I give him a two-finger salute and walk out of the bathroom. “Yes, sir!”
“That’s what I like to hear,” he says, following up his words with a hard slap to my ass.
“Ow!” I mock glare. “Keep your hands to yourself, or I’ll slap you back.”
“Don’t tease me,” he jokes with a wink.
After I’m in my bathing suit and cover-up, I meet Chase in the living room. He’s sporting a pair of black board shorts and is shirtless, with a towel slung over his shoulder. I try to ignore how solid his body is, but it’s so damn hard—pun not intended. Alec and Robert are the only two guys I’ve really paid attention to recently. And while Alec is like all muscular, and Robert was all… not, Chase is perfect. It’s obvious he takes care of himself.
“Ready?” he asks, a smirk splayed across his lips.
Ugh, he totally caught me checking him out. I really need to stop doing that.
“Yep.”
We walk down to the pool, and since this complex is mostly people in their twenties and thirties, there are a few people lying out, and a couple in the pool, but other than that, it’s quiet.
We grab two available lounge chairs, and Chase throws his towel onto his, kicking his Nike slides off.
I take a deep breath and pull my cover-up over my head. I usually only wear my bikini when it’s just Lexi and me at our parents’ pool and we’re lying out and tanning—well, I’m tanning, Lexi just burns. When we go to the beach or pool with other people, I tend to wear my one-piece or tankini. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because I’ve never been comfortable with anyone paying attention to me, but now… it’s time I made some changes. The other night at the club when I was dressed up, I felt good… sexy. And not because guys were checking me out, but because I felt pretty and feminine. I go jogging several times a week and have a nice body, so why cover it up all the time?
When my bikini-clad body is exposed, I glance down to make sure all the important parts are covered, and when I look back up, Chase is staring at me—and not like a friend.
“Is that new?” he asks, his voice gravelly. I know we’re just friends, but I like that I have the ability to make his voice change. I’ve spent years hiding, and Robert barely paid attention to me. And with that thought, I vow to stop thinking about Robert. He’s in the past and doesn’t deserve a place in my present or future thoughts.
“No, I just don’t usually wear it. Wanna swim laps?”
Chase clears his throat. “Yeah, sounds good.”
Enjoying the fact that he’s shocked at my bikini, I saunter past him, swaying my hips. I know I’m playing with fire, but the way Chase looks at me—even if he doesn’t want to—makes me feel confident and sexy.
“So, it’s like that, huh?” he calls after me.
I don’t turn around, so when strong arms cage me in from behind, I shriek. “Chase!” I yell. “What are—” But before I can finish my sentence, he’s hauling me over his shoulder, fireman style—pun intended—and running toward the pool. He leaps—yes, with my one-hundred-and-thirty-five-pound ass in his arms, he leaps—and drops us into the cool water.
When I pop up, pushing my wet hair out of my face, I lock eyes with him. “You’re a dead man,” I warn him.
“You’ll have to catch me first,” he taunts, taking off toward the deep end with me following after.
We spend the next couple hours swimming and messing around in the water. We swim laps and race, and then spend some time in the hot tub, until Chase reminds me if we’re going to get to my sister’s on time, we need to get out soon.
After I’m done showering and getting dressed, I check my emails, finding several from clients requesting work. Usually I don’t have more than a couple, but as I scroll, finding one client who wants to know if I’m okay since I didn’t respond within a few hours, I’m shocked by how behind I am. I never get this behind.
I keep scrolling and see I haven’t checked my emails in a few days. I’ve been so busy with Chase I haven’t had time to get work done.
I should probably feel guilty about that, but honestly, I don’t. It felt good to get out and have a life. And the entire time—aside from that moment at the club—I didn’t feel stressed. I make a mental note to do this more often. Maybe not with Chase, since eventually he’ll want to go back to hooking up with women, but with myself. Lexi might be busy, but that doesn’t mean I have to be holed up. It’s time I find a life for myself.