other end of the kitchen. “Through to the corridor. Second door to the left.”
After apologizing for the puddle that my hair had created on the hardwood floor, I headed to the bathroom to dry off and change back into my clothes, appreciating the feeling of modesty more so than I ever had before. After toweling my hair, I quickly tied it into a French braid.
When I walked back into the kitchen, Drayton was clothed and seated at the small kitchen table, a small child perched on his knee. The little guy was dressed in an adorable panda onesie, and he rubbed his tired eyes.
“We woke this one up, apparently,” Drayton informed me.
Cass tipped some powder into a bottle of hot water. “You did. He heard your voice. You know how much he loves you.”
“This is Coen,” Drayton told me as I sat down in the seat beside him. “My baby cousin and the best-looking kid in the family.”
He started to tickle Coen’s sides, causing a bubbly laugh to escape the toddler’s lips. He was so cute. His light-brown hair matched his mother’s, and he had huge bright-blue eyes. I watched the two of them interact with absolute awe.
“All right, Coen.” Cass shook the bottle and he jumped off Drayton’s lap, running toward her at full speed. “Time to go back to bed, little guy. Say good night to cousin Dray.”
“Ni-night Dray-Dray.” He waved his little hand and my heart turned into a puddle of goo as he and Cass disappeared through the door I’d just come from.
“Dray-Dray.” I grinned. It was blowing my mind that this was the same stone-faced boy whom I felt so frustrated toward less than a month ago.
“Don’t,” he warned, slipping his phone out of his pocket. “Only Coen gets to call me that.”
“Oh, sure . . .” I was taunting him with the fact that I wasn’t going to forget that nickname anytime soon.
Cass reappeared a few minutes later. She scuffed her slippered feet and yawned.
“Are you two going back to the hotel now? I can call you a cab?”
“Nope.” Drayton stood up and slid his phone into his pocket. “We have another stop to make. I’ve ordered an Uber. It’ll be here in a minute.”
“Okay,” she said. “I’m going back to bed. Dallas, it was nice to meet you. I hope I see you again. Perhaps a little more clothed next time.”
I laughed. She wasn’t telling me off. She was actually far more relaxed about the whole thing than she had to be. “That’d be nice,” I agreed.
Climbing into the Uber, I asked, “Where are we going now?” We’d gone out on a whim. How many spontaneous plans could this boy possibly make?
“You’ll see.”
We arrived in front of a park tucked between a museum and an enormous vintage furniture store. The trees glittered with fairy lights and solar lamps sat underneath shrubs. When we got out of the car, I noticed the projector screen at the end of the park playing P.S. I Love You. Couples were scattered over the grass, cuddled on blankets or beanbags. It was romantic, but I didn’t point that out. Instead, I wondered if Drayton had brought us here to do something hideous like set the projector on fire or spray everyone with a hose.
“What are we doing here?”
“We’re watching a movie, Cheer. We’re a bit late but”—he shrugged and we stopped near the back—“I heard some of the guys talking about this place earlier. They planned on bringing the girls down.”
“All an attempt to help them score?” I guessed. His grin was laced with guilt.
“That’s not what’s happening here.” He gestured between us. “Unless—”
I gave his firm chest a shove. “Each to their own, but I’m just not into fornicating in public places.”
He laughed. “Fornicating?”
“Shut up.”
He sauntered toward three large baskets at the fence line and returned with two blankets, spreading one out on the ground. “I checked it over for jizz stains,” he assured me as he sat down.
I wasn’t entirely confident that it was the cleanest piece of material, but I sat down beside him and let him throw the other blanket across our legs.
We watched the movie in quiet for a little while. Drayton offered to jog over to the fo
od vendor and get some popcorn or a soda, but I declined. He began to fidget after five minutes. He twisted and moved his legs, and then he sighed and lay down on his back.
“So,” he said, casually. “Thoughts on your fun-filled evening?”
I lay down as well and stared at the stars, thinking about how to answer him. So many different elements contributed to the night and I didn’t think that I hated any of them. I didn’t
hate experiencing the enriching culture in Old Town. I
didn’t hate the dancing or the long walk that consisted of conversation without pause. I didn’t hate our moonlit dip or meeting someone important to him.
I don’t hate this.
“It’s been something else, Lahey.”
“Is that it?”
“I thought it was amazing, okay?” I laughed lightly as he threw his fist triumphantly into the air. “The entire night has been thrilling and exciting and I loved it. Thank you, Dray.”
He smiled, watching the stars. The movie played softly in the background; the people spread out in front of us munched on snacks and murmured quietly among each other. The trees around us rustled ever so slightly in the soft breeze. This was a serene place and I was beginning to realize you could find peace in more places than just the confines of home.
Drayton moved one arm to rest beneath his head. The other was draped across his chest. I wanted to know what he was thinking about.
“It was a good night,” he mumbled. I turned my head to watch him.
His hand moved. It slid down from his chest and then it wrapped around mine. It was soft and unexpected. But I didn’t react. I just appreciated the moment.
“It was a good night,” I agreed with him. “A great night.”
Chapter 10
I don’t think I’ve ever woken up to a crisp breeze ruffling my hair or the sound of birds chirping right next to my head. My eyes flew open and, for a moment, I wished I wasn’t panicking, because I was curled up on Drayton’s chest and his arm was tucked around my back, holding me close.