But for now, I would table those thoughts. I pulled up behind his garage door and parked my Focus. We had barely been apart 12 hours and I already missed him. I was also seriously excited about his pool.
Chapter Twenty
Drake
I COULDN'T WAIT TO see her reaction when she saw the swan floating in the pool. I was looking forward to that, and when she pulled up in the driveway, I couldn't wait to greet her. We had only known each other for a couple of days and already forged a friendship, had a first date, and fucked. It seemed pretty successful in my eyes.
After I had left her apartment, I ran by the shop to pick up meat for grilling and grab Chuck and bring her home for the weekend. Sometimes she stayed at the store, but if I was gone longer than overnight, I always brought her with me.
When she pulled up outside the house, I hurried to go outside and greet her. Not a soul was around for miles, so I had no problem kissing her out in the open, freshly showered and wearing only a towel. After all, it was my land.
“Now that’s a greeting,” she said, approving of my lack of clothes.
I grabbed her hand and took her inside, giving her the quick tour and showing her the bathroom...promising for a more detailed tour later. I was getting ready to work on marinating the steaks and getting some sides prepped when she arrived, and I needed to get to that.
“I swear I don’t know where my manners went, I should’ve brought some side dish or dessert today,” she said.
“Not at all, I invited you, remember? Plus you just moved in and barely know where your spoons are...”
“Well, once I found out you had a pool, I technically invited myself.”
"Do you already have your suit on?" From the look of it, she was wearing some kind of cover-up dress that would have been too short just to wear out and about. I could see the halter of a swim top around the back of her neck. I went ahead and put my trunks on before starting on the steaks, discarding that towel she liked so much. I threw on a white T-shirt, and I was good to go.
“Make yourself at home. It won’t take me long here, and we can go out back. What kind of drinks would you like today? Is it 5 o’clock somewhere or shall we wait a bit?”
“Ice water would be super right now, if you don’t mind?”
“Anything for you, Cutie.” She sat at the bar and watched me finish up the kabobs and toss everything back in the fridge until it was time to grill. I scrubbed my hands and filled up two big Yeti cups with ice water. I sliced a red grapefruit in half and squeezed a little juice in each one before putting on the lids. Probably should have asked her if that was okay, but I wasn’t used to asking.
I stuck two swirly straws in the top of each drink to be festive and set them on the counter. I ran down the hallway to grab a couple of beach towels before coming back to escort her outside.
“Come on out,” I said, holding the screen door open for her. She grazed her hands across my abs as she passed by me through the doorway and stopped in her tracks before she busted out laughing.
It was the swan that got her.
“Allow me to explain,” I said and cleared my throat.
“You didn’t tell me you had a swan!” she said and continued to giggle.
“Well. I didn’t. Until yesterday.”
We walked across the stone walkway and she set her bag down on one of the sun chairs. I placed our drinks nearby and took off my shirt.
"A couple of times a summer I have the pool professionally cleaned and chemically balanced. So yesterday when I called Ernie to have it done, I told him to toss in a few pool floats too since I didn't have any new ones. When I came home, I realized that Ernie has quite a sense of humor. However, there are a couple of pool noodles over there and a couple of normal-sized floats, too."
She just stared at that swan and smiled. Seeing her so giddy made me happy.
“Like, I want to swim like it’s nobody’s business right this minute, but later, I totally want to sunbathe on that swan,” she said. The sunbathing comment made me hard, and I needed to subdue those thoughts for at least a little bit.
“For now, I’m gonna pull this fowl out of the water so I can sit back and watch you do laps.”
"Oh, you're gonna sit back and watch me, eh?" Her feistiness was new, and I liked it. As I moved the swan out of the pool and over to the side, I noticed she was taking off her shoes and cover-up, revealing a very sporty, Olympic-style suit.
“Did you swim in college?” I asked.
“Only for pleasure. My times weren’t good enough to compete. I started swimming when I was young and did compete in high school, but I never lost the want. I still love diving in and feeling the water rush all around me.” The more I got to know her, the more real she felt to me.
“After I get out and change—”
"Change? I thought we were hanging today," I said, interrupting her.
“Hold your horses, buddy. I meant change into my bikini, but you didn’t let me finish...” Oh yeah, I kinda didn’t let her finish.
“Please, continue then.”
“After I swim some laps—that you’re apparently going to watch—I’ll get out and change into my bikini to lounge in the sun and relax with you...and I’ll need your help with putting some sunscreen on my back.”
"That, Cutie, is something I can most definitely help you with.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Aggie
When I dove in the deep end of the pool and the cold water rushed all around me, I felt at home. Swimming was kind of like my drug of choice. I would swim every single day, if I was able. And feeling safe and knowing I wouldn't be bothered with Drake nearby was comforting. I was able to completely let go in the water. My muscles got a workout and I was able to just let the water hold me.
I usually kept track of laps or rather how much time I was in the pool, but today I just wanted to swim until I got tired.
And he let me.
I swam hard for probably half an hour before I tired out and slowed down. I treaded water for a bit and wiped the water from my eyes, looking up to see him leaning back in the lounge chair just watching me. The sun was beating down on his chest and he was radiating. I couldn’t see his eyes behind the Aviator sunglasses he had on, but I knew he saw me staring back.
He sat straight up in the lounge chair, straddling the sides with his legs and grabbing a towel from the table beside him. He set it down in front of him and patted it, not saying a word.
I would oblige his offering. I pulled my hair tie out of my bag and rang my wet hair before putting it back in a messy bun atop my head.
Drake reached out with the towel and I started to take it when he pulled it close to him, making me play keep away. He wanted to play. How cute.
I continued to try and get the towel, but when I realized that wasn’t going to happen, I lifted one leg and quickly straddled him, sitting across his lap.
He sucked in a big breath at the shock of my cold, wet body against his and said, “Oh Cutie, you’re cold.”
“I couldn’t reach the towel,” I said and shrugged my shoulders. I wrapped my arms around his neck and his skin was hot to the touch where he had been sunbathing while I swam.
“You’re. Hot...”
“Thank you,” he said and grinned. “You’re hot too, but I’m not talking about your body temperature.”