Scoring Wilder(67)

"Isn't it kinda early still?" I asked Becca as we passed through the living room. I didn't see Liam anywhere, but I felt the hair rise on the back of my neck thinking about the fact that he was still in the house somewhere.

Becca shrugged and we kept heading out toward the pool. Just as I’d hoped, there was no one outside.

The view of the house hadn’t done the pool justice. It was actually made up of three separate pools, each at varying levels. Where we stood, level with the back of the house, there was a long lap pool. To the left there was a set of stairs that Becca and I followed until we found another pool that was much larger and shaped like a kidney bean. Palm trees rimmed the edge, concealing it from the house and beyond.

We followed the stairs as they continued to slope down around the edge of the pool. They led us to a round Jacuzzi at the very bottom that was almost level with the beach so that you could step from the last stair onto the warm sand. The light from Penn's house illuminated the shoreline so that you could still see the rolling waves crashing against the sand. It really was a spectacular house.

"I guess one pool wasn't enough?" Becca laughed as she and I started to head back toward the top, satisfied with our search.

"Penn is a greedy bastard, but I’m not complaining. Should we go to the middle pool?”

"Yeah, I liked that one best."

We dropped our towels and cover-ups on the small lounge chairs surrounding the pool. I adjusted my blue triangle string bikini, and without a second thought, I ran and jumped into the water.

When I surfaced, Becca was standing at the edge and smiling.

"Remember when Tara was hazing us and I told you that it'd be worth it because you'd look killer in a bikini? I was totally right."

I cracked up. "Revenge is best served skimpy," I joked before lying back to float on the surface. It was impossible to see the stars with the light pollution and smog from LA, but I imagined that they were overhead and it was still nice to stare up into the blackness.

I heard two pair of footsteps descending the stairs and glanced behind me to find Liam walking beside Penn. My heart kicked into overtime and I realized that it’d be really nice if my body would become habituated to seeing him. I swear every time he stepped into a room, or in this case a pool, my body had to come to terms with his existence in the world all over again.

"The party is officially over," Penn said as they came into full view.

Becca shrugged. "It looked like it was heading that way. I can't believe Josh ruined it for everyone.”

Penn smiled as he walked up to her. "Y'know, I think it might have been a good thing. I was wanting to kick everyone out the moment I realized you'd brought your swimsuit."

Even I blushed at his comment, so I wasn't surprised when Becca bit down on her lip and averted eye contact. She looked irresistible in her dark blue bikini and I knew she had Penn wrapped around her finger.

“Hey Liam, can I borrow your phone?” Penn asked as they stepped closer to the pool.

“Oh, I left it inside,” he answered, patting his swim trunk pockets to confirm. Not two seconds later, Penn reached out and shoved him into the pool before he could realize his fatal mistake.

“Asshole!” Liam yelled between laughs after he surfaced.

“I can’t believe you actually fell for that. We learned that when we were like twelve!”

“I was distracted,” Liam shrugged with an adorable grin.

“Yeah, whatever. Let the record show, Penn: 1, Liam: 0,” he gloated before spinning toward Becca’s direction. "Want to walk down to the beach with me, y’know, since we’re the only dry ones now?" Penn asked, extending his hand out to her.

The longer I watched their interaction, the more I became aware of the fact that I was avoiding Liam's gaze. He was still standing near the far edge of the pool, and I could see him watching me out of the corner of my eye. I let my body sink back into the pool, suddenly appreciating the veil of the water surrounding me. I never heard Becca's response, but a moment later she and Penn were both heading down the stairs toward the beach, and I knew Liam and I were alone.

No more hiding.

The silence settled between us. The light from the bottom of the pool cast his handsome features into shadows and I tried to swallow past a lump in my throat.

His predatory eyes were a warning of dark, wild things to come.

I didn't realize I was backing up against the edge of the pool until he stood in front of me, trapping me against the wall. His hands gripped the edge on either side of my body just as his hips touched mine beneath the surface of the water. It was liquid seduction, the way my smooth legs entwined between his as if we were taking a bath together.

"Are you upset with me?" he asked, bending forward and nuzzling my neck with his pouty lips.

I bit my bottom lip to keep from moaning. "No."

He dragged his lips up to my ear.

"He doesn't get to touch you anymore. I've listened to him talk about you around the house for the past month and I've had enough. I know you aren't leading him on, he needs to realize that it's over."

I shivered against him, but nodded. His words sounded like the law and I was all too willing to comply.

"I'm sorry I did the article with him," I murmured, needing to get it off my chest.

He shook his head and I closed my eyes to gather my wits. "You didn't know."