Chapter 4

FOUR

Jake

I"m leaningagainst the cool marble countertop at Nate"s after-game bash, trying to look casual. But let"s be real—I"m on high alert, waiting for that telltale splash that signals Kaitlyn"s diving into the pool. Weeks have dragged by, and it"s like I"ve got this compass inside me that always points to her.

"Hey, Jake, you"re zoning out, man!" Nate slaps my back, beer sloshing from his red cup. His eyes are lit up, that post-win adrenaline still pumping through him. I force a grin, clink my cup against his.

"Sorry, just thinking about some calls from the game," I lie smoothly.

But then there it is—the splash—and I forget how to breathe. Kaitlyn"s laughter bubbles up, and I make some weak excuse about getting another drink so I can drift closer to where she"s swimming. Her skin glistens in the moonlight, and God, those curves of hers could drive a man wild. I"m pulsing with need, and it"s taking all I have not to jump in that water with her.

"Jake, you"re not much of a swimmer, huh?" She pulls herself up onto the edge of the pool, water cascading off her like she"s some kind of goddess.

"Never had the same allure for me as baseball," I say, voice tight. It"s true, but right now, watching her, I"m second-guessing all my life choices.

"Maybe you just haven"t had the right coach." Her laugh is part challenge, part invitation. And damn if I don"t want to accept it.

"Could be," I chuckle, playing it off while my body screams yes.

We"re talking more these days—small chats that turned into long conversations. She"s got this passion for photography, sees the world through lenses and light in ways I never considered. And when she talks about her latest adventure or the picture she"s chasing, it lights something up in me too.

"Got this amazing shot yesterday," she says, pulling out her phone. "Sunrise over the river, you know?"

"Let"s see it." I lean in close, and her scent wraps around me, fresh and sweet. The photo is stunning, the colors bleeding into each other like the sky"s on fire. "That"s...wow."

"Right? It was worth waking up at the crack of dawn." Her eyes meet mine, and there"s this spark, like we"re sharing a secret no one else gets.

"Definitely," I agree, our fingers brushing as she hands me the phone. That touch sends heat straight through me, and I"m harder than a foul ball.

"Jake, you okay?" She"s looking at me with concern now, and I realize I"m gritting my teeth.

"Fine. Just, uh, need the bathroom." I excuse myself, heading inside, cursing under my breath for being such a mess around her.

I lock myself in the bathroom, images of Kaitlyn"s wet body clouding my mind. My hand wraps around myself, and it"s her name I"m whispering as I chase release, quick and dirty. God, what she does to me.

I come, white spurts shooting out of me as I curse under my breath. Fuck, it seems all I do is clean cum splatters off my best friend's bathroom floor these days.

When I come back out, feeling equal parts relieved and ashamed, she"s right there, chatting with someone else. But her eyes find mine across the crowd, and there"s a curious tilt to her smile that makes me wonder what she knows.

"Enjoy your swim?" I tease, sidling up to her once she"s alone again.

"Always do," she grins. "You should try it sometime."

"Maybe I will," I answer, and the promise hangs between us, heavy and charged.

Tonight, I"ll leave with fantasies swirling in my head. But tomorrow, who knows? Maybe I"ll take her up on that offer. After all, I"m already drowning in thoughts of her. Might as well get wet.

I"m leaning against the bar at Nate"s place after another game, nursing a drink I don"t really want. The summer night wraps around us like a sultry promise, but my mind is a goddamn war zone. Kaitlyn"s laughter rings out from the pool, that carefree sound that"s come to mean trouble for me. I shouldn"t be here, shouldn"t let her pull me in with that magnetic charm of hers.

"Hey, ump," she calls out, waving me over with a wet hand, droplets flying. "Come tell me if my dive was a perfect ten!"

She"s joking, playing on my profession, but it"s no joke how much I want to be the one to score every inch of her. My feet move before my brain gives permission and there I am, standing at the edge of the pool, trying not to stare as she surfaces, water streaming off her like some damn mermaid.

"Looked more like a solid eight to me," I banter back, grateful for the darkness hiding my clenched jaw and too-tight shorts.

"Harsh critic!" She pouts playfully, pushing wet strands of hair from her face, and hell if that doesn"t make me imagine other scenarios where her hair would be just as wild, just as wet.

"Got to keep the standards high," I reply, but my voice betrays me and comes out rougher than intended.

Kaitlyn doesn"t seem to notice. Or maybe she does, because suddenly she"s pulling herself out of the pool, all graceful limbs and glistening skin, and I"m hit with an urge so strong it nearly buckles my knees. I should walk away, but instead, I"m frozen, watching her approach me in slow motion.

"Jake," she says softly, so close now I can feel the heat radiating from her body. "Why do you always watch me and never join in?"

Her question pierces through the haze of my desire, and I realize this is it—my moment of truth. Do I keep hiding behind the veil of friendship, or do I risk everything on this slip of a girl who"s under my skin like a tattoo?

"Maybe I"m scared of getting burned," I admit, the words tumbling out raw and honest.

"A pool is cool—not hot," she points out. Her hazel eyes lock onto mine, filled with a daring that says she knows exactly what she"s doing to me.

"It's refreshing" she whispers as she steps closer, close enough for me to catch the scent of chlorine mixed with her floral perfume.

"Maybe I'm afraid I'll be addicted once I try it," I confess, because it"s true. I"ve played with fire before, got scorched enough times to know better. But Kaitlyn, she"s a whole different kind of flame, and I"m not sure any amount of caution will save me from getting singed.

"Then let"s be addicted together," she murmurs, and before I can process the implication, her lips are on mine.

It"s a soft collision, a barely-there touch that has me reeling more than any deep plunge ever could. I"m kissing Kaitlyn Hawkins, and it feels like both a victory and a defeat. Her mouth moves against mine with a sweet urgency that screams innocence, but there"s a flicker of something else there too—curiosity, maybe. Hunger, definitely.

I glance around, and the party is hopping so much, nobody seemed to have noticed our little indiscretion. Thank fuck.

The kiss ends too soon, leaving me gasping, addicted, and utterly screwed. I pull back, look into those wide eyes that seem to see right through me, and I know I"m done for.

"Fuck it," I say, voice heavy with a mix of lust and something dangerously close to tenderness. "Let"s jump in with both feet."

I pick her up and jump into the pool.