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“It’s a good thing you decided to go out with me then.” I grin at her. “This is my style. I’m sure some people think it’s too much.”

“That’s impossible.”

Silence settles between us again, but it’s not the kind I feel the need to fill. Most first dates are doomed when the silence settles in, but not this one. I’m content to just sit here all night, even if neither one of us says another word. I’d still get to spend the night with her.

She’s looking back at the pool now. The way the lights reflect off the surface, catching on something in her eye. Normally, I can get lost looking at her, but there’s something else in her gaze, something different this time. There’s a longing I’ve never seen from her before.

My eyes drift to the surface of the pool before sliding back to her. “When was the last time you went swimming for fun?”

The question must startle her, because she looks up at me with wide eyes. “What?”

I nod toward the pool. “When was the last time you went swimming?”

“I don’t know,” she admits with a laugh. “Probably high school.”

“What?” I stare at her, jaw slacked. “No way. That’s not possible. I don’t believe you.”

“That’s your choice, doesn’t make it any less true.” She shrugs, looking back at the pool. “I wasn’t the girl who got invited to pool parties, nor did I have much desire to leave the house in a swimsuit.”

I could make a comment about how I hate knowing she’s ever felt that way, but it wouldn’t matter. I can’t take those memories away. I can’t stop people from being assholes or preying on people’s insecurities, but I can help her make new memories. Maybe new memories will also help chase away lingering insecurities. I can show her, and constantly remind her, just how beautiful she is to me.

I stand, pulling my shirt over my head in a fluid motion I’ve perfected over the years. I can feel Kat’s eyes tracking my every movement. When I look down at her, she’s staring up at me, desperately trying to keep her eyes from roving over my chest. When I reach for the buckle of my belt, her eyes widen even more.

“What are you doing?” She laughs, but it’s a strained sound and she’s looking everywhere but at me.

“What?” I cheekily reply, toeing off my socks and shoes so I can pull my jeans off. They end up in a pile with the shirt, leaving me in just my black boxer briefs. “I can’t remember the last time I swam for fun, especially with someone I was into.”

She stares up at me, wide eyed. I’m sure if we had better lighting, I’d see a pink flush to her cheeks. “Carter, we cannot go swimming right now! Are you crazy?”

“Why not? I’m pretty sure I own this pool and my contractor said it’s good to go, so I say we can go swimming.”

To emphasize my point, I say nothing more, and take a few quick steps toward the edge to dive in. When I surface, she’s still sitting there, staring at me in utter shock. This isn’t how she expected our night to go. I push my hair back out of my face to focus on her better.

“Aren’t you cold?” She moves to her knees but doesn’t move to get up.

I shake my head. “Not at all!”

The weather in Columbia has already reached the upper eighties, with several days being sunny without a cloud in sight. So, the water is the perfect temperature, not too cold, and not too warm.

I’m just about to tell her she doesn’t need to come in if it’s not something she’s comfortable with, but then she’s standing and shimmying out of her shorts to reveal a pair of dark gray boyshorts. Nothing too fancy, more practical, but my gaze can’t help but linger on her smooth thighs. She hesitates for just a moment before pulling her tank top off to reveal a matching sports bra.

I bite my lip, taking her in as she pulls her hair into a loose ponytail. I knew she was beautiful, but now that she’s standing before me like this, I can’t look away. The lights scattered around the pool deck and floating in the water seem to dance off her pale skin, highlighting new areas to draw my attention to.

She flashes me a grin that stirs something deep within me. I know I’m in trouble. This woman is going to be the death of me, and I don’t even care. I watch as she hesitates for only a second before she gets a jogging start to cannonball into the pool. I move toward her as she goes under, ready to pull her close as soon as she surfaces.

When she does, she’s grinning from ear to ear. My arms wind around her waist, feeling the glide of skin against skin as I pull her in close. Her legs wrap around my waist, and I use my legs to keep us afloat in the deeper water. I move toward the wall in case we need some leverage. I guess I hadn’t even asked if she can swim.

“Is it cold?” I ask, searching her face for any sign of discomfort. Whether it’s from the way I’m holding her or the temperature of the water, I want to know what she’s thinking.

She shakes her head, leaning down to kiss me. I’m caught by surprise, so she’s able to deepen the kiss. It’s the first one she initiates. I press her back against the wall, allowing my grip on the edge of the pool and my legs to keep us afloat as I kiss back.

The movement of the water keeps pressing us closer and closer together, the limited amount of clothing between us leaving nothing to the imagination. I let a hand trail down her shoulder, running my fingers over the strap of her bra before going lower to grip her waist.

“Carter,” she breathes, throwing her head back as soon as she pulls away to catch her breath. I waste no time, moving my lips down her neck toward her collarbone, where I suck, and nip gently. I’m rewarded with a gasp, her legs tightening around me.

More than anything, I want her to keep making those sounds, to keep moving her hips against me, but I know we can’t go further. Not here. I can’t sleep with her for the first time here. I want it to be special, and I don’t think that’s what Bryce meant when he advised me to go for a romantic night by the pool. He can forgive a lot of things, but not that.

We’re both breathing deeply when I pull away from her neck. I reach up to push the wet hair from her eyes, which earns me a grin. She’s leaning back against the edge in a way I can’t see as being all that comfortable, but doesn’t complain.