PULSE THROBS IN MY EARS when a face I loathe more than anything in the world shows up at the party around ten in the evening. I knew he was in town. He comes back every summer to unwind in his beach house. And every summer, I get out of Newport Beach to avoid bumping into him.
This summer is different. I met Thalia, and the idea of leaving and heading for Nico’s apartment in LA slipped my mind.
Logan stands closest, so I grip his arm, pointing at Kai, who makes his way across the lawn that’s been turned into a makeshift dance floor for the party. He’s alone, his face hinting unease. “Get him out of here before I fucking kill him.”
It takes Logan three seconds to get a plan of action while I channel my resolve into keeping myself pinned to the spot.
Logan grabs Nico and taps on Shawn’s shoulder, his back straight, fists clenched tight. Seconds later, Jack joins them, a pack of wolves on the hunt.
Kai’s face may not be so pretty in a moment.
Thalia sits with Cass and MJ by the pool, a glass of caipirinha in her hand. I cross the garden, my feet moving of their own accord, away from the fury Kai incites and toward the sanity Thalia summons with a touch of her hand.
She looks up when I’m almost there, my body and mind lighter with every step. “What’s wrong?” She reads my mood perfectly, casting a sideways glance, checking our surroundings, then looks over my shoulder searching for what got me so pissed off.
Her eyes grow wider, and her lips part slightly. I do a one-eighty, walking away, the rage in my head no longer controllable when I see what she just saw. Logan’s nailing Kai in the middle of the garden, either oblivious to the crowd of bystanders or not giving a shit who’s watching.
Probably the latter. Logan’s wild once he loses his shit, snapping faster than the naked eye can see. He’s in his element, ramming his fists into Kai’s face as if the fucker is a boxing bag.
Knowing Thalia saw that, knowing it alarmed her, knowing the asshole showing up here caused the unease in her eyes, I’m itching to tear him apart.
Five fingers close around my forearm but don’t come near meeting. Thalia blocks my path, pressing herself to my chest, acting as a barricade. “Why aren’t people skinny dipping yet?”
“What?” I frown. God, she’s so bizarre sometimes, and I absolutely fucking love that about her.
“Isn’t it what usually happens at American parties when everyone gets tipsy?” she continues, moving her small hands to my sides, tapping a monotonous rhythm on my ribs with the tips of her fingers. The sensation it evokes is like a powerful sedative. All my muscles relax as fast as when I’m freefalling while skydiving.
“You want to go skinny dipping?”
She nods, the dark locks bouncing around her shoulders. “I hoped you’d join the fun.”
“So, you want to see me naked?”
“I’m pretty sure it’d be a sight to see, but I know better than to hope you’ll lead the way. I, on the other hand…” She steps back, hands plucking the hem of her dress.
As if on autopilot, I cuff her wrists and pin them to my chest, stopping her before she gives me a reason to annihilate two hundred people in attendance.
“Don’t test me, Thalia.”
She beams, the smile genuine and absurdly beautiful. “Relax. I’m not that courageous.”
My hold on her loosens, a gesture I quickly regret when she walks around me, that perfect ass swaying from left to right. She has no idea how sexy she is. Fully clothed and still wearing heels, she doesn’t slow down or hesitates before leaping into the pool. It doesn’t matter that she’s not wearing a bikini or that she’s not naked.
She’ll get me killed regardless.
White dress, olive skin, and a halo of dark hair. She emerges wet and bathed in the orange hue of the pool lights. An incarnation of a Greek goddess.
She beckons me, bending her index finger and winks, arching back to float on the surface. My heart swells, my pulse roars, and… fuck me sideways. I think I’m falling in love with her.
I yank off my t-shirt and kick my jeans off before following her into the water. She swims away to rest her back on the pool’s edge, elbows on the tiles. More splashes happen behind me, followed by a fit of girly giggles, but it all sounds distant, muffled as if coming through a glass wall.
“Thank you.” I hold onto her waist with one hand, raking the other through my hair. “That helped.”
“I should think so. Her fingers trace the lines of my tattoo, and the fascination on her face is so genuine I couldn’t look away if I tried. “It’d cripple my self-esteem if it didn’t.”
“You’re perfect. Don’t ever think otherwise.”
More people plunge into the pool fully clothed, laughing and cheering—a background noise to my racing heart. I don’t pay attention to any of that. All I feel is a thick, heavy air settling around Thalia and me, taking me back to this morning.
It’d take a leap of faith… one second to close the distance parting our lips. One second to throw away all my assumptions and listen to my heart instead of my mind.
I lift my hand to the side of her face, brushing my thumb across her lips, thinking, weighing my options.
“You drive me insane,” I whisper, glancing into her eyes filled with need. Who knew I’m such a fucking coward? “Stop.”
God, I want her. I want her so fucking much. My hands in her hair, my lips on hers—kissing, nipping, grazing my teeth over her bottom lip. A short, looping video clip plays in my head, and my stomach wrenches with intense desire.
“You first,” she whispers, inching closer.
“He’s gone!” Nico booms behind us, giving me a heads-up before he approaches with the others.
I step away from the girl who makes me reconsider everything I know about myself and turn to Nico, who must’ve gotten a few punches in too. His knuckles are bloody, and a red splatter covers his immaculate white shirt.
Jack trails close behind with two beach towels in hand.
“But he’ll be back,” Logan adds, glaring at me. “He really wants to talk to you.”
I nod, refusing to get sucked back into the rage. “Thanks. I owe you.”
I hoist myself out of the pool, then help Thalia and drape a towel around her wet body before anyone has a chance to ogle her perfect curves.
“Come on, let’s get a drink to warm you up.” Logan wraps a protective arm around her shoulders, leading her away.
“What did he want?” I ask Nico when they’re out of earshot.
“He wants to make amends,” he says, his face as stoic as always. “He heard about the game you’re pitching to companies and thinks he might be useful.”
Useful? What a joke. All Kai wants is to get his hands on my project, then screw me over like last time.
“What was that about with Thalia?” Nico motions with his chin at the pool. “You changed your mind?”
“I don’t know…” I squeeze the back of my neck to rid the frustration. “She tried to distract me. I was on my way to kill the asshole.”
“I doubt he’ll have the guts to show his face around here anytime soon, but don’t expect this to be over… you’re not listening to me right now, are you?” he clips, following my line of sight to Thalia. “Give up, man.” He slaps his hand on my back. “You’re fighting a lost battle.”
I think I am.
Thalia’s laughing, joking around with Logan by the bar. He might’ve been into her at first, but his stance now tells me all I need to know—she’s no longer on his radar. They grab their drinks, and Logan walks back toward us, but Thalia’s still at the bar, eyeing a man on her right.
We’re fifteen yards apart, but the change in her posture is plain to see. She balls her hands at her sides, back straight and chin raised. When the guy moves away, she blocks his path, shoving him back with both hands.
“What the hell?” Nico mouths.
We’re on the move, eyes fixed on the man who I now recognize as the one Thalia danced with the night we met. He gets in her face, his red, but Thalia doesn’t back down. She shoves him again and then snatches a colorful drink out of his grasp.
“Are you out of your mind?” he yells.
My step falters when Thalia flings the drink in his face and immediately grips his shoulders, bracing against him to drive her knee in his groin. He turns purple, mouth twisting into an o as he grabs his junk with both hands.
Ouch. That must’ve hurt.
“What’s going on?” I ask, stopping beside her. “What did he do to you?”
“Nothing.” She tugs on the hem of her dress to cover her thighs, a ball of pure rage when she glares back at the guy.
“You have one chance to explain,” Nico says, taking her by the arm. “Why did you do that?”
Her cheeks burn scarlet, and she shoves her finger into Nico’s chest, shrugging out of his grasp. “You’re welcome. Ask Asher why I kicked his nuts.”
People stand around the four of us, muttering behind their hands, eyeing the scene, as confused as I am. I quickly count how many drinks Thalia had since we arrived. Three. There’s no way she’s drunk off her ass and incapable of thinking straight.
Asher straightens out, his face a faint shade of purple. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“Me?” Thalia stomps forward. “Me? What is wrong with you? I could point my finger at ten women who’d gladly fuck you, so why do you go after those who don’t want your dick?”
“Just… leave me the hell alone. You’re not right in your fucking head.”
“Says the asshole who spiked someone’s drink,” she snaps, shoving him again.
A cold shiver rushes up my spine, and I exchange one loaded look with Nico. “You saw him?”
Thalia turns to me, shoulders sagging as she nods slowly. “Yeah, by the bar. He slipped a pill in this drink.” She waves the now-empty glass in my face.
“I didn’t!” Asher booms, fidgeting on the spot and glancing around as if searching for the fastest way out.
Neither Nico nor I need more confirmation, but Logan’s faster. He springs out of nowhere, draws his arm back, and sends it whooshing through the air to land on Asher’s jaw. Blood gushes from the fucker’s mouth. Thalia steps away just in time, saving her dress from blood stains.
Shawn joins us three precise punches later, emerging out of the crowd to stop Logan from knocking out Asher’s teeth. “Enough. My boys will take over from here, alright?” He takes the glass from Thalia. “They’ll need your statement.”
She nods, no longer in combat mode when I take her to the side, away from the excited murmur of the crowd.
“Promise me something,” I say when we round the building to wait for the cops. “Next time shit like that happens, tell me. I don’t want you getting in anyone’s face. He could’ve hurt you.”
“And that’s when you’d break his hands, right?”
“I’m serious. Find me and let me deal with it.”
She presses herself to my chest for a hug as if it’s the most natural thing in the world. “I promise.”
◆◆◆
It’s close to two in the morning when Thalia cuddles into me on the couch, her head resting comfortably on my shoulder as she starts nodding off.
The house cleared of guests a while ago. Two squad cars arriving at the scene put a damper on the party. Even more so when the officers started taking statements from anyone who claimed to have seen Asher spiking the drink.
He was taken to the station in handcuffs, but Shawn said he’ll probably be out by sunrise with no charges. Thalia threw the only evidence in Asher’s face, and the cops didn’t find any drugs on him.
It’s just three Hayes brothers, Jack, and a few friends left drinking, dancing, or making out wherever they think no one can see. Nico’s already gone. He took a tall brunette upstairs twenty minutes ago, but not before informing us that the guest bedrooms are available.
Thalia and I packed overnight bags, knowing there was no way we’d bother with a cab at this hour.
I pat her thigh when she stops toying with my fingers—a clear sign she’s falling asleep. “I’ll show you where you’ll sleep tonight. Just let me grab the bags first.”
I intended to leave her in the guest bedroom and join my brothers for a few more beers, then sleep in the adjacent room, but I change my mind with one question from her mouth. Especially since she asks after coming out of the en suite in a pair of short shorts and a tank top.
“Can we at least cuddle?”
Fuck yes.
Wait…
“At least?”
She shrugs, dismissing the question.
I could push for an answer, but truth be told, I’m not ready to hear it. I’m not ready for her to admit she wants me just as much as I want her because if I do, there’ll be no stopping. No retreating and no pretending I can stay away and maintain our friendship.
Despite the tight squeeze on the couch last night, I slept well for the first time since she had the flu. It’s crazy how fast I became addicted to holding her close at night.
Three nights. That’s all it took, and every night I spend without her, I’m tossing and turning as if I’m having a fit, uncomfortable because her hair isn’t tickling my neck, or her elbow isn’t digging into my ribs.
Thalia hops under the sheets while I strip down to my boxers and crawl in beside her. I pull her warm body closer, inhaling the soothing scent of her shampoo. She catches my hand, resting comfortably on her stomach, and starts toying with my fingers. I close my eyes, smiling like a cat that tipped over the fishbowl, my chin on the crown of her head.
This is too intimate for friends, so why does it feel right?
“Can I ask about the guy Logan hit?” she whispers.
I consider her words, surprised that my muscles stay loose, and my mind fails to conjure images that rile me up while she’s pressed against me. “Long story short? We met in college and came up with a cool idea for a game. I was the artistic side of the project—animation and all. Kai took on programming. We spent three years perfecting the project, and when it was ready, he hacked my servers, erased any trace of my involvement, then sold the game to the highest bidder and made millions.”
“I’m sorry…” she utters, squeezing my hand. “But I’m glad I helped before you did something you’d regret.”
“Me too. Although I’d probably never regret it.” I press my lips to her head. “Sleep. You must be exhausted.”
She wiggles that perfect ass closer until we’re almost fused together, then brings our hands higher and rests her cheek on my palm, our fingers interlaced.
“Good night,” she whispers.
“Good night, omorfiá.”
She’s out within minutes, but it takes me much longer to fall asleep. I’m thinking.
Overthinking, really.
When the only step left to throw the weird friendship out the window is a kiss and wild sex, why am I not making a move? We’ve slept in the same bed, taken a bath together, and we cuddle on the couch every day. We’re basically a couple minus the most satisfying part…
An hour later, I’m relatively sure I have the answers to my questions, so I close my eyes and let myself sleep.
