The desire I have been feeling for Zara increases each and every time she’s near. Never mind the reaction I have when we’re holding hands, or I’m lucky enough to steal a kiss or two from her. I’m torn with the idea of staying outside by the fire or finally giving the tour that I have promised her. Both have potential rewards of getting closer to her, along with the nagging fear that neither of us is in a position to pursue anything. I do not relish the thought that I’m a rebound, but I’d be a fool to think otherwise, which makes the idea of sitting by the fire more appealing because nothing can happen here. Inside, everything can happen, and that’s what I want.

I want to know Zara, to learn what turns her on and find out what makes her happy or mad. I should know what makes her smile so that when I see her down, I know how to make her day better. Not that I plan to ever piss her off, but I’d make a conscious effort to avoid those situations.

Every kiss we share is slow building, causing me to fight the urge to pull her onto my lap and push my fingers through her hair. The only things separating us are the arms of the chairs, making everything we do awkward and clumsy. It’s safer this way, the gap between our bodies, because I don’t know what I’ll do if I have her pressed against me again. Earlier, it was pure torture riding Night back with an erection. Each trot caused the saddle to jab into my hard on, making the ride almost unbearable. In fact, I’m not convinced I didn’t do any damage and that’s another reason Zara and I can’t take this inside. What if I’m broken? Except I’m not and I know that because my buddy is rising to the occasion, ready for some action.

The fire continues to burn much like the heated sensation that moves through my body each time Zara leans over and kisses my neck, cheek, or nips at my ear. Her intentions are clear while mine are still murky even though I return each sentiment. I can’t have her thinking that I’m not interested because I am, without a doubt ready to take her into my bedroom and show her the differences between a cowboy and a rocker. Right now it feels like we’ve known each other for weeks, months even, and not less than a week. Even with those feelings, I am still hesitant to push her for more even though it’s what I want. I need her to be sure; to not have any doubt in her mind that she wants to pursue something with me.

Very little words are exchanged between us as we watch the red embers glow underneath the night sky. Every so often there will be the howl of a coyote or a rustling in the woods from who knows what. I don’t bother to tell her that there are bears out there or snakes. That conversation will have to happen later before I leave to go back and get Willow, which I need to tell Zara about.

“How about that tour, Levi?” she suggests, but that’s not what I hear. Instead, I hear her soft, seductive voice asking me to take her to bed, to show her body the love it’s been lacking.

“Okay,” I say as I stand and make my way to the bonfire. I bat it down as much as I can and pour the bucket of water I have sitting nearby. It’s not nearly enough to put it out, and I find myself refilling it three times before there isn’t any sign of red. “I’ll have to check on this before we go to bed.” The words are out of my mouth before I realize my mistake. I never meant to imply that we were going together, not that I’d tell her no. I rather like the idea of having her in my bed pressed up against me. Even if we only sleep, having her there would be a welcomed reprieve from the loneliness I feel at night.

Zara stands, making the next move for both of us. She seems so sure of what she wants and yet I continue to hesitate. Even though I extend my hand toward hers and our fingers lock, I’m second-guessing what’s going to happen once we walk inside my house. Yet, those lingering feelings aren’t enough to keep me away from her. We climb the steps of my deck one by one and walk the few feet to the sliding glass door. The soft lights that I have set up throughout the house illuminate the inside, making it easy for us to see where we’re going.

“This is Willow’s room,” I say as I open the door. The style is similar to her room in California except she has a massive window that looks out over our land.

“Her view, though.” Zara walks in and heads right to the window to look out. “I can’t imagine waking up to this every morning.”

“You can switch rooms if you’d like?”

She glances at me from over her shoulder. “My room is fine.”

So is mine, but I don’t say that to her because my heart and mind aren’t even close to being on the same page right now. I motion for her to follow and to Stormy’s room, which is decorated in her pre-teen mode of life and will probably have to be cleaned out and redone when she moves back home.

“I think I like Willow’s window better,” Zara says. I happen to agree with her, but Stormy would never.

“The night Stormy was born… well, you can imagine we were in the middle of a storm. Iris and I were young and thought that naming our child after the weather would be cute. The older she got, the more I realized it was foolish, but there wasn’t anything I could do about it. However, because of her name, she’s deathly afraid of storms. She hates hearing about them, especially if they’re destructive.”

“She could always change it.” Zara laughs, making me wonder if she’s changed her name since she came into the industry.

I walk toward her, but stop and grab onto the post of Stormy’s bed. “Is Zara your birth name?”

“It is,” she says, coming closer. “But a lot of people in the industry change their names.”

I don’t know how I feel about Stormy changing her name. I know Iris and I were young and foolish, but it’s who she is to me.

Zara’s close, much too close for my liking considering where we are. Instead of kissing her like I want to, I take her hand and lead her out of the room and down the hall to another door.

“The room you’ve been waiting for,” I tell her as I open the door. She gasps as she steps inside the glass-enclosed room that contains the full-size pool, Jacuzzi, and dry sauna. Until the girls moved out, this used to be my favorite room. We used to spend hours in here, swimming around, splashing and having a grand time.

“Levi, this place… it’s amazing.” She’s looking up at the ceiling, staring into the night sky.

“It hardly gets used,” I tell her. She doesn’t respond. Instead, she strips down to her bra and panties, a different pair from what she wore earlier and dives in. I push away from the wall and watch as she swims the length of the pool, and when she surfaces, the water drips away from her skin painstakingly slow, accentuating over the top of her breasts. She splashes me, catching me off guard and calling me out on my ogling.

“Get in the pool, Levi,” she demands. There isn’t an option of saying no or suggesting we do something else. My hands know what to do and work quickly to rid me of my clothes. Clad, yet again in my boxers, I jump in and stand in front of her.

“Is this better?” I ask, knowing full well that I’m about to open myself up for something that I fear she’s not ready for. Standing here now, I know I’m going to give into temptation, give her what wants.

“I really love your house, Levi.” She trails her wet fingers up my arm, letting the water trickle over my muscles. “Thank you for letting me stay and giving me an opportunity to escape my reality for a little bit.” Each word she speaks brings her body closer to mine. On instinct, my hands find a resting place on her hips as I pull her flush against me.

“I thought you wanted the full tour?” I ask.

“Sometimes detours are meant to happen, right?” she asks as her lips barely graze mine. I swallow hard and nod, but even to me, the action is incoherent. I can’t think straight with her like this, with her lips brushing against mine, with the heat between us increasing despite the fact that we’re surrounded by water.

“Zara,” I say, trailing the back of my fingers over her cheek. “I really want you to be sure about this.”

“I am, Levi. Don’t ask me how I know, but I am. I can feel the connection we share. It’s strong, and I don’t want to deny it.”

“We hardly know each other.”

“In our worlds, we’ve known each other a lifetime.” Zara presses her lips to mine before I can even mutter a response. The smooth feel of her tongue pushing against mine spurs me into action. I crouch down and pick her up, carrying us to the deeper part of the pool so I can use the wall to my advantage. I have no qualms about taking her here, under the cloak of darkness but not for our first time.

She hisses when her back comes in contact with the wall, either from pain or the coldness of the tile. As much as my hands want to explore her body, I place them behind her back for comfort and push myself into her center, letting her feel exactly what she’s doing to me.

Zara arches and her eyes flutter as she pushes herself into me. I lean down and kiss her breast, moving from one to the other, wishing that my hands were free to touch her. In a flash, her bra is being taken off and tossed over her head, leaving her puckered nipples exposed and ready for my mouth.

“Mmm,” she moans when my mouth latches on her flesh. My teeth tease her, biting on her taut bud while her nails dig into my back and arms. I alternate between her breasts, paying each one equal attention until I feel her hand push into my boxers and then I’m the one gasping as she grips my erection.

“We can’t do this here,” I tell her as I pick up her weightless body and carry her out of the pool. She doesn’t seem to care or notice that we’re walking down the hall with water dripping off our bodies, wetting my floors. Nor do I care that my comforter is getting soaked because as soon as I set her, my hands are gripping the sides of her panties and pulling them down her legs.

I step back and admire the beauty that is Zara Phillips, naked and wet on my bed as I slowly peel my boxers away from me and palm my erection. Nothing about us makes sense, yet everything seems right. I want her touch, her mouth, and her body. I want to feel her body pressed against mine. I need to have her writhing under my touch, to submit to me, to give me something that is so sacred to her. I believe that somehow we were brought together and meant to be in this moment, at this time.