With most of the band coupled up now, Mike is the seventh wheel. Realizing he hasn't cultivated a life outside the band in years is a lonely epiphany. When a young woman mistakes him for someone else, the awkward encounter turns into a possibility for something real. Something lasting. Something like love.
Hannah, a recent arrival in L.A., is looking for a connection in her new life. Despite meeting Mike under less-than-ideal circumstances, she accepts his invitation to a Memorial Day BBQ with his friends, never expecting them to be famous rockstars with hearts of gold. Mike couldn't be nicer and sparks are flying, so when he insists on taking their time to get to know each other, part of her is flattered and the other side is frustrated he won't get naked. How far can she tease him before he gives in?
Settle in for a sweet and spicy romance in the My Once and Future Love Revisited universe where finding yourself means finding true love. This story is intended for readers over the age of 18 due to adult language, sexual content, and adult situations.
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Now it was July 4th and Jake and Beth were hosting a BBQ again. Mike said they had a great view of the fireworks shows in the valley last year, so I was looking forward to seeing that. He picked me up at home.
“Pretty as a
peach,” he said, making me twirl to show him my dress. The fabric was red, white, and blue
pinstripes, with the stripes horizontal on the bodice and vertical on the skirt
and straps. The straps crossed in the
back and attached at my waist. “Ready?”
“Yep.” I locked up, then accepted his hand.
Mike was a major
hand-holder. Any time we were together,
our fingers were entwined as long as possible.
Since our hands fit together so comfortably, I didn’t mind.
He wore one of
those Old Navy flag tees with navy shorts.
I loved that he didn’t care about wearing a five-dollar shirt in spite
of being able to afford five-hundred-dollar
shirts. The tee was soft, anyway—bonus
points for snuggling.
“It still feels
weird to go to a BBQ that’s not a potluck,” I said.
He smiled. “Beth just wants people to have a good time.”
“I know. I’m not
used to having rich friends. Wasn’t the money weird in the beginning?”
“Kinda came
gradually. Jake fought for us to have a bigger piece of the pie after the first
album. He was the instant star, but we were the support. And did you know
artists make more from touring than record sales?”
“No, really?”
“The royalties
from albums are tiny unless you’re independent. Ticket sales and all that tour
merchandise, that’s where the better margin is.”
“Oh. When is the
next tour?”
“Not until after
the new album. You’re still stuck with me a while.”
“I wouldn’t call
it ‘stuck.’”
He grinned and
took the turn up the hill to the compound.
We beat the other
couples to the party this time. Mike had
parked and led me to the backyard again, and found Jake at the grill.
“Hey!”
“Hey.” They did the manly-pat-the-back greeting
thing.
“Hannah, right?” he
said.
“Yep.” My first thought was to say yes, sir for some reason, but I kept it
cool. But now I knew what Jake Lindsey was to the world, whoa.
Intimidating. And he was almost
ten years older than me.
Beth came outside
and her face lit up. “Hey!” She hugged my boyfriend, then me. “Mike, you remember my dad.” A tall older man stepped out behind her.
“Sir.” They shook hands. “This is my girlfriend Hannah.”
“Nice to meet
you.” He set a platter on the counter
next to Jake and walked back into the house.
“Dad isn’t very
talkative,” Beth said. “So,
‘girlfriend’, huh?” She grinned at Mike.
“Don’t make a big
deal.”
“It’s the first
one I’ve seen,” she teased. “What about
you, honey?”
“Yep,” Jake said. “Mikey found a unicorn.”
“Yeah, yeah, get
it out now.”
“Aww, we’re happy
for you,” Beth said. “We want all our
family to be happy.”
“Speaking of which,
the car service picked up your brother and Darcy, love.”
“Oh, good! It’s
kind of a family reunion for the holiday,” she explained. “When?”
“Called from the
airport about twenty minutes ago,” Jake said.
He closed the grill lid. “Beer?”
“Please,” Mike
said.
Jake opened the
mini-fridge and I was grateful conversation had shifted from teasing about our
relationship. They were like Mike’s
siblings, but I was still a stranger and being the center of attention was
awkward. He squeezed my hand before
letting go to join his friend in finishing preparations.
“Iced tea?” Beth
offered, reaching for a pitcher.
“Thanks.” The giant wood outdoor table was set for several
people. “Expecting a big crowd?” I took the filled glass.
“The whole family.
Hey, guys!” She waved at Dylan and Jen.
He’d shaved the
beard, but his hair was still long, though today it was back in a
ponytail. Jen wore a tank top and
shorts, straps of a bathing suit peeking out from the neckline. She hugged me again. “Good to see you, Hannah.”
“Same.” She put me at ease more than any of the
others.
With the party
starting to assemble, I sat under an umbrella.
Soon Celeste was
there, then Bob, then Beth’s family. Her
brother was clearly older and took after their father in looks. His wife carried a toddler and was quick to
smile. She and Beth went to each other
right away, so they must be close. They
took the little girl in the house. The
guys shook Beth’s brother’s hand.
No drummer,
yet.
Mike had mentioned
there was tension recently, but didn’t want to talk about it. With the majority in attendance, food was on
the grill and Beth was serving appetizers.
Everyone had a beverage and the party got rolling.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Mike
Watching Hannah be
accepted made me love my friends even more.
We had to censor
ourselves some with Beth’s dad here, but everyone was still having a good time,
and the old man would be the first to leave after the fireworks. Jake had gotten pretty good at the grill
since this hosting thing first started and I was currently full of steak and
corn. No one had the energy to jump in
the pool after lunch, yet.
Hannah’s hair was
up in a ponytail again and I couldn’t resist playing with the ends every time
it draped over the back of her chair. If
she wore a swimsuit under that dress, I couldn’t tell. The red lipstick was both tempting and
untouchable. She considered herself
fair-skinned, but she was several shades darker than Beth with summer sun.
But my favorite
part—at the moment—was the metallic blue polish on her toes. My girl took her red-white-and-blue
patriotism very seriously.
“Do I have food on
my face?” she murmured.
“No.”
“You keep staring
at me.”
“Just feeling very
lucky.”
Dark eyelashes
fluttered down. “Oh.”
Beth grinned in
our direction. I eye-rolled. At least I met Hannah before Big Sis decided
to start matchmaking. Women in happy
relationships can’t seem to help themselves when it comes to their single
friends, and while I loved Beth like family, we’d never been close. It would’ve been a parade of nice girls I had
nothing in common with.
“Anyone save room
for dessert?” Beth asked. “Apple pie and
vanilla ice cream.”
“Organic, of
course,” Jake added. Made Beth’s brother
laugh. Andrew and Darcy lived in Virginia and teasing the in-laws about California ’s pretentious
health-consciousness was a thing.
“I’m stuffed, Jen
said.
“Boys?”
“Make ‘em work it
off in the pool first,” Celeste said.
“You just want to
see a bunch of wet abs.” Bob.
“Yeah.”
Bob stripped out
of his white tank. “Can’t disappoint the
ladies, then.” Asshole could fill his
stomach with half the cow and still have an eight-pack, and had never been
modest. Only slept in boxers on the tour
bus because Beth was along.
He dove in the
nearby pool, then splashed Jake. And
Jake never left a challenge unanswered.
Darcy nudged Andrew.
“Go have fun.”
“Or can a
forty-year-old not keep up,” Beth teased her brother.
“Try trash-talking
when your kid is three, brat.”
“Did you bring a
suit?” I murmured to Hannah.
“Maybe.”
I kissed her
shoulder. “I’ll get wet if you
will.”
She took in a
sharp breath. “Naughty. I think you’ve
had enough beer for a while.”
Lifted my shirt
over my head. “Meant the pool, dirty
girl.” Wasn’t even buzzed, but I did
feel comfortable enough to flirt. And I
really wanted to see her in a swimsuit.
Jake or Bob had
found a volleyball.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Hannah
I’ll get wet if you will.
Mike’s tease had
been ringing in my head since he said it.
When Jen paused in telling me about her latest manuscript, I excused
myself to the bathroom.
Stepping into the house gave me the cool air I
needed. I entered the nearest guest
bedroom for a bathroom and dampened a wash cloth to press to my neck and
cheeks. A second layer of sunscreen was
a good idea while I was here, and took the small tube out of my purse. My makeup hadn’t melted in the heat; I needed
to thank Marcy for the brand tip.
A dip in the pool
would be nice, but the boys played too rough and it was still too hot for the
Jacuzzi. I did have a suit on under my
dress just in case. Mike’s building had
to have a pool, right? No complex that
nice would be without one. If we were
alone…
Respect his boundaries, Hannah.
I’d never had this
lust bunny problem before, never wanted a guy this much. In the past, sex was a step for intimacy in
the progression of a relationship. Brian
was the outlier, but I was lonely and he’s a manipulative bastard. Obviously, Mike was hot, but it wasn’t the
outer wrapping that revved my motor.
Mostly. No, I wanted the sweet
guy that loved ‘80s music, spoiled me with stuffed toys, and trusted me to meet
his famous friends.
The man completely
sure of his convictions.
Yeah, his
character is what attracted me the most.
I’d never met someone so confident in what they wanted and who they
were. Well, until this group on the
patio. They made success look pretty
awesome. It’s easy to be happy when you
don’t have to worry about paying the bills every month, right?
New coat of
lipstick and I was ready to rejoin the party.
I exited the bathroom.
A young man stood
in the doorway of the bedroom. “You must
be Hannah. The gold-digger.” Tank top,
board shorts, flip flops, and a deep tan.
“I beg your
pardon?”
“Brian told me all
about you.” So this was Aaron. “Poor Mikey.”
He looked me up and down. “I can
see the appeal, though.”
“Brian is a
pathological liar. Now excuse me.” But
he wouldn’t move out of the doorway.
“So he didn’t walk
in to see you kissing his brother? You didn’t get him thrown out of the
apartment?”
“I had nothing to
do with that. Let me pass.”
He took a step
forward. “You don’t belong here.” Stale beer on his breath. Joy.
“I don’t want a
scene, Aaron. Just let me go.”
“Why? You’ve been
wrecking everything. How did you snow Mikey, huh? Brian said you’re not that
great a lay, so the pussy can’t be it.”
I slapped
him. Didn’t think about it, my arm just
reacted. “How dare you.” I stepped
up. “Get. Out. Of. My. Way.”
Aaron rubbed his
reddening cheek. “You’ll pay for that,
bitch. I will own you. Better yet, have you arrested for assault!”
“You’re not even
bleeding. You and Brian deserve each other.”
“Is there a
problem here?” Mike in the hall.
“Just dealing with
the trash, Mikey.”
Mike grabbed
Aaron’s arm and yanked him out of the doorway.
“What did you say?”
Aaron shrugged him
off. “You’re going to side with a piece
of ass over one of your friends?”
“When you’re being
an asshole, yeah. How much have you drunk today?”
“I’m the only one
seeing clear here, Mikey. Your little bitch hit me.”
Mike got
toe-to-toe with him. “Speak
disrespectfully about Hannah one more time and I’ll give you something to whine
about.”
“Don’t,” I said.
Suddenly, Bob was
pushing in between them. “Not in the
house. You two, back outside. You, we’re taking a walk.” He grabbed Aaron’s arm and hauled him out the
front door.
Having several
inches and pounds of muscle on the drummer, Aaron didn’t have a choice about
the escort. Mike looked me over.
“Are you okay?”
“Fine. I think he
was drunk. You’re dripping.”
“You weren’t at
the table and Jen said you’d been gone a while.” His hands cupped my jaw line, tilting my face
up. “Did he upset you? I’m sorry.”
“I can take care
of myself.”
“When you’re here
with me, you shouldn’t have to. What did he say?”
“Parroting Brian’s
words. It’s fine.” I extricated
myself. “Let’s get back to the party.”
“It’s not fine,”
he growled. “I need to have a chat with
my brother.”
“He’s trying to
get a rise out of you. It’s over.” I
started for the backyard.
Beth’s eyes held
concern. “What’s going on?”
“Aaron’s here.
Bob’s handling it,” Mike said. She
looked to Jacob.
“He’s got it,
love. Let’s crank on some music, yeah?”
He reached for a tablet on the mini-kitchen counter. A few taps and hidden speakers blared a
summer jam.
But I was still
the center of attention for the four women and Mike was hovering too
close. Now I really did need some
air. Maria walked out of the house
carrying a pie and carton of ice cream.
Thank God for the distraction.
“Let me help,” I
said, and grabbed the stack of dessert plates.
Then Beth’s father brought the toddlers out and eyes shifted to the
kids.
The Lindsey’s
daughter climbed on Mike’s lap, spry for a one-year-old. “Wet.”
“I was in the pool.” He’d wrapped a towel around his waist before
sitting down.
“I can take her,”
Beth said.
“She’s fine,
Bethie,” Jacob said. “Mikey doesn’t mind
sharing his pie, right, mate?”
“Thanks!” But no, he didn’t mind, settling the baby
securely on his lap. It obviously wasn’t
the first time holding her.
I helped serve
until I was the last plate, nothing left to do except sit next to him
again. Bob hadn’t returned. Celeste didn’t look worried.
Mike’s focus was
on the little girl. Is that why he’d
been pursuing me? His biological clock
was ticking? His friends were in
committed relationships, he had career success, he was the right age…I want to see where this goes.
He was a
commitment guy. The only reason he
wanted to go slow was to protect himself from getting hurt by the wrong
girl.
This group was too
grown-up for me.
“Your ice cream is
melting,” Mike said.
“Guess I’m not
that hungry.” I pushed my plate toward
him.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Stop
asking.”
“Alright.”
I’d kicked the
puppy. God, I wish I had my car. A fun afternoon was now incredibly awkward
and I didn’t know how to fix it.
Volunteering to
help clean up gave me an excuse to leave the table. Fireworks shows started at nine, so there
were still two hours to fill, and plenty of light. Jen dropped a pile of cutlery in the sink.
“What happened?”
she murmured.
“Aaron showed up
and said some rude things. Mike came in, they had words, and Bob broke it up
before anyone got punched. That’s it.”
“I’m sorry he’s
got his head up his ass. Dylan told me about the tension, but I didn’t know it
was this bad.”
“It seems Brian
excels at causing trouble. I wish I’d never met him.”
“Wouldn’t that
mean you never met Mike?”
Leaning on the
counter, I sighed. “Yeah…”
“Hey, don’t let
whatever this was get in your head. That guy is crazy about you.”
“It’s only been a
few dates.”
She arched a
brow. “I think you’ve got a bit more
than that.”
“Okay, he’s been
my boyfriend for two weeks.” I lowered
my voice. “It’s still not a commitment.”
“Okay.”
“We haven’t even
had sex, yet.”
She held up soapy
hands. “No judgment.”
I dried what she
rinsed. “He’s holding out. What guy does
that?”
“Don’t look at me.
This is only my second long-term relationship. Ask him.”
“He has rules so
he doesn’t get too deep too fast. Go overboard.”
“Sounds smart.”
“Yeah…” Sigh.
“I feel like such a slut.”
“Don’t do that to
yourself. There’s nothing wrong with wanting your boyfriend. I slept with Dylan
the night we met.”
“Seriously?”
She grinned. “It was one hell of a Christmas Eve.”
“That good, huh?”
“He’s healed me.” She grimaced. “Not with the sex. Point is, when a good man
shows up, you know, and these are good people. Even Aaron. He’s obviously going
through something.”
“Well, I wish it
didn’t have anything to do with me.” I
dried the last fork.
“Go find Mike and
let him make you smile. You’ll both feel better.”
As if summoned, he
appeared in the open slider doorway, shirt on again.
“Hey.”
“Hey.”
“Got a minute?” he
asked.
“Sure.” Chewing my lip, I went to him.
He led me over by the
barn. “Do you want to go home?”
“I did. But…it’s
Fourth of July. Only comes once a year, right?”
“True.” He reached for my hand. “Were you mad at me?”
“Why would I be?”
“You were kind of
snapping my head off.”
I sighed. “I was upset.”
“I’m sorry he had
an opportunity to corner you. I’m sorry my brother is being such a tool.”
“You’re not
responsible for either of their actions. But…I can take care of myself, okay?”
“If you want me to
stand by while someone harasses you, I can’t do that. I’m not made that way.
That’s not me thinking you’re weak or lacking, so don’t go there—”
“I don’t think
you’re a chauvinist, Mike.”
“Good.” He caressed my cheek. “I take care of what’s important to me, is
all I’m saying.”
“Careful. That
sounds close to moving too fast.”
“Cute.”
“I know I
am.” I leaned into his body and he
kissed me.
The kind of kiss
that usually led to his fingers making me fly.
“Let’s get back before someone comes looking for us.”
“Tease.”
He winked.
Jen smiled when
she spotted us. Beth, too. I got what Mike meant about big sisters.
In the distance,
the lights on the big tree were turned on and someone was sparking up the fire
pit. The patio and pool lights came on
automatically with sunset which would be after eight tonight. But the jets were bubbling in the hot tub.
“Elizabeth .”
Mr. Lindsey. “We’re ready to go.”
“Excuse me,” Beth
said to the group. She and her father
went inside.
“He’s leaving
before dark?” I asked.
“Taking the
munchkins for the night,” Jacob said, handing Mike a bottle. “Do you need a refill, Hannah?”
“I’m fine.” That would explain why Darcy wasn’t out here,
either. “Guess it’s good to have close
family.”
Mike sat and
pulled me down on his lap. “Cheaper than
daycare.”
“Do these
gatherings only happen on major holidays?”
He shrugged. “First year for them. We had a party last
Christmas and that was Beth’s first event since the baby was born. The
paparazzi were intense in 2012 after she started showing.”
“Sounds awful.”
“It was. Jake had
to get lawyers involved. He’s ruthless when it comes to family.”
“Are we
photographed when we arrive?” I didn’t
want to be in tabloids.
Mike shook his
head. “The neighborhood is
private.” He squeezed my hip. “And no one cares about the guy on the
keyboard.”
“You’re hot,
too.” Gorgeous, in fact.
“Thank you. It’s
like I explained before. The attention is always on the singer and guitarist,
anyway. People can name Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, or Mick Jagger and Keith
Richards, but only a small amount of super fans know any whole band. It’s about
the guys at the edge of the stage, not those in the back, and I’m okay with
that.”
“Music over fame
and glory.”
“Yep.” Another squeeze. “Celeste and Bob like the spotlight as long
as it doesn’t get in the way of work, so the pressure’s off the rest of us. You
don’t have to worry.”
“I wasn’t until
you mentioned it.”
A pinch. “Brat.”
I glanced at my
watch. “Still half an hour to
fireworks.”
“You’re cute when
you pout.” He kissed my lower lip.
“I’m not pouting.
I’m anticipatory.”
“Okay. What would
you like to do tomorrow?”
“Tonight’s not
even over.”
“I’m
anticipatory.” Cheeky grin. I liked when there was mischief in his
eyes. He so often looked like the good guy, anything else gave him
edge. Depth. The safe kind of danger I could handle.
But I couldn’t let
him know that, so I rolled my eyes.
“Tomorrow’s
Saturday, so I know you don’t have to work, and neither do I. Do you want to
stay in or go out?”
“In, huh?”
“Not like that,
naughty girl.”
Playing with his
collar, I asked, “When?”
“Don’t you want to
discuss that in private?”
“Yeah, but I’m
putting it on the table that I want
to discuss it.”
“That isn’t
something you put on a calendar, Hannah.”
“Funny. You know
what I mean. You know how I feel, so I want to know your timetable.”
He glanced into the
coming darkness. “It’s not about how
much time goes by.”
“Okay…”
“Can we not do
this now?”
“Alright.” I stood.
“I’m going to visit the ladies’ room before the show.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Mike
Bob returned in time to join us overlooking
the valley, putting the group in pairs.
Must be a dozen shows visible tonight.
Beth had made popcorn and handed it out in paper boxes like at the
movies.
“We used to wave
sparklers around as a kid until my grandfather burned a hole in his pant leg,”
Hannah said. We were the only pair not
cuddling where we stood.
“Fireworks aren’t
legal in most cities here. The drought.”
“Oh.”
“Do you miss Arizona ?”
“My popcorn needs
more salt.” She left my side for the tub
of flavoring jars Beth brought out.
This wasn’t the
fun holiday I expected, thanks to Aaron, and my brother’s influence. We’d need a new drummer if things didn’t
change soon.
Then there was
Hannah.
Chatting with
Jennifer instead of coming back. Well,
at least she made a friend.
Was I nuts to
pursue a woman nearly five years younger than me? She was just starting life while I was
looking for something real and permanent.
I wanted to fall in love and feel secure in it. Well, it was my first attempt back into the
dating pool. Practicality would say
there was no guarantee the first relationship would be the right one—but I
really liked Hannah. She was the first
girl I’d ever been tempted to toss out my rulebook for.
Which made it all
the more important that I didn’t, right?
To do things the
right way the first time?
Beth and Jacob did
the epic second-chance-love thing with a lot of angst. Bob and Celeste started with sex and never
stopped seeing each other. Dylan and Jen
hit it off right away and were probably still in the honeymoon phase and always
would be. My parents met in high school,
dated in college, and married after graduation.
I didn’t know Beth’s brother’s story with her sister-in-law, but they’d
been together a long time and seemed happy when they visited. Beth and Darcy were close. Why couldn’t this be easy for me?
Someone needed to
write a textbook.
The longest
fireworks shows were only thirty minutes.
The group meandered back to the patio.
Wanting to get past this awkwardness, I pulled Hannah to a chair.
“Please don’t be
mad at me,” I whispered in her ear as I settled her on my lap.
She sighed. “I’m not…”
“What’s wrong?”
“Today has been
intense.”
“Who’s up for the
hot tub?” Celeste hollered. She shed her
top and shorts to reveal a bikini that barely contained her curves.
“Do you want to
leave?” I asked Hannah.
“I don’t know. No.
I don’t think so. It’s a holiday.”
“Make the most of
it?”
She nodded, then
stood and slipped her dress off her shoulders.
A retro bikini in white. Maria
carried a pitcher of sangria to the table by the Jacuzzi. Hannah picked up her glass. “Coming?”
Yes, ma’am. Walking behind her, I admired the view. The high-waisted bottom flattered her small
waist and curvy ass. It was the most leg
I’d seen of her and I approved of those, too.
Her body split the difference between Beth’s lankiness and Celeste’s
petite endowment. Similar to Jen,
really. They might wear the same size.
The generous-size
tub seated several, so everyone that wanted in had space. Beth and Darcy wore one-piece suits. The band was used to stripping down around
each other, but Andrew kept his shirt on, just dangling his legs in the water
next to his wife. Celeste, Hannah, and
Darcy had full glasses of the wine punch.
“Good the sky
stayed clear,” Beth said. When she
glanced up at the stars, Jake kissed her neck.
“Behave.”
“Why? We’re
kidless tonight.”
Andrew’s face
scrunched up. “That’s my sister.”
“I’m not strippin’
her down in front of you, perv.”
Andrew splashed
Jake. Darcy slapped his leg. “No water fights in the tub!”
“Hey, house rules,”
Beth said. “Water fights in the pool, no
one drives drunk, and if you’re feeling frisky, that’s what we have guest rooms
for. Clear?”
“Yes, Mom,” Bob
said. Beth wagged her finger at him.
Bubbles, steam,
music, and social lubrication soon made for a loose bunch. Somehow we got on crazy tour stories (that
didn’t involve bedding groupies) and laughing at each other’s expense. Hannah was leaned into my chest under my arm
that rest on the deck.
I kissed the top
of her head. “Having fun?”
Her face tilted
up. “You have an interesting life.”
“At times.” Jake and Bob had lived the wildest parts.
Darcy and Andrew
bowed out before midnight, heading to the first-floor guest room in the
farmhouse where they always stayed during visits.
Bob waited to
carry Celeste off until she was a happy drunk.
Dylan and Jen left
for his apartment.
Beth yawned. “Sorry. My daughter is an early riser.”
“Here’s when I
kick you out, mate,” Jake said, helping her out and wrapping her in a towel.
“Let’s get
changed, Hannah.” She looked sleepy,
too.
She collected her
purse and dress to find a bathroom while I grabbed gym shorts from my
trunk. “Meet you at the car,” she said.
I wanted to offer
to help clean up, but Maria had quietly taken care of it all. Jake used the smart house tablet to power
down everything else.
Dried off, I
waited for Hannah, leaning on the trunk of the Camry. She smiled at me when she reached the parking
area. “Ready?”
“Uh-huh,” she
said. I helped her into the passenger
seat. “I like your people.”
“I’m glad.”
She was angled
toward the driver’s seat when I got in.
“Does your building have a pool?”
“I think so.”
“We could go
swimming without all the horse-play.”
“Any time you
like.”
“The complex I
grew up in had a pool, but they only turned the heat on from June to August, so
it just sat there, collecting leaves. Was there a pool when you were a kid?”
“We took a basics
class as toddlers, but didn’t have access until high school. Jake’s houses
always have a pool, so I got more proficient. Bob surfs and used to play water
polo, so you don’t challenge him.”
“Mm-hm.”
“Hannah?” I glanced over at the light and she was
asleep. I turned the radio down.
Let her rest until
I stopped in front of her duplex. She
stretched. “Where are we?”
“Your house.” I hurried around the car to help her out. “Do you need a hand?”
“I can walk.” Leaning on me, we made the short trip to the
porch. She rifled around in her bag for
the keys. And dropped them.
Got her inside and
guided her straight to the bedroom.
Turned on a lamp. She pressed
into me, holding on to my shirt. “Wanna
know a secret?”
“What?”
“I’m not wearing
anything under this dress,” she stage-whispered. Oh my.
“That’s a
wonderful image, but you’re a bit drunk right now, sweetheart. It’s time for
bed.”
“That’s what I’m saying.”
“To sleep,
Hannah.”
She pouted and
walked into the bathroom.
A shelf on the
wall across from the full-size bed held the plush toys from the zoo. The walls were white, comforter light blue,
and nightstand a dark wood. A chair was
layered with clothes and the other corner had some wooden contraption on a
stand.
Water ran in the
sink. I should get her a bottle from the
fridge.
She walked out of
the bathroom when I returned, wearing a satin robe, her hair down, face clean,
and glasses on. Natural and very
tempting. She walked into the closet and
a drawer slid open. I hoped she had
pajamas.
“What is this
thing in the corner?” I asked.
“Thing? Oh, the
loom.”
“Like for
weaving?”
“Yep.” She came out in a tank top and short
shorts. Her nipples were alert in the
air-conditioned room. She climbed onto
the bed.
“I brought
water.” Set the bottle on the
nightstand. “You don’t want a hangover.”
“Mike…”
“Hmm?” Don’t
look directly at her.
“Stay.”
“I’m not—”
She took my
hand. “To sleep.”
“Uh…nope.”
“Why not?” She drew random patterns on my palm, a
teasing touch with her nail that was surprisingly arousing.
“You’d molest me
in my sleep.”
“Would I?” She was trying to pull out the innocent doe
eyes, but it didn’t quite work on a sleepy drunk.
Shaking my head, I
said, “Goodnight, Hannah. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Fine.” She turned the light off.
I shut the bedroom
door and used the spare key to lock the house.
Then headed home
to a cold shower.
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