I stared up at the sky. The sun burned my eyes but it was nothing like the way my whole body was burning right now .

Never let them see you sweat, my father had told me, right before my mother packed us up in the station wagon and left him behind in Dallas. That was his final piece of advice to me, the one little shred of fatherly wisdom passed from deadbeat dad to cynical son .

But it was good advice, and especially helpful during my bar band days, when hecklers shouting 'Freebird!' drowned out our sets and I could barely hear myself sing. I knew that retaliating - shouting back, showing that they'd gotten under my skin - would only make things worse. So I didn't let them see me sweat...ever .

And it all paid off the night the remaining three members of a once massive rock band showed up at the bar I was playing at and picked me out to be the lead singer of their comeback attempt .

I worked hard. Always have. But I never let anyone see that I'm struggling .

I was fucking struggling now though .

The way that Tallula's bra had gone translucent in the pool... Even before I'd looked away I'd seen everything. The luscious rise, the petal pink peak. She had a birthmark on top of her left breast and I instantly knew that if I pressed my lips to it, I'd feel her heart beating underneath .

A prickle of sweat started along my hairline and I shifted to stop my cock from pressing painfully into my jeans .

Tallula was swimming in her underwear and I'd seen everything .

Her brother was going to kill me .

Slowly, hunched over slightly to disguise the bulge in my pants, I turned and walked over to the edge of the pool where her towel sat neatly folded and waiting. I held it up in front of my face, shielding my eyes. "Here," I said. "I won't look ."

I didn't hear any splashing of her getting out. I slowly lowered the towel and peeked over the top .

She was still in the pool, looking slightly dazed, but when I caught her eye, she clapped her arm across her chest. "Why are you here?" she demanded .

"Wedding," I said from behind the towel .

"Right, arsehole, I fucking well know that ."

"I told you. I was trying to go around the back way." To avoid seeing you, I didn't say. Because I didn't want to have to hide my hard-on when I hugged you hello. "I was looking for the loo," I finished lamely .

I lowered the towel to see her treading water one handed while the other shielded her breasts. I could almost imagine she was wearing a normal bikini top in that position. Almost...but not quite. "The loo?" she repeated .

"Isn't that what you call it here? I've never been to Jolly Old England before ."

"Hudson."

"Yes?"

"Shut up ."

"I'm sorry, baby. I didn't know you'd be naked ."

"I'm not actually naked. And please don't call me baby," she said primly .

Fucking oops .

"Could I try again, please?" I asked, extending the towel. "Hello, Tally ."

"Right. Okay then." She cleared her throat, suddenly all prim British manners. "Hello there ."

I glanced very quickly over the top of the towel to see her pushing her long body up out of the pool, dripping, glistening. "Good to see you again," I heard myself say. I settled the towel around her shoulders, being careful not to brush my fingers on her skin. "Been too long," I told her, my Southern manners kicking in. "You look well ."

She clutched the towel around her body and turned to looked at me suspiciously. I wasn't lying. She'd definitely grown up even more over the past year. Her long body had some more meat on it now, the way I always liked. But her face had gotten prettier, and her eyes were even sharper as she narrowed them at me now. "Did you really just get here ?"

I nodded. "You knew we were coming today, right ?"

"Right, ah." She looked down at the pool and then her own dripping body and suddenly started to laugh .

I felt my lip quiver, and then my smile broadened as she laughed helplessly, burying her face into her hand. "I can't believe this," she finally managed in a quivering voice. "Tell me this is a nightmare." She pulled her hand down her face, dragging the skin with it so her mouth turned down in a comical frown. "This was literally the worst case scenario I imagined when I decided to come out swimming in this get-up in the first place ."

I grinned. "It's not so bad, is it?" There was a piece of hair plastered in a slashing line across her forehead. Without thinking, I reached out to move it .

Instantly, she shied backwards. "Hudson," she warned, glancing back at the house .

I looked up to see a bank of windows overlooking us. "Shit," I sighed .

"We can't ..."

"I know ."

"That kiss was ..."

"Don't call it a mistake, Tallula ."

She blinked. "Stupid, then. Can I call it stupid ?"

I swallowed hard and let my hand fall back down to my side. "Yeah," I said. "It was kinda stupid, I suppose ."

She nodded. "Go on in. The last thing we need is for Niall to see us walking together with me looking like this ."

I smiled ruefully. "Smart girl ."

"You're bloody right. And Hudson ?"

"Yeah?"

She shook her head. "This never happened ."

I nodded again. "Right. Never happened. I never saw...anything ."

But I'd seen something. I'd seen... everything. And there was no way in hell I'd ever be able to convince myself otherwise. And as I walked away from her, I absentmindedly raised my hand to wipe the sweat from my brow .