Chapter 9

We walked in silence,eventually coming up to a beautiful two-story cottage I'd never seen before.

"Where are we?" I asked, taking in the beauty of the landscaping on the property.

"My uncle's place," Reese explained. "He's out of town a lot."

He led me around the side of the cottage, where I saw the most stunning backyard with an in-ground pool. The water was crystal blue and shimmering in the sunlight. My eyes widened.

"This is gorgeous!"

Reese smiled, pleased by my reaction. "Wait until you see the view of the lake from the pool."

I followed him toward the pool deck, taking in my surroundings. Being here with Reese felt special, like he could be here with anyone, but for some odd reason, he wanted to be here with me.

"C'mon, let's jump in," Reese said eagerly, pulling his shirt over his head.

My eyes immediately gravitated to his sculpted body, the defined muscles rippled with every breath he took. I blushed and looked away. "Get a grip, Chandler!" I scolded myself.

"What's the matter, Hartford? You chicken?"

I rolled my eyes, attempting to conceal my thoughts. "You wish."

He took a running start, cannonballing into the pool. I laughed and jumped in after him, and we came up gasping.

"Not bad, but your cannonball needs a little work," Reese said, pushing his wet hair back.

We joked back and forth, our banter flowed easily. Reese's laugh was cute and melodic, and I didn't hate hearing it. Then, the playful mood shifted, and our eyes locked. A blush rose to my cheeks as we took a moment to catch our breath. There was an intensity in his emerald eyes that made me nervous.

"So..." I said, looking down at my hands in the water to try to calm my nerves. "This view is amazing. It feels like we're swimming right on top of the lake. Do you come here a lot?"

Lame small talk, but I couldn't think straight with him looking at me like that.

"Sometimes," he said. "When I want to get away from everything. It's peaceful here."

I paused, silently wondering what kind of things he wanted to escape from. He seemed like the type of person who could have anything he wanted—whenever he wanted.

"I was hoping I'd get to talk to you again after the party." Reese's voice broke through the brief moment of silence.

His interest took me by surprise. I peered at him, searching his eyes for any hint of his usual cockiness, but found none. "What did you want to talk about?" I asked cautiously.

"More about you." His answer was simple, yet it piqued my interest. He leaned back against the pool edge, arms stretched out along the tiled border, casual yet somehow commanding. "I'm intrigued by you," he said, softly. "I like that you're not caught up in the drama of Bayside, and your line drives are pretty impressive."

"Is that so?" I teased, keeping my tone light. "And here I thought you enjoyed all the attention and being in the center of the drama."

"Maybe—sometimes it's entertaining," he conceded with a sly grin. "But there's something refreshing about someone who isn't a part of it. Like you."

"Be careful, Carrington. Someone might think you were actually trying to be kind," I joked, splashing water in his direction playfully.

Reese's eyes glinted with mischief as he pushed off from the pool's edge to float closer. "Don't tell anyone," he said, flashing a smile. "I wouldn't want anyone to think there's anything kind about me."

"Your secret's safe with me," I joked, trying to play it cool as my heart raced because the space between us was shrinking.

The embarrassing truth was that no matter how cool I tried to play it around him, he made it impossible for me to ignore his appeal. His self-assurance, charm, toned body—that was now just a few inches away.

"So..." he said, his curiosity evident. "What's the deal with you and Riley?"

"Huh? Boston? What do you mean?" I asked, caught off guard.

Reese raised an eyebrow. "Come on, I see the way he looks at you. He's totally into you."

My cheeks flushed. "No way, he'd never look at me like that. He's Parker's best friend, and we've just known each other forever—practically since diapers."

"There's more to it than that, I can tell," Reese said genuinely before he asked, "You aren"t hoping he"ll ask you to the Bayside Ball?"

"No," I answered. "I honestly don"t think it sounds that fun."

"You don"t hear that often around here," he smirked—not his usual, confident smirk, but it seemed more genuine, almost fascinated.

"Well, I"m not from Bayside," I reminded him.

"Speaking of Boston.." I began, hesitantly. He raised an eyebrow in that infuriatingly arrogant way of his.

"What about him?" Reese's jaw tightened almost immediately. His tone was casual, but his body was tense.

"I know you two have been competitive over the years. And don't say it has been in a friendly, joking way—something feels more serious than that." I watched Reese's face carefully as I spoke. "You are teammates now and you need to work together."

Reese was silent for a moment, looking away in the distance. When he finally spoke, his voice was low. "It's just normal guy stuff. It's nothing you need to worry about."

I moved even closer, forcing him to make eye contact with me. "You seriously need to let it go."

Reese held my gaze for a long moment before he replied. "Fine, I'll work on it." He forced a small smile. "But no promises."

I sighed, knowing this was the best I was going to get from him for now. The tension between Reese and Boston worried me, but at least I had opened the dialogue a bit more. For now, that would have to be enough.

"And you asked me about Boston, but don"t you have a girlfriend?" I asked, deflecting. "You two seem like a cute couple."

"Nah, it's not like that." He shook his head. "We're not together anymore. Me and Blair just hook up sometimes when it's convenient for her. She's kinda possessive over me, but she's always been that way—I guess it's more of a friends-with-benefits thing."

"Well, Boston and I don"t have any benefits," I said firmly.

Reese smiled, a dimple flashing in his cheek. "Good to know, but benefits can be the best part."

I raised an eyebrow. "I"m sure you"d think that," I retorted, a playful edge to my tone.

Reese gave a subtle smile, his smoldering eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that was both disarming and enticing. He leaned in closer, his tone smooth as silk and just as dangerous. "I bet you"d like benefits with me," he whispered, the words hanging between us like a tantalizing promise.

His gaze never wavered from mine, daring me to react. "Look, I"ll give you two options," he continued, his voice low and tempting. "Get out of the pool like I think you"ll probably do." he paused, a flicker of challenge. "Or stay... and let me show you."

My heart hammered in my chest, but I found myself anchored to the spot. There was no room for words, only the anticipation buzzing between us. I remained still, unblinking, as if challenging his threat.

Then, with a fluidity that matched the ripples surrounding us, Reese closed the little distance left. His hands slid smoothly around my waist. I sucked in a breath, dizzy from his woodsy cologne and the intoxicating nearness of him.

Reese tilted my chin up. His eyes searched mine, apparently finding consent there, then he slowly lowered his mouth on mine.

My eyelids fluttered shut. The kiss started slow and tender, as if he was testing the waters, unsure if I'd stop him. His lips were soft and tentative, then more intense. His tongue felt warm as he slipped it into my mouth, as though it were casually flirting with mine. I could almost taste the cocky smirk on his face, and even worse—I liked it. I placed my arms over his broad shoulders, melting into his embrace-–-feeling his strong chest against mine. I couldn't get enough of him.

I thought I knew what a kiss was supposed to be, but Reese taught me otherwise. His mouth moved against mine with an expertise that should have been alarming for how fast it made my heart race. But instead, it felt like paradise. His hands were strong, and he knew exactly where to place them, cradling my face as his thumb brushed my cheek in a tenderness that didn't echo his bad-boy reputation.

When we finally broke apart, my body felt like it was drifting away. I opened my eyes slowly, unprepared for the rush of sensations that left me feeling untethered, as if gravity had loosened its grip just for me—to allow me the kindness of floating on this cloud just a while longer.

"Fuck, I knew you were into me," he drew in a long breath, the corners of his mouth lifting into an arrogant, yet endearing smile.

"Shut up," I splashed him playfully, and I couldn't help but smile. Kissing him was different from any kiss I"d had before. It wasn't like those clumsy, fleeting encounters during spin the bottle in Kithma Kennedy's basement. I had a few drunken flings this past year that never ended up escalating to sex. But, none of those encounters had made me feel the way he just did.

No, this kiss... it was as if every nerve ending came alive, sparking a sensation that was all-consuming and entirely new.

We both rested our backs near the edge of the pool, taking a moment to relax. "We should probably get back to the others," Reese said, his gaze flickering to me. "Before they send out a search party."

I snickered. "You're right." I couldn't help but see the mental image of Willow organizing our friends into some search party with maps and flashlights in hand. The confidence in her navigation skills would be endearing, but a bit misplaced.

"By the way, some friends are coming over tomorrow night. Just another get-together at my place. You should stop by if you're free."

I smiled at him softly. "I'll think about it."

We stood up and Reese took my hand, intertwining our fingers. I couldn"t help but notice the contrast between his strong, calloused hand and my delicate one. The warmth of his touch made me feel safe and connected to him in that moment.

"Come on, I'll lead the way," he said with a roguish grin, holding my hand down a narrow path through the trees and down the hill.

We crept back towards the water, trying not to attract any attention. The sounds of the others laughing and talking echoed across the still lake. I tiptoed back into the cool water, the mud squishing between my toes.

Willow floated on her back just a few feet away, her blonde hair fanning out around her, oblivious to my temporary disappearance as Parker was talking her ear off. Boston had returned and was talking to another player nearby. Taking a deep breath, I leaned back and let the water hold me up too, staring at the clouds drifting slowly above us. For now, I could pretend I hadn't just been fraternizing with the enemy. I could pretend everything was normal. But the gnawing guilt remained, an undercurrent threatening to take me down at any moment.

I peeked over at Reese, talking to a group of players who were drying off like he didn't have a care in the world. How could he be so calm when my heart was pounding out of my chest? All I could do now was float here, acting natural, while my mind spun in endless circles, trying to process it all.

On the ride home, I couldn"t help but notice a strange expression on Boston"s face as he focused on the road.

"So... what's going on with you and Reese?" he asked, a hardness to his tone.

I glanced over at him in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"I saw you guys talking earlier," Boston said, his jaw tight.

My cheeks flushed. I stared down at my hands. "There's nothing going on," I mumbled. I honestly wasn't sure what was going on or what was even happening.

Boston was silent for a moment, then he swallowed hard, looking away. "Just be careful, okay? Reese isn't as charming as he seems."

"Woah," Parker called out from the back seat of the car, popping his head up between Boston and me. "Something between Chandler and Reese Carrington? Ha! That would never happen."

I rolled my eyes, trying to ignore the annoyance that bubbled up inside of me. I glanced at Boston, who seemed equally unimpressed with Parker's comment.

"Really, Parker? How would you know?" I sighed, shaking my head.

"Come on, it's Reese Carrington. He is constantly surrounded by hot girls and you're like the opposite of a hot girl…" Parker teased. "Now, on to more realistic topics… The real question is, how into me is Willow? I think I spotted her checking out my abs."

Willow being into Parker? Boston and I couldn't help but laugh. It was hard to stay annoyed when Parker was being ridiculous. The laughter felt like a release, as if some of the tension that had been building between us had momentarily dissipated.

"I can't stand you," I said, wiping away a tear that had escaped during our laughter. "You got us, Parker. I'll admit, Willow's annoyance with you seems to be subsiding just a bit. I think I saw her laugh at one of your stupid jokes."

"Ha! I knew it!" Parker said triumphantly, sinking back into the back seat with a satisfied grin.

"Good for you, buddy," Boston chimed in, giving Parker a playful wink. "Just don't let it go to your head."

"Of course not," Parker responded, emphasizing innocence. "I'm just happy to finally have someone who appreciates my amazing sense of humor."

"Amazing might be a bit of a stretch," I teased, smirking at him in the rearview mirror.