“You didn’t seem to have a problem with doing it to others.”
“I know, and I feel bad about it now, but I would never do that to you, Jaime. I didn’t want to ruin you...like I did everyone else.”
“So ultimately, your reasoning is...that I was the lucky one? Because you put me on a pedestal and refused to date me?”
“You’ve always held a special place in my heart, and I didn’t want to taint or ruin what we had.”
My hand trailed through the water and I tried to decide where this conversation was headed. “So are you saying I’m the only girl who’s ever really been a permanent fixture in your life when you lived here?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“For one thing, you didn’t date me.”
“Hmm. So the key to keeping you was keeping my distance?”
“Yeah, I guess...and here we are now.”
I smiled at him. “Well, maybe I should stick to that same old motto,” I insisted stiffly. “Staying away from you in that way let us be close, let’s us be friends.”
He shook his head. “What motto? Keeping your distance? We’ve been there and done that,” he said, shaking his head. “We’re all grown up now, not kids anymore, and I’m ready for so much more. I think it’s t
ime to take our friendship to the next level.”
“Right, because all that money’s on the line.”
“Come on! You know me better than that. Even if there wasn’t a dime involved... Well, you can’t deny what’s going on between us. Isn’t it obvious that I’m attracted to you? I can’t stop staring at you, can’t stop thinking about you. I haven’t stopped thinking about you for years.”
“It’s this bikini. It’s always a hit,” I said with a nervous smile, a bit embarrassed by his admissions and compliments, even though deep down I felt the same way.
“It’s more than that, and you know it. There’s some kind of connection between us, some kind of chemistry. Neither of us can deny it. Hell, I feel like a damn fool for not coming back sooner to explore what could’ve been.”
There it was, the big why the hell didn’t he come back sooner. Why it took his dad forcing him home with the promise of money for him to get his ass back to me. “Yep. Maybe we’d be married with three kids,” I teased and tried to look away, but his hand reached out gently and cupped my cheek, forcing me to look at him.
“Yep. Maybe we’d be married with kids by now. Having a family is a dream of mine.”
“Yet you’ve never settled down.”
He shrugged, smiling gently. “Because I’ve never found the right woman.”
I hugged Max close to me as Charlie came closer. “I know it wasn’t for lack of trying.”
He pushed a wet strand of hair from my face and stared deeply into my eyes. “Maybe the right woman was right in front of me all along before I left this place, and then in my dreams. I was just too stupid to see it till now,” he said, his lips brushed gently against mine, just enough to set off red flags and send red hot flames of desire coursing through my body. I moved closer until we were pressed together with little Max in my hands to the side. “I think we need to give this thing a proper chance.”
He kissed me again, this time his lips lingering and I wanted so bad to see what came next—
Max barked and snapped me back to reality. I cursed and scooted back in the water, out of the danger zone. “Um, one more lap and then I’m going to get going.”
He reached out for me, but his hand fell short and he nodded. This time, he stayed right by my side, but didn’t speak, didn’t try to touch me and I was grateful. I wasn’t sure if I could resist much more of him acting the way he was. Charlie was always my friend, rough around the edges, but it was rare the softer side of him came out. I saw the romantic in him and not just the bad boy looking for his next easy lay. My brain said to stay away from him, he was trouble, but my heart was heavy with the desire to do as he said and see where this new relationship might take us. When we circled back to the shallow end of the pool and climbed out, Max plopped down on the stone and closed his eyes, a sleepy smile on his face.
“I think he’s enjoying the pool. Same time tomorrow?” he asked as I got out of the pool and dried off. He climbed out right behind me and let his hand brush against mine as he passed.
I grinned. “Sure...and thank you, Charlie, for letting us use your pool.”
“Anytime, darling. You can bring him here every day if you need to.”
“Thanks.”