17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Cody

She’s trying to kill me.

Much later than what can be deemed respectable, I open the door to Mo’s younger sister dressed in just a t-shirt.

A very short, very white t-shirt.

“You ready?” Stella’s eyes glisten in a way that should have me running for cover. Instead, I leave all rational thought behind and follow her out the door.

Moonlight shines through the floor-to-ceiling windows as we walk along the long corridor, the ethereal light making Stella’s long hair glow like a halo. My gaze trails down the braid-free strands, watching the way the soft ends brush gently against the top of her waist. With each step her hips sway from side-to-side, as if Stella can’t go a single second without dancing.

We take the same route Mo took me that first morning, except instead of descending two levels, Stella takes a sharp left at the top of the stairs. The scent of chlorine hits me as soon as we approach the stainless-steel door, the extra insolation helping keep the moisture from spreading to other parts of the house.

“Holy shit.” I breathe the words as we step inside, the blast of humidity making my jeans uncomfortably warm as Stella sashays her way to the edge of the Olympic sized pool.

The glow of the underwater lights is the only light in the room, making the calm surface of the water look like a wall of glass.

Laughing softly, Stella waves me over. I amble closer, growing uncomfortably aware of the fact Stella’s t-shirt has become mostly see-through. My gaze gets caught on the lacy black thong peeking through the thin material and it’s all I can do not to stare as I come to a stop beside her.

“Didn’t know you were a swimmer.” My voice is gruffer than usual, the tightness in my jeans no longer from the humid air around us.

Stella shrugs, “I dabble here and there. Went through a triathlon phase but that was short lived. I hate running.”

The adorable scrunch of her nose draws a smile out of me.

“You hate running but you love cardio?” I tilt my head in amusement, “Not sure how that one works, O’Brien.”

“Please, cardio circuits and running are two very different things. I’ll take five rounds of burpees over half an hour on the treadmill any day.”

I chuckle softly, “You would be the only one.”

She grins and takes my hand, pulling me down to sit beside her. Her bare legs break the surface with a splash, sending ripples flowing in every direction. I roll up my jeans and join her, hissing out a breath when my feet hit the surface.

“It’s freezing.”

“You’ll get used to it.”

Stella shoots me a smile and we fall silent. My hand resting on the ground inches closer towards hers, our fingers naturally intertwining when they make contact.

I study her side profile as she stares across the pool. Stella’s face is delicate in the way the rest of her body isn’t, her pixie-like features untouched by the hours dedicated to the gym. But just like her brother, I can see shadows of sleepless nights darkening the under bags of Stella’s eyes.

“Where did you learn to two-step?” The question jolts me out of my stare.

“My mom taught me. Said every good country boy should know how.”

Stella squeezes my hand teasingly, “I didn’t know country boys hate wearing cowboy hats.”

“Oh, I am far from a cowboy. Mom finally realized that when I got my first mohawk.”

Stella gasps, “You remember getting your first mohawk? Oh, let me guess what age.” She shifts to look at me, making that damn shirt ride up another inch.

One more and that black lace will be on full display.

I clear my throat, “It’s probably older than you’re thinking.”

She hums, closing her eyes as if the answer is just out of sight.

“Eleven. No, wait. Fifteen.”

I open my mouth but Stella waves for me to be quiet.

“I change my mind. It’s closer to nine.”

I wait patiently, letting her run through every number possible. Finally, Stella exhales, puffing a stray strand from her eyes and giving me a nod.

“I’ve got it. Thirteen.”

“You sure?”

She hesitates before nodding, “I’m sure.”

I lean closer, carefully watching her expression as I brush my lips past her cheek to whisper softly in her ear.

“Eighteen.”

Stella shivers at my proximity, goosebumps raising along her bare flesh. I’m about to nip the tender skin below her earlobe when she pushes me away with a scowl.

“You cheated.”

My jaw drops, “How did I cheat?”

She huffs, crossing her arms, “You made it sound like it happened when you were young.”

“Did not.”

“Did too.”

I mirror her defensive stance, torn between wanting to kiss her until she stops arguing and throwing her in the pool.

“You were the one that wanted to guess.”

“That’s before I knew you would cheat.”

I open my mouth to list all the ways this aggravating girl is wrong when she gives me a devilish grin.

“Just kidding.”

I move instinctively, yanking my legs out of the water, and sweeping Stella off the ground. She squeals, kicking her legs like an unhappy bride to be.

“I was just kidding! Put me down, stupid.”

I smirk, tightening my grip, “I don’t appreciate all the name calling, O’Brien. First, you insult my character by calling me a cheater and now you’re attacking my intelligence.”

Stella giggles and the sound fills my chest with warmth.

“I am so sorry kind sir, would you please put me down so I can stay dry and warm?”

I look at the big blue eyes shining back at me. The smile on her face is sugary sweet but the glint in her eyes is anything but.

“No.”

Stella doesn’t get another word in before I jump, taking us both into the pool.

Stella

“Son of a…”

My explicit gets cut off when Cody breaks through the surface. Crystal droplets cling to his blonde hair, the spiky ends pointing up in every direction. The glow from the underwater pod lights make his brown eyes look devasting, the molten colour swirling with mischief as he darts towards me.

“Get away!” I shriek and try to swim in the opposite direction, but Cody’s powerful arms cut through the water, grabbing my ankle before I can make my escape.

He tugs me backwards, making my shirt billow around me. Kicking against his hold, I manage to get one foot free and use it to push against his chest, launching me forward while he goes splashing backwards.

I’m laughing so hard I can barely breathe as I dash to the closest ladder, grabbing a hold of the rungs and pulling myself out of the water. Just as I’m about to reach land, a pair of callused hands grab my waist and the next thing I know, I’m somersaulting back into the water.

I break the surface with a gasp, sucking down a lungful of oxygen before diving back under. Chemicals burn my eyes as I blink them open, the blurry outline of Cody’s jeans making it easy to spot his location.

Using my arms to swim in that direction, I cut a wide path around him, keeping the element of surprise when I push off the tiled floor and fling myself onto Cody’s broad back.

“Shit!” Cody stumbles backwards, the momentum from my unexpected koala attack sending him crashing into the water.

“I win!” Clapping my hands with glee, I twirl through the water like a mermaid taking a victory lap.

“Terror.”

I laugh, flopping onto my back and kicking my way over to the defeated captain. Cody watches me drift closer, his eyes darkening as they take in the t-shirt plastered to my bare chest.

My nipples were already hard from the cold water, but the heat in his eyes has them aching.

He reaches for me at the same time I reach for him, our bodies coming together as if that’s where they were always meant to be. My legs wrap loosely around his waist while my arms drift to his shoulders.

Cody’s hands lightly graze my ass before coming to a rest on my lower back. Droplets fall from his eyelashes as he blinks at me.

“Should we talk about that kiss now?”

“Depends on what you have to say.” I whisper my answer, scared anything louder might trigger the same reaction as last time.

When I had to watch him walk away.

“I lied.”

I blink, “What?”

“I lied.” Cody swallows, the action dragging my attention to the scruff on his throat. “I didn’t carry you out of that club because I was worried about your safety. I did it because I was jealous.”

The fingers pressing against my spine tighten. “I was jealous Hunter was the one who got to kiss you. Hell, I’m jealous of every guy you look at, every guy you talk to.”

I smirk, ignoring the way my heart is hammering against my ribcage, “Hayden must have done a number on you.”

Cody winces, “About that… I may have purposefully riled you up that morning.” I freeze as he hurries to continue, “Watching you go on a date with another guy was agony. I had to make sure it wouldn’t happen again.”

I try to jerk away but his hold has me trapped, “You tricked me?”

“Let me finish.”

“I cannot believe you had the audacity…”

“Stel.” Cody takes the risk of removing one hand from my back to cup my cheek.

“Please, just let me finish.”

I glare but don’t make another move to swim away. Despite my rising frustration, this position is quite comfortable.

“Thank you.” He sighs, gently brushing my wet hair back from my face.

“I lied when I said it didn’t bother me you were going on a date. When you said yes to Hayden, I wanted to break something. I wanted to fall to my knees and beg for you not to go.”

“I lied when you asked why I pretended to be your boyfriend. The reason I couldn’t give you a straight answer is because I wasn’t pretending. I am crazy about you and that terrifies me.” Cody pauses, his gaze flicking to my mouth in memory.

“And lied when I said we could never be together. You’re the only person I’d want to pursue something with and that will never change.”

I feel tears start to well up, but I blink them away.

“What about my brother?”

Cody sighs, “I’ll talk to him. You were right, I was taking the easy way out. I’m willing to fight for you, Stel, I’m willing to fight for us. Even if it means burning bridges along the way.”

My excessive blinking fails and tears spill over.

“I lied too.”

Cody goes still against me, his sudden silence accentuating the thundering beat of my heart.

“I was always going to wait for you.”