As I lounged by the pool, I couldn’t get over my lush surroundings. The back of Jackson’s uncle’s house was even more beautiful than the front, thanks in no small part to the pool and landscaping. A covered outdoor patio, attached to the house, flowed seamlessly into the tiled patio and flawless green lawn surrounding the pool.
The lounge chair beneath me almost felt too nice to be outdoor furniture. Caressing the plush fabric of the cushion, I admired the large rectangular pool that stretched tantalizingly before me. With its simple design and clear blue water, it was perfect for swimming laps. I closed my eyes, inhaling deeply and soaking in the warmth of the sun. Apart from the faint scent of chlorine, the air smelled clean and pure.
Opening my eyes, I marveled at how expansive, and yet sheltered, the space felt. A border of shrubs and beautiful white hydrangeas outlined segments of the pool and lawn before the yard faded into a larger, more natural wooded area. With trees all around and no other houses in sight, it was quite the serene oasis.
A book sat open on my lap, but it was more for cover than for reading. Theo and Chase were already in the pool swimming laps, and I had successfully avoided their attempts to lure me in thus far. The only people who had seen me in a swimsuit were Jessica and my dad, and the thought of shedding my cover-up in front of the guys was making me more than a little anxious.
As I watched Theo and Chase swimming, I was impressed by their skills. However, it was clear that Chase was the superior swimmer, and I understood why swimming was his chosen sport. He was expertly performing the breaststroke, and the way his limbs elegantly sliced through the water was hypnotizing.
The sound of the patio door sliding open caught my attention, and I glanced over my shoulder, expecting Knox and Liam. Instead, Ethan appeared in a pair of horizontally-striped swim trunks, a towel draped over one shoulder. My heart started beating wildly, and I quickly turned away to keep from gawking at his incredible musculature. Please don’t come over here, please don’t come over here.
Luckily, Theo caught Ethan’s attention by hopping out of the pool and heading straight toward him. He grabbed Ethan’s towel and threw it on a nearby chair. “Haley gets a pass for now, but you don’t, so get your butt in the pool.”
Ethan followed Theo to the edge of the pool but hesitated for a moment, looking over at me. Thankful for the sunglasses hiding my eyes, I kept my head down but watched him out of the corner of my eye. He started to say something, but before he had the chance, Theo pushed him in the pool. Once he broke through the surface of the water, he initiated a splash war against Theo and had Chase in the middle within seconds.
I watched, amused by their playfulness and relieved that I managed to avoid a conversation with Ethan for a while longer. I intended to finally confront him about the phone call sometime tonight but wanted to wait until I could talk to him alone.
For now, I let myself enjoy the moment. Constantly in motion, their muscles flexing and the sun highlighting their bodies, the water streamed off them, and the effect was breathtaking. Had the fire been a portal to an alternate Abercrombie-&-Fitch-catalog universe?
By the time Liam and Knox came outside a few minutes later, the guys had called a truce. As Liam walked by, he held out a hand, palm up. “Oh, Haley. Do please join us.”
I shook my head and smiled as I held up my book. Liam wasn’t backing down easily though. “Seriously? Surely even the incomparable Mr. Darcy can’t compete with the five of us?” Was he mocking my reading selection? Pride and Prejudice was a classic, with a cult following that even went so far as to include a zombie parody.
Affecting my best English accent and serious manner, I replied. “My dear Mr. Carlyle, I must respectfully decline your request.” He laughed before walking off and glanced back at me once more before diving effortlessly into the pool.
Theo swam to the edge of the pool near my lounge chair. “Please, Haley. We need you to make our numbers even for basketball.”
I rolled my eyes behind my sunglasses but held my ground. “I’m sure I would hurt, not help, whichever team I was on. I’ve never even played basketball.”
Theo glared. “Oh please; we both know you can easily pick it up. Don’t make me come out and get you.” He flicked water playfully in my direction. “You know I will.”
Realizing that I wasn’t going to get away with staying dry forever, I finally gave in and set my book down on the chair. As I stood up and prepared to remove my cover-up, I felt like time was standing still. I took a few deep breaths and gave myself a quick pep talk. Chill, Haley, you can do this. It’s just a bathing suit. Refusing to make eye contact with anyone, I slowly slipped the cover-up over my head before placing it and my sunglasses on the lounge chair.
At first there was complete silence from the direction of the pool, but then I heard Ethan’s deep voice mutter, “Damn,” his tone sounding a bit awed. Knowing that I had to face them at some point, I turned to the guys and slowly walked to the pool steps.
Theo beamed up at me. “I hoped you would pick that one; it looks amazing on you.” I ducked my head to hide my blush and concentrated on entering the pool without tripping or doing something else equally embarrassing. The water felt cool and refreshing, and I sighed at the pleasure of it washing over my warm skin.
Next, I heard Liam say, “You picked out that suit? Why couldn’t you have bought her a bikini?” Uncomfortable and slightly annoyed, I looked up to see Knox smack Liam on the back of the head, making all the other guys laugh.
While I paddled around, Theo said, “Okay, let’s pick teams.”
Theo opened his mouth again to speak, but Knox butted in. “Yes, let’s. Ethan and I will pick.” He paused for half a second. “I’ll go first. Haley.” Knox’s tone was friendly, but there was a definite undercurrent of authority. Even though I knew it was a pity pick, I felt relieved that I wasn’t chosen last.
Ethan groaned but didn’t protest. “Fine, I’ll take Chase.” It suddenly struck me why Ethan looked different; he wasn’t wearing his glasses. I had a hard time deciding whether he looked better with or without them.
Knox quickly said, “Theo,” before Ethan said, “Come on, Liam.”
Theo and Chase hopped out of the pool, dripping water as their bare feet pattered across the patio tile, returning with two basketball goals and a ball. While they set up the goals, Ethan quickly went over the rules. “Okay, no traveling, aka swimming, beyond one-quarter length of the pool at one time with the ball. You can’t take the ball out of the pool. Blocking is allowed, but you can’t push someone under water and hold them there. Once a team scores, we meet at the center and start again. Any violation means a free throw. Got it?”
Everyone nodded. Knox was standing near me and moved closer. “Any questions?” I shook my head. He smoothed his wet hair back from his face. Lowering his head near mine, he practically whispered in my ear. “Good. I picked you as my ringer; don’t let them push you around.” Maybe I wasn’t picked out of pity after all? Although “ringer” definitely seemed like wishful thinking.
With the goals set up at each end of the pool, Chase flipped a coin. Our team won the coin toss, so we got the ball first. Having seen them splashing around in the pool earlier, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to keep up, but I was determined to at least try.
Knox shouted, “Go,” and it felt as if all hell had broken loose. While I stayed where I was, the boys sprang into action, each swimming quickly toward a member of the opposite team. The water churned from the motion, and waves lapped at the edge of the pool. Knox was dancing around with Ethan near the center of the pool, and Theo swam toward our goal with Liam in hot pursuit.
Chase appeared in front of me. “Hi, Haley.” He grinned before turning his back on me.
Standing in front of me with his arms spread, Chase didn’t have to do much to block me, especially as distracted as I was by his incredible shoulders. Knowing he had the advantage, I thought maybe diverting his attention was a better tactic. “Hey, Chase?”
“Mhmm.” Darn, his back was still turned.
“Chase.” I said louder and with more emphasis. I knew it was a dirty trick, but I had to be creative if I was going to have any chance. He turned around and I ducked under his arms quickly, swimming in front of him while he turned. Knox saw what I had done and threw the ball in my direction. The ball hit the water in front of me, making a plonking noise and splashing before I clutched it to my chest.
Feeling my legs being pulled away from me, I kicked furiously while glancing around the pool for Knox and Theo. Fortunately, Knox managed to swim closer to me despite having Ethan close behind. I shoved the ball at Knox before going under completely. When I popped back up, Theo had the ball. The guys moved swiftly in the water, and I did my best to keep up with them and the ball.
I swam in Theo’s direction, but before I could get there, Liam had stolen the ball from him. With Theo behind Liam, and Knox on the other side of the pool with Ethan, Chase and I were in the center of the action. Chase was a fast swimmer, and I had already tricked him once. I didn’t think I could get away with it again. What can I do?
Liam was headed our way at full speed, and I had the harebrained idea to try and stop him. I pushed off the side of the pool with my feet, hoping I would T-bone him at just the right moment. Despite the impact, he managed to hang on to the ball and raised it high above his head, looking for someone to pass it to.
By then, Theo had caught up to us and was blocking Chase while I had Liam. I waved my arms like crazy while jumping up and down, just hoping to distract him with my crazy antics, if nothing else. He laughed, but between me guarding him and Theo guarding Chase, they were stuck.
Liam’s smile was electric, and he moved with grace and strength. Even without the expensive clothes tailored to his frame, there was an elegance to him. But with his hair wet and messy and his absorption in the game, he seemed cuter, almost goofy, even.
Ethan finally got away from Knox, and Liam flung the ball in his direction. Ethan caught it and shot a goal, scoring to the loud cheers of Liam and Chase. “One, nothing,” Ethan said, smirking.
Ethan, Chase, and Liam gave a round of high fives as we all swam back to the center of the pool to restart. Everyone was trash-talking at this point, and Liam flashed me a smug grin. “Guess you’ll just have to try harder next time.” His gray eyes reflected the blue water and danced in the sunlight. He’s challenging me; I’ll show him.
Chase swam up behind us. “You play a good game, Haley. But your team hasn’t scored yet.”
I smiled. “The key word is yet.” I dove underwater, resurfacing near the center of the pool. Okay, Haley. You can do this. Knox’s words rang in my ear. Don’t let them push you around.
Ethan held the ball and shouted, “Go!” Fortunately, I was more prepared this time and immediately headed in Liam’s direction. Doing my best to block him, I moved non-stop in an effort to prevent him from getting the ball. When Ethan tried to pass the ball to Chase, Knox managed to hit it, pushing it off course from its intended target. Everyone beelined for the ball, but Theo got there first.
Theo shouted my name and lifted his chin in the direction of the goal. I swam as fast as I could toward our goal. When Theo threw the ball my direction, I lunged and grabbed it. My heart was racing and I knew I was close to the goal, but Liam moved through the water like a shark.
After he quickly snatched the ball from me and turned to go the opposite direction, I jumped on his back. I clung to Liam and held on for dear life as he struggled to get away. It wasn’t long before he stopped swimming and stood twisting from side to side while I attempted to stop him or release the ball. I was doing my best to hold him back, but he was clearly enjoying himself.
Finally, out of instinct, I reached around his sides. I tickled his ribs and he started laughing. “Haley, stop that!” I laughed, breathless from the exertion and the excitement, but didn’t stop.
I was too busy distracting Liam to focus on where the other guys were. Suddenly a strong arm reached around my waist, pulling me beneath the surface. A second arm wrapped around me, embracing me. Unprepared, I hadn’t taken a breath and my lungs were burning. I pried his arms open, releasing me to move to the surface. I. Need. Air.
As I swam upward, I was fighting the pain in my lungs and the urge to cough. It felt like I couldn’t get air fast enough. When I finally surfaced, I immediately started coughing and gasping for air. The others stopped what they were doing and turned to look at me as Knox quickly came to my side.
Knox looked concerned. “Just breathe, Haley. You’re okay. Relax.” He spoke slowly and his tone was soothing.
Once I caught my breath again, he smoothed a few strands of hair away from my face. “You okay?”
I closed my eyes and nodded. “I’ll be fine.”
When Knox turned on Ethan, I could feel the anger radiating from him. His voice was level, but there was a definite edge to it. “What the hell do you think you were doing?”
Ethan straightened. “Playing the game. What’s the big deal?”
Knox glared at him. “No. You were too aggressive.”
I spoke in a hoarse voice. “I’m fine, Knox. Let’s just play.” Knox’s shoulders relaxed slightly, and he turned away from Ethan to face me. “You sure?”
I smiled. “You sure you want to just end it now and let them win?”
Theo grinned. “That’s my girl. Now let’s stop talking and play!”
Chase jumped in front of me, ready to guard. Ethan swam by, his eyes apologetic and questioning.
Despite our best efforts, my team lost by two points. While I wasn’t the ringer Knox hoped for, I had to admit to having fun; and I had even scored a goal. However, given a choice of games, I would probably go with poker instead. The guys were extremely competitive, and playing in the water for so long was exhausting.
After the game’s conclusion, Theo started another water fight by splashing me lightly in the face. Almost simultaneously, Chase, Ethan, and Liam attacked Theo while Knox pulled me out of the way and blocked me with his body.
When their playful fighting turned aggressive, Knox grabbed me by the waist and lifted me out of the pool, setting me gently on the tile. With a sheepish grin, he said, “Go dry off. You don’t want to get in the middle of this,” before disappearing under the water.
Relieved to be out of the line of fire, I used one of the luxurious beach towels to dry off. Since it appeared that the guys weren’t quitting anytime soon, I pulled my cover-up on over my soaked swimsuit and headed inside to change.
I opened one side of the French doors and slipped inside, the cool air making me shiver. When I saw a slight movement out of the corner of my eye, I jumped, clumsily dropping my towel and book.
Jackson stood leaning against the large window next to the door, arms crossed over his chest. He was still dressed in work clothes but had a distinctly casual air about him in linen slacks paired with a white button-down shirt.
His lips tipped into a barely-there smile. “Haley, we really need to stop meeting like this. Are you always so jumpy?”
Intimidated by his presence, I reached down to pick up my things to avoid his gaze. “Not usually. It must be you.” Geez, Haley, why are you such a nervous wreck around him?
When he didn’t reply, I finally looked at him and he lifted one dark brow. “Well then, I apologize.”
I bit my lip, trying to come up with an intelligent response. When nothing came to mind, I decided to change the subject. “Have you heard anything about the office assistant position? Do you know when I’m going to start?”
Jackson stood up straight and placed his hands in his pockets. “Yes, everything is ready to go. You can start as early as next week if you’d like.”
My pulse started to race in excitement. “Really? That would be great.”
He consulted his phone for a few moments before returning his attention to me, his voice as professional as ever. “It looks like my schedule is fairly clear on Monday if you would like to start then.”
Suddenly Monday seemed alarmingly close, and I felt a twinge of fear at having to face new people and circumstances in just a couple of days. Then I reminded myself that not only had I desired this type of opportunity for years, I needed to start saving money as soon as possible.
At the moment, my best shot at finding my dad depended on getting to San Francisco and accessing the safe deposit box. At the very least, I needed enough cash for bus fare and a few nights in a hotel. But I preferred to wait until I had the resources to make it on my own for an extended period of time.
“Of course, whenever is most convenient for you.” I hoped he could tell how grateful I was for setting up the job.
Jackson slid his phone back in his pocket and said, “Okay, Monday morning it is. I’m sure Theo or Knox will be able to give you a ride.”
I glanced outside and saw the guys exiting the pool. Realizing this was the perfect time to escape, I said, “Thank you so much. I better go change before I freeze.”
Jackson politely offered, “Please let me know if you need anything. Did someone already show you to a guest room?”
“Yes, thank you.” I quickly turned and headed toward the staircase. As I made my way back to my designated room, I wondered how the rest of the evening would unfold. One down, one to go. I had managed to get the easy conversation out of the way; now I just had to get Ethan alone and confront him. I needed answers, and fast; I was getting way too close to these guys, especially considering Ethan’s apparent betrayal.
I sucked in a quick breath at the thought of the guys downstairs. All six were insanely attractive, worldly, and smart. And I was so . . . sheltered. At that moment, confronting Ethan almost seemed like the least of my worries. How would I ever survive this evening?