Chapter 17

Zach

I couldn’t believe she’d said yes. And if there was anything that would get her thinking about me romantically, it was a trip to Atherton.

We arrived late in the afternoon, when the sun was beginning to dip slightly in the sky, and I pulled the car to a stop outside my house. She stared up at it, eyes wide.

“Wow, this place is incredible.”

“Glad you like it.” I grinned. “Come on.”

Of all the properties I owned, this one was perhaps the most striking to look at. A mansion built from stone and hidden in the middle of the forests halfway up a mountain, it seemed plucked straight from an old-fashioned fairytale. But inside, it was far from fantasy, with modern accoutrements like a pool and a sauna set amongst the classic dining room, bedroom, and kitchen set-ups. She made her way around slowly, taking in the place step by step before she turned to me.

“If I owned this mansion,” she remarked, eyes shining, “I’d live here. I thought the first house of yours I saw was beautiful, but this is amazing.”

“Believe me, sometimes it’s tempting,” I agreed. “That house is close to the office, yet still in the country. I like this because it’s far from everything. Out in paradise. Do you wanna get something to eat? I’m starving.”

“Sure thing,” she nodded. “Do you have staff here?”

“I use a private catering service.” I pulled up their number and hit dial. “We can have anything we want.”

“I’ll leave it up to you.” She turned and started to wander. “I think I’m just going to see what else is in here.”

A half hour later, staff unloaded a pile of food onto the dining room table. I’d ordered Italian—a safe bet for a meal like this one, and I’d been craving carbonara for days—and an expensive bottle of champagne. It was exactly the kind of meal I might have used to seduce Alana with, the excess and drama of it was part of what attracted her to me. I wasn’t sure Jessibelle would fall for the same thing, but I was really hoping she would. She returned from looking around, and her eyes widened when she saw me pouring her a glass of champagne.

“This looks amazing.” She took a seat opposite me and picked up her glass. “And why don’t you live here again?”

“Beats me,” I admitted. “I’m starving. Let’s eat.”

We ate together, exchanging an easy conversation that flowed comfortably over the course of dinner. No topic missed our attention, family, friends, work, the case, the house, the food, and back again. I loved being around Jessibelle, loved having a chance to talk to her about things that didn’t involve the case. I had forgotten how well we bounced off one another, how easy it was to lose myself around her.

Soon enough, the meal was done, the champagne was gone and the light had dimmed to darkness outside. As the staff cleared away our food and left us alone in the house, I turned to her with a little more intent than before. She was looking back at me with a similar expression, her eyes soft and her lips slightly parted, as though she knew precisely what was going through my mind.

“You know what I want?” I asked, and she cocked an eyebrow at me expectantly.

“To go for a swim.” I got to my feet and nodded toward the pool. “You want to join me?”

She flushed.

“I didn’t bring a suit with me,” she mumbled. She wasn’t saying no.

“That’s not a problem for me.”

She flicked her gaze up to meet mine, playful all at once.

“I remember,” she reminded me. “The first time we met. You didn’t seem bothered about swimsuits then, either.”

“I’ve never put much stock in them,” I agreed, grinning in her direction, and then headed to the pool. “Come on, it’ll be fun.”

She followed a few steps behind, as though still trying to convince herself she wasn’t just a few more seconds of persuasion away from climbing into the pool with me. She perched on one of the deckchairs next to the pool and crossed her legs, her skirt rising a few inches to show off a little more of her thigh. I couldn’t take my eyes off her.

“Well,” she said. “You first.”

I raised my eyebrows at her, impressed by her forwardness, and didn’t need any more convincing. I pulled off my shirt, tossing it aside, and then undid my belt and kicked off my pants. Turning toward the pool, I dropped my boxers and then dove beneath the water before she could get too much of a show. My heart was beating fast, and my cock was already hard as the water enveloped me.

I turned to her with a grin on my face.

“The water’s warm,” I called to her, and she shook her head.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” she called back, but her eyes lingered on the water, as if trying to get a better look at me.

“It feels so good,” I assured her. “After that long car ride.”

I paddled back and forth a little, my arms cutting through the water. I sensed her watching me, felt the temperature in the room rising as she took me in. I lifted my head again, shaking the water from my hair and grinning at her as I wiped the dampness from my face.

“Come on,” I chided her gently. “You’ll like it.”

“Fine.” She sprang to her feet and began undressing. “But look away.”

“Of course.” I turned my back so she could get naked in peace. The pool room had enormous windows that looked out on to the dark, empty forest behind us. I was able to catch a glimpse of her reflection as she took her clothes off, but I averted my gaze as she had asked and waited for her to join me in the pool.

She slipped into the water, and I turned as she slowly made her way toward me. She dipped beneath the surface and ran her hand across her head, her hair flowing behind her. She looked so small and delicate like that, the features of her face not hidden by her thick hair. Her breath was coming quickly. I could tell by the small ripples it made in the water as she drew closer.

“You’re right,” she said when she was right in front of me. “This does feel good.”

“Right?” I fought the urge to reach out for her. I had to let her come to me. I couldn’t push things any further than I’d already pushed them. Her legs, long and bare, tread water beneath us, and my hands practically itched as I remembered how they’d felt wrapped tightly around me. I wanted her so badly it hurt. My body drew closer to hers before I could stop myself. She dipped down a few more inches, making sure her breasts were below the waterline, and then looked up at me.

“What are we doing here?” she asked softly.

“Let me show you.” I swam a few inches closer. Her breath caught in her throat, a little hiccup sound, as her eyes widened in my direction. But she mirrored my movements, her body arching toward mine as though longing for my touch. I knew how she felt. Ever since she’d slipped into my car that morning, I had physically ached for her, and as the day went on, it grew more intense.

Suddenly, our bodies were touching, nothing keeping us apart, my hand slipping easily around her waist and fitting into that familiar space. Her breasts pressed against my chest, and I reached up to tuck a strand of wet hair behind her ear before leaning in to kiss her.

As soon as our mouths met, any second thoughts I might’ve had about whether this was a bad idea vanished. It was just us here, we could take our time with each other instead of rushing. I kissed her softly at first, cupping her face with my hand. I could spend as much time as I wanted with her, touching her and tasting her and making her come a dozen times or more. And I fully intended to.

I gripped the side of the pool to hold us both up, and she bent one leg and wrapped it around me, drawing me in close. Her pussy brushed against my body, and I let out a groan against her lips. Something about the water holding us up was making our embrace feel weightless, like we could take off and leave the Earth behind. As if the rules of reality didn’t apply to us.

I slipped my hand down between her legs, brushing my fingers against her pussy, and she pulled back from our kiss far enough that she could look into my eyes. I watched as her lids half-closed and her mouth opened in a silent moan of pleasure as I caressed her clit with my fingertips. Judging by her moans of pleasure at my touch, I guessed I was doing right by her. She kissed me, hungry for more, and I knew whatever this night had to bring, it was only just beginning.