I was standing on the balcony, gazing up at the bright stars. Like that night with Taylor on the rooftop, everything seemed small from up here. The trees and benches below us appeared to be the size of tiny ants as their hollow silhouettes hid in the night. The steady flow of the lake glistened in the distance, and two small boats bobbed up and down as the current picked up its pace. It really was a beautiful place. Riley was lucky to have this house. If it was mine, I wasn’t sure I would ever want to leave.

I breathed in the fresh air and sighed until I felt someone behind me. I turned my head to see Taylor, feeling his hands circling my waist as his chin rested on my shoulder. I sighed again.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked, pressing a light kiss to my shoulder blade.

“I’m thinking that this place is way too beautiful to be real.”

I felt Taylor smile against me and he hummed in agreement, his breath tickling my exposed neck.

“You see places like this in movies or in paintings hanging in a gallery, but you never truly believe they’re real. I used to think they were made up and put out there to please our imaginations—to give us a piece of this magical world that could never actually be seen. But this place…? Now I get it. They do exist. You just have to look beyond the storm and broken down buildings and appreciate what’s behind it.”

Taylor stayed silent and for once, it was welcomed. I just wanted to stay there in that moment, the two of us gazing out into a sea of stars and possibilities. The quiet was soon to be stolen as a loud knock on the door came from behind. We made no effort to move. I guess Taylor enjoyed the view as much as I did.

When neither one of us answered, the knocking became more persistent, and Brie’s voice soon echoed through the old oak door to the bedroom Taylor and I would be sharing.

“Hey, guys. We’re going for a dip in the pool if you fancy joining us? Unless, of course, you’re busy,” she added.

I spun around in Taylor’s arms and glanced behind him to the door. When I looked up at him, he was quirking a brow suggestively. Oh no. No way.

“No, we’re coming,” I squeaked, and Taylor chuckled. I raised both brows and shoved his chest, playfully. “Just give me a second to change and I’ll be right down.”

I slipped out of Taylor’s arms and pulled my case from under the bed. Unzipping it, I began to rummage through the clothes I’d packed.

“Are you sure you’re okay with us sharing a room? I’m pretty certain there are a few spare rooms in the house where I can crash.”

“No, it’s fine,” I assured him as I continued to sift through the pile until I found what I was looking for.

“Cool,” he said and I lifted my eyes to find him unzipping his jeans and seconds away from pulling them down. “What are you doing?” I whispered, unsure where to look.

Taylor frowned. “Um... Getting changed. What does it look like?”

“There’s a bathroom right there.” I gasped and pointed. “Go use it.”

Taylor tipped his head back and laughed. “Ya know, most girls would kill to see this body.” He rubbed his chest teasingly.

“Yeah? Well, I’m not most girls,” I pointed out.

“No. No, you’re not.” He paused and shook his head.

When Taylor finally left the room and made his way downstairs, I was left in peace to get ready. Brie and I had been shopping for bathing suits because I didn’t own a single one. Brie didn’t need an excuse to shop. It was her passion. She would make a fantastic personal stylist one day. Although her taste was something I still wasn’t quite sure of.

We’d opted for a tasteful yet sexy two-piece set for myself in a deep maroon. It seemed like a good idea at the time, only now I was starting to regret the decision. Maybe I should’ve gone with the all in one sports costume. Brie had scrunched her nose up at that one, though, and placed it way out of sight.

As I fastened the ties at the sides, I glanced in the full-length mirror. Even I had to admit that I looked good, though. Still, I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to wear it around the boys. Horror flashed through my mind. What if one of them untied the stings?

I pushed that thought to the back of my mind where it belonged. They wouldn’t do that to me. Would they?

Just as I eyed up the shorts and baggy tee on the bed, the knocking started again and Brie’s head popped around the corner.

“Hey, are you...? Holy freakin’ cow! Taylor is going to flip when he sees you,” she said as she pushed herself inside the room.

I twisted my lips and began to chew on the bottom one. “It’s too much.”

“Give over. It’s gorgeous. I’m actually jealous,” she admitted and glanced down at her bright white bikini.

Brie had no reason to be jealous. She looked stunning—every guy’s fantasy and more.

“You look hot,” I told her, and I meant every word.

“Thanks, Lo. We should head down. The boys will be wondering where we are.”

I continued to worry my lip, unsure.

“Trust me, Lo,” she said, pulling my arm.

As we approached the bottom of the stairs, I could hear the boys. They were already in the pool. I hoped the swimming pool was heated because I was freezing.

Of course it’s heated. Look at this house!

Brie continued to pull me through the hallway, past the shower room, only releasing her hold on my arm as we approached the pool.

Holy fuck.

My first thought was that it was as hot as hell in there, the heat instantly hitting me in the face and making my skin clammy. The pool was much bigger than I’d realised—long and rectangular with loungers surrounding the bluest of waters. A small oval bar sat in the far left hand corner, along with a fridge and what I assumed was a small dishwasher. Wow!

Back-to-back windows lined the walls, looking out into the gardens. Yes, gardens. Plural. My breath caught in my throat and my nipples instantly hardened.

Holy fuck.

My mouth went dry and I attempted to swallow.

When Taylor’s eyes finally met mine, a shocked expression crossed his face, mixed with a little appreciation and maybe even a spot of anger. I continued to watch his every move as he swam to the edge of the pool nearest to where I was standing. He pulled himself up with ease, his dark eyes solely fixed on mine. I swallowed again and lowered my eyes, which was a really bad idea. Beads of water trickled down his smooth, firm chest, gathering just above the waistband of his shorts. Even as I felt him growing closer, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from that spot, taking in every twitch of his muscles as he came to a stop before me. That deep V was fully on display. Heat pooled in my belly and I closed my eyes.

I breathed in as I felt his breath against my neck. The smell of chlorine lingered on his skin but did nothing to take away the sweet, heady scent that was Taylor Fuckin’ Lawson.

Taylor’s breathing increased as his fingers brushed my hip, finally settling on my waist. He dropped his forehead to mine and breathed out. “Fuck.” His fingers dug into my flesh. “Go upstairs and change for me, would ya?”

My eyes popped open and I released a shaky breath. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” I asked, suddenly feeling exposed and not at all sexy. I brought my arms up to my chest, shielding my dignity.

What was wrong with it? I had thought I looked good in it and Brie had pretty much said the same.

Taylor chucked his head back on a groan. “Fuck. I swear to God, woman, you will be the death of me,” he gritted out and gripped me by the elbow as he pulled me back out through the door I’d just come through.

“Wha...?” I rushed out, but Taylor had pinned me against the wall before I could finish. I yelped in surprise but Taylor cut me off again, this time with his lips on mine.

“Baby, you’re killing me,” he said against my mouth. “You come down here wearing next to nothing, with your perky little tits begging to be touched. Fuck… I can feel how hard your nipples are. I need to touch them,” he said, desperation lacing his words.

I needed him to touch them, too. The way his hard chest pressed against them did nothing to ease the ache down there. Just when I was about to tell him what I needed and wanted him to do, his fingertips travelled down my stomach in a feather light touch before they teasingly made their way back up again. I tipped my head back and closed my eyes. I loved the way Taylor touched me. It was always with a sense of urgency, yet never rushed. He was attentive, like every stroke meant everything, yet it was never enough.

Taylor leaned into my neck and gently nipped the skin there while his thumbs brushed across my breasts, settling on my hardened nipples. He circled them through the thin material that barely held me in place and I arched my back. The sensation was too much and not enough all at the same time.

“You are so fuckin’ beautiful,” he praised.

Too lost in the moment, I hadn’t realised the showerhead had worked its way on and began pounding my face with hot spurts of water.

Taylor laughed, realising I must’ve triggered the overhead shower controls behind me, but it didn’t stop him from continuing his delicious strokes and humming his soothing pleas. Bringing his hands up, he brushed away the hairs that clung to my face.

The look in his eyes was like nothing I’d ever seen before.

Cupping his face in my hands, I held him before I raked my fingers through his dark, messy hair and brought his mouth down on mine. He didn’t hesitate in reciprocating the kiss and eagerly opened up for me, his tongue meeting mine, frenzied and careless. Taylor cupped my breast and continued to tease me as I moaned into his mouth. Every nerve in my body was alive. I didn’t care where we were, or that our friends could catch us. Nor did I care that the heavens had opened up above us, blurring my vision. Taylor managed to do that perfectly well by himself.

He cursed again under his breath and pressed himself against me. I could feel how turned on he was, which only made the ache in my belly worse.

“Taylor…” I groaned.