by Summer, AJ
I walk back to the table, aim my shot and sink my first ball. Lewis has been pocketing all the shots for us so far. Looks like the alcohol finally gave me something to work with - coordination skills.
After two more games of pool, one which we won, and only half a beer later, I find myself on the dance floor with Livvy. The guys are sitting at the bar watching us. On the last song, some guy came to close and Lewis actually ran him off. I kid you not. He straight up told him to keep a two meter perimeter. I’ve got a nice buzz going, and even though Lewis acted like I jerk I could only smile. Because I suppose that’s what Lewis does. He likes to have fun, but when he feels like someone is his responsibility, he takes the role very seriously. I signal to Livvy, showing her I need a drink and she follows me back to the guys at the bar.
“Where’s my beer?” I ask Lewis when I can’t find my half bottle on the counter.
“I thought you were done,” he says with a shrug.
“No problem, I’ll just get another. Do you want another?” I ask Liv, seeing that the guys are still full.
“Sure,” she says, blowing her hair out of her face. She lifts her purple locks off her shoulder and piles them onto her head. Not that they stay there long because her bob just won’t allow it.
Stepping up onto the rail to get a better view of how far away the bar tender is, I almost fall over when someone bumps me from behind.
“Shit,” I curse as I tip forward but strong hands wrap around my hips and pull me backwards. Turning around to thank Lewis, I’m struck senseless when I come face to face with eyes so close to the ones that stole my heart that I squeak. Squeak!
“I’m sorry,” Green eyes starts to say, before tilting his head and looking at me more closely. “Do I know you?” he asks.
“No,” I blurt out. I would definitely remember if I’d met him before. His dark hair is shaved close to his head, dark green eyes framed by thick dark lashes, straight nose and a gorgeous mouth, with the most bitable bottom lip I’ve ever laid eyes on and just a little bit of stubble on his jaw. This guy is gorgeous.
“I’m Parker,” he says, releasing one of his hands from my hips. Shit, he’s still holding me. I take a big breath, hoping the extra oxygen will clear my head and back up a little, causing his hand on my hip to fall away. The other he still has extended towards me. Right, he wants my name.
“Mia.” I clamp my mouth shut and glare at Lewis just as he calls my name again.
“What?” I snap. Lewis flinches at my hard word.
“We’re leaving. We all have to work in the morning,” Lewis says, looking between me and Parker. When his gaze shifts to Parker, clear violence plays in his eyes. I grab Parker’s hand and give it a quick shake.
“Mia,” I say, not wanting to miss out on giving him my name myself. Why? I have no idea. I step down from the rail and he moves back to give me some space. Lewis is standing just to the side of me with an outstretched hand. Flicking my eyes up once more as I move past him to Lewis I’m again struck stupid by those damn eyes. With a polite smile Parker lets me pass and as soon as I get close enough Lewis swings his arm around me and pulls me close. I almost shrug him off, which strikes me as odd, because this has become such a habit that I barely realize when he does it anymore, but suddenly it feels like his arm weighs a ton.
As Lewis leads me out the door, I chance a last look over my shoulder and when my eyes meet the green ones staring at me, a shiver runs down my spine. Lewis hugs me closer, thinking I must be getting cold. Only that had nothing to do with the temperature.
“Okay, see you down there!” I shout at Jenna, who’s just left my room after telling me to come down to the pool. My first week back at work has been brutal and I’m looking forward to vegging next to the pool with my friend. Kicking off my Converse and throwing my bag onto the bed I continue to strip while searching my room for a hair tie. I find one on my dressing table and tie my hair into a knot on top of my head. Some pink strands come loose and I tuck them behind my ear. I need to do something about my hair. Some of the strands don’t even look pink anymore. Maybe I’ll go with black and red again? Or black and purple? Try something new.
Walking over to my closet I notice how pale my skin looks. I haven’t seen the sun in months. When did I last go down to the pool? I pull on my black bikini and start tying the little draw strings on the side. Pulling the string around my neck I tighten them as tight as I can. Jase used to do this for me and I don’t want to risk flashing my friends. Satisfied that I won’t have an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction I grab a towel and wrap it around myself. I slip on my flip flops at the door and descend downstairs.
Jenna already has two cocktails ready when I get to the kitchen. What I don’t expect to see is Lewis in his swim shorts wearing my apron.
“Eazy-peazy,” he says, flipping the switch on the blender.
I snort. “Eazy-Peazy?” I ask, looking from him to Jenna. She snickers while rolling her eyes.
“Lemon Squeezy,” he replies, turning around. I suppress a smile and try to glare at him.
“It should be illegal for a guy to say any of what just came out of your mouth.”
His mouth opens, a small frown on his face. “Even if we are making cocktails?”
I nod. “Especially when you’re making cocktails. Now take my apron off and put your shirt back on.”
Not that I mind the view I had of his back, he isn’t bad on the eyes, but this whole situation is just wrong. Lewis tilts his head to the side, seeming to think my request through. Still looking at me he pulls the black apron off and throws it on the table. He sticks a straw into the pink drink in front of him and takes a sip. His lip curls into a nasty grimace.
“Not sure how you can drink that shit,” he says before taking his bare-chested self down the hall to his room. I grab the chips from the kitchen table, laughing softly under my breath. Jenna just shakes her head.
“Thanks,” she calls when I move in front of her to open the back door with my free hand. Never a dull moment with that guy around.
The bright sunshine hits me and my skin tingles. It’s just the two of us for now but I suspect Lewis will be out here soon, so I soak up the silence and just breathe for a minute. We set the drinks and chips down on the table and Jenna lays down on one of the beach loungers we have set up around the pool.
“How was work?”
“Fine, busy. It’s good to be back,” I call behind me as I pull out the water lounger and the pump from the outside cupboard. Sitting down on one of the beach chairs I start pumping the inflatable raft so I can get some sun and water while I’m at it.
“I’m glad. You look better,” she says, smiling at me.
At her words, tiny pin pricks of grief prickle at my throat but I swallow them down and increase my pumping efforts. I am doing better. That is until someone reminds me why I’m sad. Being angry at Jase helps. I haven’t sent him another text, but I’m tempted. Man am I tempted. I’d tell him what a coward move it was that he pulled.
After several minutes of pumping I’m sweating like a lost person in the desert and I almost finish my drink in one gulp, until I remember how potent these little fruity potions of Jenna’s are and gently place my glass down again. Throwing the inflatable lounger onto the water I watch it drift to the deep end just as the back screen door swings open and collides with a loud bang against the wall. Lewis. And now I’m getting an eyeful from the front too - his skin glistening in the sun. Was he always this defined? I could do laundry on those abs. Wait – what? I think I need my head checked!
“Ladies,” he says, making a small bow before walking over to the outside bar fridge. He takes out two beers and pops the caps. He walks towards me and I back away from the side of the pool quickly. A devilish smile tips his lips before he shakes his head at me and takes a seat next to Jenna who peers at him over the top of her dark glasses. He smiles at her and places the two beers next to my almost finished cocktail. He picks up the glass and holds it to the sun for better in
spection, bringing it to his nose; he sniffs it before taking a sip. “Yours tastes better than mine,” he says, laying back on the lounger.
I don’t even try to hide the snort escaping. He’s so full of shit. I pick up my glass and finish the last of my drink so I can get to the beer he-
“Shit Lewis!” I scream as I’m scooped up into his arms. I just manage to put the glass down before he starts running towards the pool. “I’m going to k-”
The cold water swallows us, cutting off my threat. I squeeze my eyes shut as the cold assaults my senses. Kicking and flaying my arms to get away from him, my head finally breaks the surface and I take a breath, ready to rip him a new one. Wiping the water off my face I wait for him to surface. Jenna is laughing her ass off at us from her warm, dry lounger. I swim to the side of the pool to where my towel is laying, I’m again wrapped up in his arms, but now I’m ready for him. Swinging around I open my mouth to shout at him- I’m stopped short by the look on his face. How is he so happy? When Lewis smiles, his whole face smiles. I swear the birds and bees and what-the-hell-ever smiles with him, too. Good God, those dimples…
“You’re not mad at me?” he asks. I shake my head no, because how in the world can I be mad at someone so striking? I’m lost in his smiling face. I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy just seeing someone smile.
“Company!” Jenna shouts from her lounger and it’s only when I turn my head to look at her that I realize how close Lewis is to me. His arms are on either side of my head, holding onto the side of the pool. Our kicking legs keep rubbing against each other under water. Lewis isn’t looking at me, his attention is on the male voices that I can hear accompanying Aiden’s. I don’t look; I just push away from Lewis and dive under the water. Aiden has friends over all the time. That’s not what made me leave Lewis by the side of the pool. No, it’s the closeness between the two of us. Lately we seem to move into territory too weird to even think about, yet it’s not, because we are really close friends. Just friends. So lying on the bed together at night, seems natural to me. Then these little moments keep sneaking in; those ones where I get the real glimpses of his beautiful smile or those laughing midnight eyes. Those are starting to bother me.
Pulling myself up onto my inflatable raft, I lay on my stomach, laying my cheek onto my hands. Lewis is standing outside of the pool, drying his chest and abs with my towel. I can’t help but notice the golden happy trail leading to his swimming shorts. Maybe I’m just horny? I haven’t had sex in over two months. That could be it, right? I’m not really the kind of girl for random hook ups though. I’m not stupid enough to screw up my friendship with Lewis for a, well, a quick screw.
“Mia,” Lewis calls, pulling my eyes up from his shorts.
“Yeah?”
Behind Lewis, Aiden and two other guys are sitting at the table. Jenna has her robe on and I can tell she isn’t happy that her sun bathing time has been cut short. Green eyes. Parker. He’s one of the other two guys. He seems to recognize me, or maybe Lewis, I’m not sure. When he smiles at me and gets up from his seat I know it is definitely me he recognizes. Lewis turns around and sees Parker walking towards us, recognition also dawning on his face.
“You want another beer?” Lewis drawls slowly, like I’m too stupid to understand. Blood rushes to my cheeks and surely stains them pink. I rip my eyes off Parker and look at Lewis.
“Sure, thanks.” I feel silly for being caught staring at this guy. But then why wouldn’t I stare? This guy is pretty damn good looking. Lewis doesn’t look happy and I look away, feeling bad. Why, I have no clue. It’s not like we’re together or anything.
“Mia. Hey. I thought that was you,” Parker says. Moving my eyes up slowly, from his black shoes, over his neatly pressed black suit, matching shirt and ending on his lilac tie, I give a small smile. I’m not ready to meet those eyes yet, but like magnets they draw mine up until I’m caught up in his consuming gaze.
“Hi.” My body flushes with more warm heat as I watch him, watching me. Yup, I’m definitely horny. Maybe I should get a vibrator? That thought makes me blush even more. Soon my whole body will be covered in red splotches.
“Do you live here?” he asks, gesturing slightly to the house.
“Yeah, this is my home.” Oddly my eyes still seem glued to his, held by his will alone. Lewis clears his throat loudly and tilts his head toward the stairs of the pool. He’s holding my beer and I assume he either wants me to come get it or get out. Parker puts both his hands in his pockets and leans back on his heels, watching me and probably waiting to see what’s going to happen. Lewis places both beers on the table and picks up my towel from where it’s hanging over the chair next to him. He walks over to the stairs and holds it open for me.
Have you ever seen someone get off an inflatable lounger? Have you ever seen them doing it all sexy and stuff? Well I’m not that someone. I’ve always just kind of rolled off and hoped for the best. I don’t want to do that right now, I want to slip off into the water and come out looking like a water goddess. Yeah right. At least I try and the lounger doesn’t flip over and hit me in the head. No, it stays put. I swim gracefully over to the stairs and step into the towel Lewis is holding open for me. He wraps the big blue fluffy material around my arms before I can lift them up and rescue them from being captured in his grip. With big, fast hands he starts rubbing up and down my arms, around my back, thankfully steering clear of my breasts. He’s doing it so fast and hard that my head snaps from side to side.
“Lewis.” Nothing, just more vigorous rubbing. “Lewis!’ I hiss, smiling at him tightly when he finally stops.
An adorable baffled look adorns his face. “What?”
“I think I’m dry now, thank you,” I say, pulling my arms free and knotting the towel in front of my chest. The action brings Lewis’s eyes right into my cleavage and for a second the look in his eyes make me hungry. And not for food! I need to sort these hormones out immediately. Pushing past him, I walk over to the table and pick up my beer. The bottle is cold and wet with condensation as I run my finger through the dewy droplets. Parker groans somewhere to the side of me and my throat, suddenly dry, swallows around nothing. The air surrounding us feels thick with tension. I don’t know what the hell is happening but I need to get out of here. The way these guys are looking at me is messing with my head. What am I even thinking? What about Jase? Yes, what about Jase, the darker side of my conscious snarls. I used to call her Dark when I was in school. She was the source of all my dark and ugly emotions. I thought I lost her, but it seems she’s back.
“Excuse me,” I say to no one in particular, taking my beer and my towel wrapped ass into the house. I climb the stairs quickly, rushing into my room and slamming the door. My body feels feverish. It’s hot all over and not just from the sun. Is it the look Parker was giving me? Is it those intense eyes that look so much like Jase’s that I feel like I would do anything to have him look at me? Or is it the closeness of myself and Lewis in the pool? Or the hungry look in his eyes when I tied my towel? I throw my window open and place my hands on the pane, leaning forward just enough to feel the warm breeze on my flushed face. Still too hot, I loosen my towel and let it slip to the floor. The warm breeze caresses my nipples through the thin fabric of my bikini and a small moan falls from my lips.
“Fuck, that sounds good,” Lewis growls from behind me. My shoulders slump forward and I push my head further out the window. I didn’t even hear him come in. “He looks a lot like Jase,” he says, now much closer to me. He doesn’t, it’s just the eyes. “He likes you. He practically devoured you with just his eyes alone.” His tone is possessive. Dark. Nothing like the teasing trouble maker tone I’m used to. I shake my head. I’m not answering him. My head is messed up enough as is.
Lewis trails his fingers softly up my arm and I shiver from his light touch. My head is spinning out of control with all the thoughts running through my mind. His fingers move up over my shoulder, briefly touching that little spot that makes my toes cu
rl, before resting on the back of my neck. He gives a firm squeeze.
“Go on a road trip with me?” The question is so unexpected that I pull my head back through the window and my back collides with his naked chest. My skin comes alive against his. I’ve never touched him skin on skin like this and the feeling is so exquisite that I almost moan again. My nerves dance and my pulse speeds right back up. The front door opens below us and Parker steps out holding a red helmet. He doesn’t look up, but my eyes follow him all the way down our driveway until he gets onto a motorcycle. I lean forward slightly, trying to look past the branches hanging by my window to get a better look. “It’s an Agusta,” Lewis says, stepping away from me now that he no longer has my attention.
My body reacts to the loss of contact immediately causing a strange sense of melancholy. I stay where I am, and when Parker starts his motorcycle downstairs and the growl of the engine reaches my ears, I almost run to him. Nothing has ever sounded like freedom as much as that motorcycle just did. I’m not even aware I’m moving until Lewis stops me with a gentle hand on my arm. Bending down he meets my eyes, with just enough hopelessness to make my stomach free fall. Is that what I look like? Is this what I’m doing to him?
“Come away with me?” he asks again. I almost say yes, because just a second ago I was ready to run after Parker and his bike. But I can’t because I’ve only been back at work for a week. And I think it would be a really bad idea for me to spend anymore alone time with Lewis. Not unless I want to lose him, too. I can’t lose him. I won’t allow another person to walk away from me. I finally shake my head no. “I’m not asking you to sleep with me, Mia.” His words jerk my head back up and when I look up at him Hopeless Lewis is gone. In place is just Lewis, not teasing Lewis, but my friend, my rock. Maybe he needs me too? “Nothing needs to change between us. I just need to get away for a while. A day or two. I have some family that’s been bugging me for a visit just outside the Square for a while now. We can be back in time for work on Monday. Come with me?”
