He groans, and with one last thrust, he comes, filling me with his release as I collapse against him, still shaking with aftershocks.
Breathlessly, we hold onto each other, tumbling back onto the beanbags in a sweaty mess of limbs. I know tomorrow I have a lot to deal with, I’m still under threat by the stalker, but tonight, under the stars, everything is perfect.
“I love you too,” I whisper.
The guys are quiet tonight, especially before the show. I know Mark’s death and the stalker continues to weigh heavily on them. Blake is hardly sleeping, watching over me at all times, and they’re acting like my bodyguards. They need time off, they need a pick-me-up. So, while they’re performing, Kathy and I look for something to do that will take their minds off everything, like what Kingston did for me, something fun. Like the good days when there was no stalker and it was just us.
That’s when it hits me—pool party. That was the best night, and I haven’t seen them have that much fun since. I get to work, looking for places around here that have a pool and will still be open once we finish. I may have to bribe someone, but who cares?
It’s worth it if I get to see them smile, especially Blake, who is extra grumpy today.
I find what I need, and excitement courses through me as I wait for the guys to finish the show. When they do, I send them back to get changed as I deal with the cleaning and closing crew, and then, for once, I leave early with Kathy in tow, trusting the stage manager to finish off the few remaining tasks. I slip into a dressing room and into a tiny red bikini before putting on some jeans and a top, and then I wait out back for the guys. All I told them was to wear swimming trunks, so when they come out dressed and confused, I just smirk.
“It’s my turn to be mysterious,” I tease, winking at Kingston just as Kathy joins us. Emmett smiles when he sees her, and I smile at him, feeling lighter than I have in a long time. “Come on then, let’s go on an adventure!” I chirp as I head to the back gate where two taxis are waiting for us. We crowd into them, and I give the drivers the address.
I’m perched on Damon’s lap, and he kisses along my cheek, tickling me to try and extract information. “Nope, you have to wait.” I laugh as the others grin at me. My happiness seems to be infectious, their smiles wide. Even Mr. Grumpy.
It only takes us fifteen minutes to get there, and when we pull up outside the building, the boys pile out while I pay the taxi driver. “Do you know it’s closed, miss?” he asks, confused.
“Yep, we’re going for a walk around here,” I explain with a smile as I slip out. As soon as the taxis are gone, I turn to the men with a grin. “Okay, we are here to swim and have a pool party! A guy who works here promised he would leave the back door open for us!”
“I bet he did,” Liam teases, and Leo smacks him, making us laugh as we stand outside in the cold, dark evening. The streetlights don’t really reach here, and though there is a main road next to us, it’s pretty quiet at this time of night.
“Let’s go.” I grin and grab Liam’s hand, dragging him after me. I know he will be on board for whatever we have to do to get inside.
The leisure center towers above us. It has a gym, an ice rink, and a swimming pool. I’ve been once before when I was a kid and remembered how amazing it was. It even has slides and a heated outdoor pool. The word ‘Dome’ is still lit up at the front, but we avoid the steps leading up to the four glass front doors, and instead move through the vast, empty parking lot. Giggling, I pull Liam with me as we find a dirt path that leads around the building. We’re quiet as we follow the trail around the outside swimming area, which is shaped like a giant circle. In the middle of the pool is an island. Once we get past it, there is a fence blocking off the back.
“Shit!” I hiss, looking around.
It’s pitch-black here, the lights from the road not reaching this far back, and some of the guys flick on the torch from their phones. “Now what, Angel?” Liam asks, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “This breaking and entering thing is getting me all hot.”
It makes the others groan. “I don’t know, he said it would be open…” I trail off, disappointment filling me. “Shit, I’m sorry guys.” I wanted to do something nice for them to make up for the shitshow that had been the last couple of weeks, but it hadn’t worked.
“Never fear, Liam is here,” he boasts as he shimmies past me, and we all watch as he looks around the fence before magically seeming to find a hole. With a wink at me, he slips through and appears on the other side. “Looks like we’re after hours, guess we’ll have to let ourselves in,” Liam teases before disappearing into the dark.
“Liam,” I hiss, glancing around nervously, but there is nothing to be seen this late at night. Blake wraps his arms around me, kissing my neck.
“Scared, Baby Girl?” he murmurs. Grinning, I lean back into him and gaze up.
“Only that he will get caught and I’ll have to explain why he’s wearing a glittery G-string,” I retort with a giggle, and the others laugh as the seconds tick by and Liam doesn’t reappear. Just when I’m about to get worried, there’s a clank and the side door opens, and framed in shining light is Liam. “Well, you coming in or what?” he calls with a laugh. I look back at the others who are grinning, and with a laugh of my own, I free myself from Blake’s arms and slip under the fence and over the rough ground to Liam. He takes my hand as soon as I get there and pulls me inside.
The brightness makes my eyes water for a moment as I look around, waiting for the others to join us. We are in what appears to be a maintenance hallway. The lights on the ceiling are bright and illuminating the yellow-white tiles on the floor and walls. I hear more laughter from the guys behind me and then the door shutting.
“Lead the way, hot stuff,” Damon says, and I turn, staring down the hallway, which is dark at the end. Please don’t let there be a serial killer down there, I pray before heading that way, my trainers squeaking against the floor as I reach a door at the end. I try the handle, and it’s open, so I push inside and almost squeal.
I was right, the guy left everything on for me. The lights are low but bright enough to see, and the hot tub in the corner is still bubbling, and I can perceive the steam rising from the entrance to the outside area. The pool is lit up from lights underneath, the water basically filling the area in a giant circle. The shallow end is closest to us with stairs, and at the back is a deep area where two giant slides splash down, one pink and one blue. I follow their twisting tubes up the very back wall where I spot some stairs leading up to them.
“Hell yes!” Leo cheers, all of them converging around me to get a look.
Turning, I can’t help but whoop. “Get naked, boys…and girl,” I add with a grin at Kathy. “It’s pool party time!”
Laughing, I rush to the closest chairs in the corner, nearest to the pool, and start to strip, shucking my jeans and shirt until I’m in nothing but my bikini. I hear a whistle and turn to see Damon behind me, his hands on his jeans. Just then, music pumps from somewhere, and Blake returns from a booth with a smile. “Found the speakers.”
I blow him a kiss and look around at the others. Leo is hitting Liam, who is fake thrusting at him. Emmett is in the other corner helping Kathy do up the back of her bikini top, and the others are all stripping too. Just then, Liam drops his pants, and I groan.