Chapter Seven

 

 

I dove into the pool, enjoying the instant relief of cold water surrounding me. My hearing was momentarily lost, but the cool blue world beneath the surface represented a much-needed escape.

I swam through the water, using mostly my legs to reach the other side before floating to the surface. Breathing in deeply, I floated onto my back, swimming backwards with lengthy breast strokes.

This had been one hell of a week.

First, I’d made the mistake of letting Tammy set me up with yet another guy, despite the disaster David had been. This one was no better, but at least he’d had no kids or wife.

And no wonder.

He’d been so dull that for the first time ever I was tempted to fake the infamous emergency call from a friend.

Earlier in the day, Tammy and I had gone out for a drink. I thought we would stop by a bar to relax after a long day at work, but Tammy somehow persuaded me to also drop in at a dance club in downtown.

The evening had been another disaster.

Tammy danced with a million guys, while I sat by myself, nursing a Manhattan and wondering when I could leave without being rude.

I was happy to get back home to my own condo and the pool.

Which was supposed to close in five minutes, but I knew the security guards didn’t always monitor the deck. Besides, I deserved this swim after all the crap I’d been through. None of the other tenants were going to come up here to bother me and I wasn’t hurting anyone.

I did a few more laps, alternating between swimming and diving beneath the water. As I took a moment to catch my breath, I heard someone inputting the code into the pool gate.

Crap, it was probably the security guard here to kick me out. Just my luck.

I was about to climb out of the pool and make a run for my towel when I looked up and realized that it was even worse than the security guard.

“Oh,” Liam said, stopping short.

He glanced around as if he was expecting someone else at the pool. Was he meeting someone here? A girl?

“I didn’t think anyone would be up here,” he said.

My throat clogged. “Me neither,” was all I could think of to say.

I had no idea what to do now. I couldn’t possibly continue swimming with Liam watching me, and I didn’t feel like climbing out of the pool, either. It would only provide him with a better view of my dripping wet, scantily clad body.

I imagined how Liam would react to that.

I knew from the way he looked at me that he found me attractive, and after what happened the other day in the hallway, his reaction to me was obvious. He’d been ready to take me up against the wall, not even caring that anyone would have seen us.

I wondered what would have happened if I hadn’t stopped him. Would I have woken up in his bed the next morning, feeling satisfied?

I almost laughed out loud.

Not likely.

Rejecting him was probably the smartest thing I’d done since breaking up with Bryan a few months ago.

I would have been satisfied, yes.

Regretful, also yes.

“What are you doing up so late?” Liam asked, interrupting my thoughts.

I shrugged, sloshing water about my shoulders. “I just needed to swim.”

I didn’t think he would take that as an answer, but to my surprise he nodded.

I wondered if he would just leave. But I realized that I didn’t want him to. It was nice to see him, even though he looked like he hadn’t slept in days.

It had been more than a week since that moment in the hallway, and we’d somehow managed to avoid each other. I made sure to check the hallways through my peephole before leaving my apartment.

I didn’t know if Liam was doing the same, but for some reason, the thought that he wanted to avoid me made my stomach drop just a bit. It was crazy, considering that he was the last person I wanted to see. But a part of me wanted him there. Needed him to stay.

“You?” I asked to prolong the conversation. “What are you doing out here so late?”

“Same. Couldn’t sleep. Just need to unwind.” He paused, holding his towel in one hand awkwardly. “You don’t mind, do you? If I swim too.”

“It’s the community pool,” I pointed out. “It’s not like either of us should be here. Technically it’s past closing.”

He smiled. “Bunch of badass rebels, we are.”

I couldn’t help smiling softly at that. I was the farthest thing from a rebel. A good girl. Always did the right thing. Got good grades in high school. Followed instruction, was highly organized. Dated the kind of boys my parents loved. What a lot of good that did me in the end.

As he walked away to drop his things off at a lounge chair, I took the opportunity to swim as far away from him as possible. This was normal, or at least I tried to tell myself so. Two neighbors could swim in the community pool peacefully and there was nothing wrong with it.

Except all I wanted to do was jump him like a wild woman.

I wanted to drag him into the water, wrap my body around his, and feel his wet, naked skin against mine.

Desire filled me, making my blood grow warm. My skin suddenly felt heated, the water a shocking cold on my flesh. I dove again to soak it in, grateful for the distraction so that I didn’t have to watch Liam jump into the pool.

Still, I was aware of where he was and exactly what he was doing. Being underwater gave me a chance to look up at his muscular body floating on the surface. I was reminded of what a graceful swimmer he was. No wonder his shoulders were so defined.

The next few minutes were silent except for the sound of splashing. I liked to dive beneath the water, using only my legs and the occasional push of my arms. Liam remained above the surface, doing laps across the pool.

I closed my eyes and let my body move through the water, imagining that he wasn’t there. It made me feel strangely lonely. Keeping my eyes closed, I kicked to the surface. My hand touched another person’s body. I recoiled, breaking the surface with a breathless laugh.

“I’m so sorry,” I said, treading water. “I didn’t mean to grab you.”

Liam floated next to me, grinning. “That’s okay. You can grab me anytime.”

He started to swim in circles around me, and I had to tread quickly to keep my eyes on him. His gaze fixed on me without breaking, and I felt like I needed to fill the silence.

“When I’m stressed about something, I like to come up here for a swim. It’s such a nice amenity but none of the tenants ever use it.” I paused. “Until you moved in.”

He stopped swimming and treaded water about two feet away from me. If I reached out, I could’ve touched his shoulder and dragged him closer.

“Am I ruining your haven?” he asked.

“No, not at all,” I said. “Like I said, it’s a community pool.”

“Good.” He leaned backwards and floated, his six-pack of abs exposed to my gaze. Occasionally, he adjusted his position, causing a ripple in his muscles. I swallowed and forced myself to keep kicking. My heart was pounding, making it difficult for me to focus on Liam’s next words.

“Have you been on any more dates since that guy from the other night?”

“David,” I said.

His expression didn’t change. “Was that the asshole’s name?”

“He wasn’t an asshole.”

He gave me a look. “Come on,” he said.

“Okay fine. Kind of an asshole. But I haven’t seen him again, if that’s what you’re really asking.”

He folded his arms over his head, kicking his legs to counterbalance his weight on the water. His lips curled. “Cool.”

I smiled to myself. He sounded almost relieved. “I have been on a few other dates.”

“Oh.” He kicked one leg hard, bringing his body back into the water so that he faced me.

“This one guy. So boring, I don’t even remember his name.”

Liam’s smile was slow to spread across his face. “Yeah? Where did he take you?”

“A nice bistro in downtown. The food wasn’t half bad.”

“Looks like you got something out of it, at least.”

I smiled politely and nodded. “Girl’s got to eat,” I joked, even though I had paid for the meal in the end. Of course, the guy had “forgotten” his wallet. I’m not spilling that secret to Liam. The date was mortifying enough.

The lights that had brightened the rooftop deck suddenly went out and we were encased in darkness. I gasped from the shock of sudden blindness. I reached out in a reflexive panic.

My hand found Liam’s shoulder and he pulled me into his arms like it was the natural thing to do. As if he’d wanted to do that all night.

For a moment, I forgot all about my dignity, about the fact that this was the craziest thing to do, that I shouldn’t be throwing myself into the arms of a man who had rejected me, not just once, but twice.

I didn’t care.

My pulse raced and the hairs on the back of my skin rose. And Liam’s arms wrapped around me made it all better, made my breathing return to normal. Well, almost. I clung to him, not even noticing that he had to kick double time to keep both our bodies afloat.

He was whispering something in my ear, stroking his fingers through my hair and holding my head against his shoulder. I had no idea what he was saying, but the soft sound of his voice consoled me, eased the tension from my body.

I breathed in the clean scent of him. His skin felt heated even after the cold swim in the pool. With the reminder of chlorine in the back of my nose, I could still smell that elusive scent that always clung to him.

It was only when I had relaxed a little that I realized I was pressed to his chest.

His very naked, very muscular chest.

Cool water sloshed between us, but I could feel the heat rolling off him, and I wondered for a moment if the pool was heated and I hadn’t realized it all this time.

My eyes had adjusted to the dark now and I realized with embarrassment that I had overreacted. The lights had shut off automatically since the pool was now closed. The gates would lock electronically from the outside, but we would be able to leave from the inside. Moonlight washed over the deck. The reflection in the water revealed a half moon, rimmed in midnight blue.

I didn’t want to ever let go.

When Liam pulled back, I had the strangest urge to throw my arms tightly around him so that he would be forced to hold me.

He didn’t release me, not yet anyway. He looked down at me. The fingers of one hand still in my hand reminded of that time in the hallway, when he’d pushed me up against the wall and practically took me where anyone would’ve been able to see us.

I wanted that.

I wanted him.

Here. Now.

And he wanted me.

I knew from the way he looked at me, his gaze lingering on my lips, his eyes half-lidded, his mouth parted slightly. I could tell when a man wanted me, and I knew that in that moment, Liam would have given anything to be with me.

And I would have done the same.

“What were you saying?” I asked.

He blinked at me, his mouth opening just a bit. The tip of his tongue darted out to touch the dip in his bottom lip. My mouth watered in response.

“I said it’s okay.” His voice was hoarse. “I’m here.”

I looked up at him with wide eyes. I tried to gauge the emotions on his face, wondered what he was feeling or thinking.

If I kissed him now, would it be a mistake?

“I think that’s our cue to leave,” I said eventually.

I was prepared to release him even though my body rejected every notion of doing so.

His next words surprised me.

“I don’t want to leave.”

My stomach somersaulted. A light feeling washed over me. “Me neither.” We gazed at each other. His arms tightened like a vice, like he never wanted to let go.

And then I didn’t care anymore. So what if I regretted it in the morning? Things were already awkward between us. Might as well make it worth it.

I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and anchored myself more securely to his body. My legs hooked about his hips, my feet resting on the back of his thighs so that I could leverage myself high enough to reach his lips. When our mouths met, I heard a strangled noise come from him, like a groan he’d been trying to hold in for days.

Don’t do it, I told myself.

This was bad.

What was I doing?

Let go. Let go of him now.

I clung to him tighter.

He let me explore him this time, and I enjoyed every touch of our tongues, every sweet taste I was able to gather from the kiss.

The water seemed to grow higher around us, until I realized that it wasn’t the water rising, but that we were sinking.

“Sorry,” Liam said, giving a few kicks.

I kissed him again, not caring for words now that I was finally getting what I wanted. I unwrapped myself from him, placed my hands on his shoulders, and pushed him backwards.

We swam together, our mouths still connected, tongues dancing. Finally, we reached the shallow end of the pool, where Liam was able to stand comfortably. He gripped the back of my thighs, pulling me so close that I could feel the hard ridge of his cock against the notch of my body.

Damn, he was packing.

I wanted him desperately.

I wanted to feel him in my hands, inside my body. I pulled at his shoulders urgently, wanting to be closer, desperately craving more of his skin on my skin, his body on my body.

This felt good—so good—but it wasn’t enough.

I wanted more.

Liam seemed to sense my urgency, but instead of giving into me, he stroked my face with the palms of his hands. His touch was controlled, his movements patient, as if he was trying to ease the desperation from my body with soft touches.

I didn’t want to be consoled. I wanted him to make love to me. I held him closer, sucking at his tongue, nibbling his lower lip, licking inside his mouth.

“Whoa,” he said with a gasp.

His hips urged forward as if of their own will, and I groaned with pleasure as he rubbed right against my clit.

“Shit, that feels good,” I said. “Do it again.”

He did, his expression one I couldn’t read. It was either pain or extreme pleasure. One hand went down to grab my ass, pushing the stretchy spandex of my bikini bottom aside easily.

He cupped me, his fingers kneaded my flesh. His lips parted. His pupils were dilated with pleasure—or maybe from the lack of light. I didn’t care. My mind was only on one thing.

“Liam,” I gasped.

Instinctively, my hand went down to the waistband of his swim trunks. They attacked the ties there, the Velcro of the waistband, dug through the fabric.

When I found his cock, it was rock hard and burning. He was so aroused that my fingers barely reached all the way around the shaft.

When I stroked up and down, his head dropped back and his throat rippled. A groan escaped him. I rubbed the pad of my thumb over the sensitive part on his head I knew he would like. His hand tightened on my ass, the grip almost painful.

I used his cock to rub against my mound like a dildo, the head touching my clit over the spandex of my bikini. He looked down, but the image was blurred by the water. When I met his eyes, I knew immediately where the night was going to lead.

“I’ve always wanted to do it in a pool,” I blurted.

He groaned. “Me too.” His face grew serious. “I don’t have any condoms on me.”

I was almost tempted to say fuck the condoms and that he could fuck me without them. I was on the pill anyway. But I wasn’t completely stupid. Just super aroused.

“My apartment, or yours?” I asked instead.

His arms hooked under my ass. He carried me to the steps at the edge of the pool and lifted me out of the water.

“Mine,” he said.

We barely made it to his apartment. He grabbed our towels and tossed them over my shoulders without stopping to dry us. I made an attempt to wipe at his shoulders and chest, but it was more to touch him than anything else.

Our mouths were connected almost the entire way, our kiss only breaking when he had to open the pool gate and when we reached the hallway to the elevator.

Inside, he pressed me against one wall, using his hips and body to hold me where he wanted me. His hands roamed freely, leaving soft imprints on the flesh of my waist and ass and breasts.

When we reached our floor, I practically shouted with relief. He set me down briefly so we could walk faster. I had no idea how he got the door opened or if it was even locked.

But then—thank God—we were finally in his apartment.

I had one second to take in his sparse, modern furniture. His décor was simpler than mine, his furniture minimalistic and unpretentious. Before I could comment on how nice the place was, he spun me around, and I was lost in another blissful kiss.

He pushed me back and urged me into his bedroom, which was dark with the drapes drawn. The window was open and I could hear the cars pass outside the building.

All sounds and awareness of the world were soon drowned out as he pushed me back onto the mattress. His body covered mine immediately, the weight of him a glorious feeling that sent shivers up and down my spine and all over my skin.

We were still damp from the pool, but the wetness seemed to add to my heightened sensitivity. I was hot all over, my skin flushed, my blood boiling.

Liam didn’t seem to find our wet bathing suits too appealing. He reached for the tie at the back of my neck and tugged on the bikini string there. When my bikini was loose, he peeled the clinging spandex away from my body, revealing my large, rosy-tipped breasts to his view.

He took a moment to let his eyes roam over me. I fought the urge to cover myself with my hands. Even though it was dark in the room, I knew he could see me and was observing every inch of my body. His mouth was slightly parted and his breath staggered as he gazed at me.

“You’re gorgeous,” he said finally.

His hand covered one breast, still damp and cold from the wet bathing suit. The heat of his palm felt blissfully warm on my cold skin, and I squirmed from the pleasure that ran through my body at the touch.

He cupped my breasts with both hands, rubbing them gently to smooth away the water droplets that clung to me. His thumbs flicked my nipples. My hips bucked. When his head dipped and he took one nipple in his mouth, I shrieked.

The pleasure was so acute a sharp sensation shot into my belly. My clit pulsed. I was dripping wet by now, and it had nothing to do with the pool.

He turned his attention to my other nipple, and I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer. One hand gripped the bed sheets, the other dug into his hair. I wasn’t sure if I was trying to keep him at my breast or pull him away. I just knew that if he didn’t stop soon, I was going to explode into a million pieces.

“Liam,” I said, just to warn him. “You should probably stop.”

“Why?”

“Because...” I groaned.

I didn’t know why. What he did was overwhelming and I didn’t know how much longer I would be able to take it. I was one of the lucky women who could orgasm just from having my nipples played with—and while I usually enjoyed those orgasms, I wanted my moment with Liam to last longer than that.

“Hell no, I’m not stopping.”

He lapped and sucked at my nipples. I shrieked at the ceiling.

“I could kiss these breasts all day. They’re fucking beautiful.”

“God,” I gasped. “That feels so good.”

“So why do you want me to stop?”

“I...don’t know.” I couldn’t tell him I was so close already. He had enough of an ego and didn’t exactly need a boost from my naturally active libido. Then again, it had never been like this with anyone else, not even Bryan. This was intense, like nothing I’d ever experienced. And I knew it was all because of Liam, of what he was doing to me.

My hips lifted, rubbing against him.

“On second thought,” Liam said in a strained voice.

He moved down the length of my body, thankfully leaving my breasts alone.

I breathed a sigh of relief. I was only one tongue flick away from climaxing.

“I think there are other parts of your body I’m neglecting.”

He pressed soft kisses into my stomach, stopping at my belly button to lick inside. I’d never had that done before, and the small flick made me jump just a bit.

“Whoa,” I breathed.

“You like that?”

“I’m not sure.”

He grinned up at me, then lowered his head and licked inside my belly button again. My hips jerked involuntarily. He chuckled at my reaction, then moved further down. Fingers dipped beneath the waistband of my bikini bottom and tugged. He removed the rest of my bathing suit smoothly, standing up in the process to drag the spandex from my legs. He took a moment to examine my exposed body, the expression on his face smug and triumphant.

I felt self-conscious under his exploring gaze, but the way he whistled appreciatively banished any sense of insecurity.

“Damn, girl. I knew you looked hot in your bikini, but you look even better naked.”

I blushed. “What a cheesy line,” I said sarcastically, even though I felt a pleasant shiver from his words. “Do you get all your compliments from the douchebag handbook?”

He untied his swim trunks and pushed them down, giving me a full view of my own. I was mesmerized by his cock, which was so hard that it nearly touched his stomach. A small dot of moisture glistened on his tip. My throat closed up and my mouth went dry.

Liam climbed back onto the bed and fitted his body next to mine. We lay on our sides, gazing at each other. One of his hands came to stroke up and down the side of my body, his fingertips barely grazing as if he was deliberately teasing my sensitive nerves.

“You really are gorgeous, Misty,” he said, letting his hand settle on my hip.

“You didn’t seem to think so the night I gave you cookies.” I flicked a strand of hair over my shoulder. “I was all dressed up and everything and you didn’t even give me a second glance.”

“Oh, I took more than a second glance.” He kissed me. “I was just subtle about it. But trust me, it was all I could do not to invite you into my place.”

I tried not to feel pleased at his words. “Why didn’t you?”

He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “I would have, except it was a total mess since I’d just moved in. Couldn’t really impress you with no electricity, water, or a bed.” He frowned. “Besides, your friend was obviously listening to us and I’m not one for voyeurism.”

“She was listening, not watching.”

He wrapped his arms around me in a possessive gesture. “When I sleep with you, I want you all to myself. Not with someone watching or listening, not with your dates hanging out in the hallway, or your mind on someone else.” He cupped my face and angled it so I had to look directly into his eyes. “Understand?”

I touched his chest, enjoying the feel of him under my palm. His eyes widened when I pushed him onto his back and climbed over his body. My legs straddled either side of his hips, his cock meeting the juncture of my thighs in a wet slide. I rocked back and forth, delighting in the feel of my slickness against his hard ridge.

“I understand,” I whispered, smiling coyly.

“Damn, woman,” he burst out.

His fingers moved from my thighs to my hips, barely touching me, but managing to spread heat across my skin with just the slightest caress. I shivered when his fingers traced my lips lightly.

“You’re so wet.”

I allowed him to explore me. He used both hands, his fingers spreading my lips, touching the swollen flesh with a sense of reverence. His eyes were lidded, giving him a half-drunken look that made me feel womanly and wanted. I squirmed a bit when he inserted a finger inside me. Then he withdrew his finger, easing my wetness onto my clit and using his thumb to circle the focus of all my pleasure.

I moaned, the sound muffled through my teeth and lower lip. I closed my eyes, nearly bucking when he inserted two fingers inside me while his thumb continued to pleasure my clit.

Soon, I couldn’t control the movement of my hips. I rocked back and forth, meeting the rhythm of his fingers as he stroked in and out of me. My throat made small noises of pleasure, no matter how I tried to keep them inside.

Liam seemed drunk or high, or both, as he continued to pleasure me. His eyes never left my face, measuring my reaction and discovering what I liked. Those damn fingers of his worked me skillfully, until I felt all the nerves and tension in my body gather in one area. And, suddenly, pleasure exploded from my pussy into my stomach and down to my toes. I cried out, arched my back and let the orgasm take control of my body.

When the spasms started to dissipate, Liam reached over to the bedside table to take out a condom. I snatched it from his fingers, tore the foil with my teeth, and rolled the rubber over his cock. It fit snuggly and was almost too small for his large size.

He didn’t give me a moment to reconsider what we were about to do. His hands gripped my hips, lifting me until I was hovering right over his cock, and then he urged my hips up. He entered me in one slick move and I gasped again, on the edge of another orgasm.

If he had just flicked his thumb over my clit or pinched my nipple right at that second, I would have screamed his name and made sure our neighbors knew all about his sexual expertise.

He pushed as deep inside of me as he could, and I was almost overwhelmed by the feeling of being completely filled. It was so pleasurable, so good, that I could only close my eyes and ride out the sensations, hoping I would come out alive.

I began to move, urged on by the pressure of his hands gripping my waist. I was more than happy to follow the rhythm he set, my mind so lost to the pleasure that I could barely think. He was so large, his cock so deep that it felt as if I could feel him in every part of me, as if his body was made to pleasure mine.

His hands flew to cup my breasts, and I clenched my eyes tight. His thumbs flicked over my nipples, and a jolt of pleasure shot through my belly to my pussy. He did it again and again as I bounced over him. There was a break in our rhythm when his cock twitched inside me. I knew he was close, and I was too.

He reached down then, his thumb playing with my clit. My eyes widened. He pinched my nipple with one hand, while the other one pinched my clit. And that was it. I was over the edge. Arching my back, I screamed my pleasure into the air.

Beneath me, Liam bucked his hips upward. His movements were panicked, urgent. A sound of pain or pleasure came from his mouth, and he froze, hips shoved against mine.

His cock pulsed and he came inside my pussy with such intensity that he almost bucked me off. His breathing came in fast pants. Beneath my hands, his heart felt like it was going to explode out of his chest. And then he collapsed back onto the bed.

“Damn,” he whispered. “I should have invited you in the day you gave me cookies after all.”

I smiled against his shoulder and closed my eyes.