Chapter Twenty-Seven

FALLON

Apart from going to work, I didn’t leave my apartment all week. My period drained me, and I was still recharging my social battery.

On top of that, my hormones were all over the place, and I didn’t think it was smart to even look at Mackenzie. After everything she did for me when my period started, I didn’t want to risk seeing her smile and end up sleeping with her again. I couldn’t seem to help it; she was a freaking sex goddess.

Not only with the way she seemed to know my body, but with how she treated me afterward. She always made sure I was taken care of and comfortable. She respected my boundaries like it was second nature, and she had the heart of an angel. I was so screwed.

I was finally starting to feel like myself again and decided a late-night swim sounded perfect, especially since I hadn’t visited the pool since moving in.

For a moment, I considered inviting Mackenzie but decided against it. I mean, we were friends, and friends went swimming together all the time. But it was a good idea if we didn’t spend too much time together. It also wouldn’t hurt to have on as much clothing as possible when we were in the same room.

There were still at least three hours until the pool closed, and it seemed to be a good time to go.

Surprisingly, there were only two other people there. I smiled at them and went to place my towel down on a chair, slipping off my sheer cover-up. I wasted no time getting in.

The pool was heated and the water was the perfect temperature for a much-needed relaxing night swim.

After a while, the couple left, and I was finally by myself—thank goodness—because I desperately needed some time alone. I hadn’t had much of that since I moved to Seattle, especially with Mackenzie. We had slept together a few times, but we agreed it wouldn’t happen again. It would only complicate things further—not that things weren’t already complicated.

Every time we slept together, I told her it needed to stop. She was always sweet about it, agreeing without an argument. Yet somehow, the next time we saw each other, it would happen all over again.

After our steamy poker night, I swore it would be the last time. Spending the day with her, while feeling like death on the first day of my period, only cemented my stance. I respected our friendship too much to risk it over amazing sex. I could find that anywhere—but her friendship? That was priceless to me.

I had hoped that spending some time alone would clear my head. I needed to leave all these feelings behind.

Taking a deep breath, I floated in the pool, letting the water carry me as I relaxed and listened to the sounds of the water moving around me. My hands drifted in and out, the cool water seeping into my skin. It was the best feeling in the world—to feel weightless, almost nonexistent. I could’ve stayed like that forever, perfectly content to float without a single worry.

After what felt like thirty minutes of floating, I heard the door open. I didn’t pay much attention until a voice said, “Well, isn’t this a nice surprise?”

Instantly, my whole body tensed. I planted my feet on the pool floor, afraid to turn around. “Fancy seeing you here,” she continued. Please be in sweatpants and a turtleneck. And a hat… maybe even a ski mask. Preferably smelling like a garbage truck. Please don’t be here to swim.

I slowly turned to face a half-naked Mackenzie. My voice was breathy and hushed when I spoke—at least, I thought it was. I could barely hear anything over the pounding of my heart in my ears. “I… uh, wanted to swim,” I managed to say.

Mackenzie, of course, looked deadly in the most torturous black two-piece. The top barely covered anything—she might as well have been wearing a belt. And SpongeBob would’ve been jealous of her bikini bottoms. She had absolutely no right looking that good.

I wanted to untie those straps and feel her hard nipples between my teeth. Untie the ones at her hips and— Calm down, Fallon!

I’ve seen her naked, so I shouldn’t have been losing my mind so badly.

I’ve seen her perfect breasts, and her peach-colored nipples. Her perfect round ass, and her perfectly delicious pink pierced?—

I physically shuddered, hoping she’d chalk it up to getting a cold chill. Good God, I needed to leave immediately.

“I see that.” She smiled as she walked over to put her belongings in the chair next to mine. I swear she bent down like that on purpose. Dozens of empty chairs circled the pool, and she just had to choose the one next to mine.

I was hyper-aware of how little I had on, and it left me feeling vulnerable. I swallowed, struggling to find words. “I haven’t been here since I moved in. I was just in the mood for a swim. Do you come here often?” I asked—only later realizing how much it sounded like a cheesy pickup line. I chuckled.

She sat in the chair and smiled. “Sometimes. I like to come here at night. It’s usually empty and peaceful.”

I swam toward the stairs and climbed out, maybe a little slower than I should’ve. Mackenzie definitely noticed. And I definitely didn’t do it on purpose.

What was wrong with me? I was playing with fire. I could feel the heat of her gaze from ten feet away.

She looked me up and down, savoring every inch of my skin. When her gaze met mine again, she inhaled sharply. The way her eyes swept over my body, how she tugged her bottom lip in, and the way it made my heart race had my confidence growing just a little. I walked over to my chair, bending down a bit too slowly to grab my towel and throw on my cover.

“Goddamn,” she mumbled under her breath. Seeing my arched eyebrows, she cleared her throat. “You should sit down and relax. I won’t bother you. I’ll be out there,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper, eyes locked on mine.

I sighed and did as I was told… which was typical when she was around. And when I was naked—nope! Shutting down that thought, I leaned back in my chair. “Have a blast, Wildcat.”

As she walked past, her hand grazed my leg ever so gently, and I was pretty sure she did it on purpose. That touch seared into my skin, and I sucked in a sharp breath.

The second she turned away, I sat up, watching her make her way to the pool. I had always been an ass woman, but hers? That could’ve turned my legs into jello. Round, perfect, and so damn soft. My hands tingled at the memory of squeezing it in the shower, while my tongue—nope. Not going there.

If I wasn’t already sitting, I was positive I would’ve fallen over. Everything about this woman was pure perfection, and it pissed me off. I almost wished she would go back to how she was when we first met—then I wouldn’t have the constant, unbearable urge to touch her.

I shook my head, but my eyes never left her. Watching her slip into the pool was like the best porno I’d ever seen. And suddenly, I was very jealous of the water wrapping around her, making her dripping wet.

I cleared my throat and closed my eyes, trying to gain some type of composure. “So, how’s life?”

How’s life? What the hell was that? I winced at myself, still not sure how to handle this whole “friends” thing. It felt weird—like trying to wear a jacket that was a size too small.

“How’s life?” she parroted back, the laughter in her voice obvious.

Yeah, I know it was a stupid thing to say, Mackenzie. You try looking at yourself right now, and getting any form of a coherent sentence out!

“Life is grand. How’s your life?” She smiled.

I looked at her, which was a huge mistake. Her hair was piled up in a messy, wet bun, and her lips glistened from the pool. She licked them slowly, and I swallowed hard, barely managing to keep myself together.

“Life is fine,” I said coolly.

“You’ve upgraded from shitty, I see.” She grinned.

“I guess I have,” I replied, trying to keep it light, but my mind was already replaying everything that had changed since I’d moved to Seattle. I had a group of friends I adored, two jobs I enjoyed, and I’d even managed to have spectacular sex. Life was better than I’d expected it to be.

“You’re welcome,” she said like it was no big deal.

I scoffed. “You think you’re the reason?” I laughed, keeping it casual. No way in hell was I about to boost her ego by telling her the truth.

She shot me a look, then suddenly jumped out of the water. Her boobs bounced, and I nearly choked on my own breath.

“I like to think so.” She smiled.

I had to close my eyes. If I kept looking at her dripping wet body, I was going to lose it. I shook my head with a smirk.

It was quiet for a moment—long enough that I almost opened my eyes, thinking she’d left. Before I could, a rush of cold water hit me.

“What the hell?!” I yelled, snapping my eyes open to find Mackenzie grinning at me, looking way too pleased with herself.

She shrugged like nothing happened. “Oops. Sorry.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you are.” My pout didn’t seem to have the effect I was hoping for, as she flashed me a gleaming smile.

“Come swim with me, Sunshine. You’re already wet.”

I knew she didn’t mean it like that, but that didn’t stop my traitorous body from reacting, causing me to clench my thighs.

“Uhh, sure,” I said.

I stood up, and as soon as she turned around, I took off, running and jumping right in next to her with a huge splash.

“Hey!” she sputtered, wiping the water from her face.

I just laughed and shrugged. “Oops. I guess now we’re even.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Okay, okay. Truce?” Her tone was playful. I looked at her outstretched hand, my heart skipping a beat. The way she looked at me—like she was daring me to take the bait—made it hard to catch my breath.

It felt like there was more to that handshake than she was letting on, but I shrugged it off. No point in reading into something that wasn’t there.

I took her hand, my fingers brushing hers longer than necessary. “Tru?—”

I barely got the word out before she gripped my hand tighter and pulled me closer, grabbing my waist with her other hand.

I gasped. “Kenzie—” I stopped when she brushed a stray hair behind my ear, and kissed me. If she wasn’t holding me up, my knees would’ve given out.

The kiss was gentle, sensual, and so heated. It was like we were starving for each other, yet still trying to take our time and savor every second.

Every time we kissed, it felt better than the last—and that scared me. I shouldn’t have wanted her as badly as I did. Hell, I shouldn’t have wanted her at all. It was too complicated. But as she kissed me senseless in that pool, I just couldn’t seem to care.

She pulled away, clearing her throat. “I should go.”

I nodded, as if I wasn’t about to pass out from need—as if I didn’t want her to set me on the pool ledge and devour me until I could barely think. “Yeah… uh… I should go, too. I’ve been in here so long, I’m starting to turn into a raisin.” I chuckled, and she let go of my waist before climbing out of the water.

We got dressed in silence, not looking at each other, not saying a word. It felt weird, like something was unfinished—but neither of us had the guts to acknowledge it.

We walked to the elevator, our footsteps the only sound filling the air. When the doors slid shut, it was like the rest of the world disappeared, leaving just the two of us.

I kept my hands glued to my sides, refusing to fidget, refusing to let her see how much she was affecting me. I didn’t dare look at her. If she was watching me—if our eyes met—I might not have been able to control myself in the empty elevator.

The awkward tension thickened between us until I stopped in front of my door. I turned to face her before unlocking it.

“See ya later, neighbor,” I joked.

She smiled and opened her door. “Bye, Fallon.”

I stood there for a second, just looking at her. “Wait!” I blurted out.

“Yeah?” She turned around, giving me an inquisitive look. I held her stare for a few seconds, wondering if what I was about to do would be a mistake. In the end, I thought, why not? I was already this deep—might as well go all in.

“Fuck it,” I muttered, closing the space between us and grabbing her shirt.

“Fallon,” she warned, her voice more breathless than anything. “What are you doing?”

“I have no idea,” I said before I kissed her.