8. Scott

8

SCOTT

I was serious about Hannah and Liddy enjoying the pool. My motivations, however, were suspect.

Seeing Hannah in her bathing suit made me have to adjust my cock when her back was turned.

She picked up Liddy and helped her step into the shallow end of the swimming pool. Liddy splashed and giggled, but it was Hannah who held my attention. I’d expected her to be stunning in a bathing suit and she didn’t fail to impress. She wore a simple one-piece in electric blue that made her eyes pop. The suit cupped her ass and tits perfectly, the sleek material showing every curve leaving her back exposed as it dipped into a deep V that ended right above the curve of her ass.

I’d caught her kissing Arthur this morning. The heat between them was enough to light the whole house on fire. I’d never seen Arthur like that, so free and desperate. He’d looked ready to devour Hannah right there in the kitchen. I couldn’t blame him. Something about her called to me too, a clawing, greedy need that nothing else would satisfy.

“Scott.” The suspicion in Arthur’s voice brought out a devilish smile. Arthur rolled his head side to side, the muscles and tendons popping like they’d been under a great strain. “I thought you were cooking.” He stalked to my side and took a swig from his beer.

I flipped the burgers and checked the brats. “I am.”

“Careful you don’t cook the wrong dog.” Ryland backhanded my shoulder and pointed at my dick. “You’re getting awfully close to having a scorched wiener.”

“Fuck off.” I shoved him toward the pool and he took off with a laugh. A second later, he cannonballed into the water, splashing Hannah and Liddy, who both screamed with laughter.

I kept an eye on Arthur, who seemed incapable of tearing his eyes away from Hannah. I smirked. If he didn’t have any qualms about making a move on her, then neither did I.

Housekeeper or not, we had it bad for Hannah. I knew one surefire way to satisfy everyone, and I saw no reason to hold back. We’d shared girls in college, back when we were free-spirited and much younger.

“Catch me!” Liddy held her arms out wide as she stood at the edge of the pool, her pink floaties wrapped around her tiny upper arms. Ryland wiped water from his face and smiled wide enough to show every tooth in the idiot’s head.

“I got you,” he said as he held out his own arms, ready to catch her.

He had her alright, and Liddy had wrapped Ryland around her pinky within seconds after they met. Same with Arthur. Neither of them had anything close to family before, except each other. A tight ball of emotion crawled up my throat as I watched them. I swallowed it back down and stabbed one of the burgers, flipping it to check the bottom.

Liddy’s and Hannah’s giggles floated on the breeze, the sound light and effervescent as champagne bubbles. I wanted to capture them, freeze them in time, and hold onto the sound forever.

“Do you remember Bethany?” I asked Arthur, keeping my voice flat and quiet so it wouldn’t travel across to Hannah.

Arthur choked on his beer. “Bethany from college?”

“You know any other Bethany’s?” I flipped the remaining burgers. Motion from the pool pulled my attention back to Hannah. She stepped out of the water and crossed to a lounge chair. Water glistened on her skin, the droplets almost begging for a caress.

“What about her?” Arthur snapped his fingers in front of my face.

My gaze cut to Arthur, then back to Hannah. I wondered if they would be up for a little fun this summer though Hannah struck me as the kind of woman who held herself back. What I had in mind challenged most women, but I’d seen how she kissed Arthur. I’d noticed how she looked at Ryland like she’d rather ride his cock than breathe. We had a chance to experience something spectacular over the next three months. Hannah’s temporary role put us in a prime position.

What could possibly go wrong?

“Burgers are burning.” Arthur’s statement forced my attention back to the grill. I cursed and shoved them all onto a plate before they turned inedible.

“Let’s eat.”

Arthur and Ryland carried everything over to the tables. Hannah had convinced Liddy to leave the pool and settled in on one side of the table, leaving the three of us to cram into the other side.

The meal passed quickly with a flurry of questions from Liddy. She wanted to know everything about the pool, our house, our jobs. For a three-year-old, she had a deep need for knowledge, and even when her questions came out with a few words missing, we always understood the gist of it and answered without hesitation.

The whole thing gave me an idea.

With Liddy fed and exhausted from the pool, Hannah scooped her up from the table. “I’d better give her a bath and put her to bed.”

“Will you come back out?” I wiggled a beer bottle back and forth. “Just for one more?”

She hesitated, her gaze roaming across each of our faces then the pool. The blue deepened, and a slight hitch in her breath sent a shot of adrenaline pumping through me. “Yeah, I’ll come back.”

I resisted the urge to fist-pump the air by gripping my hand into a tight fist in my lap.

Arthur waited until Hannah walked into the house and closed the glass door behind her before rounding on me. “What are you up to?”

“Testing the waters, my friend.” I stood and pushed the beverage cooler closer to the pool, then jumped into the crystal clear water. I swam laps back and forth until my arms turned to jelly and Hannah returned to sit on the edge of the pool, her feet dangling in the water.

Arthur and Ryland remained at the table until I swam over to Hannah and handed her a beer. She cracked the cap and took a deep pull. Her throat dipped, the slim column glinting gold as the sun fell, painting her in glorious tones that breathed life and vitality. She kicked one foot toward me.

“So. What are we doing?”

You , I wanted to say. But I couldn’t risk it yet. She needed a little priming first. “Up for a little game?”

One brow raised, skeptical. “What kind of game?”

God I loved the sultry sweetness of her voice. It mingled with the night air. My cock twitched, and I swam backward away from her. “Truth or dare.”

“That juvenile game?” Arthur scoffed as he slid into the water and swam toward us.

“It’s only juvenile if you pick stupid dares or inconsequential truths.” I locked eyes with Hannah. “Neither of which I plan to do. Are you in?”

She eased into the water. The transition from mother to relaxed participant happened in a blink and I almost missed it. “Who’s going first?” She splashed water toward me. “I think it should be you since it was your idea.”

“Excellent point.” Arthur ducked beneath the water and grabbed my ankle. He gave it a jerk that was part warning, part playful. I kicked free from him and paddled around Hannah.

“Fine. I’ll go first.”

“Truth or dare, Scott?” Hannah turned in the water so I stayed within her sight. Was it because she didn’t trust me, or she wanted to watch me? Either could be true. I stopped swimming and treaded water to stay afloat.

“Dare.”

Challenge sparked in her eyes, a look I was coming to love. She tapped her chin with one finger as she thought it over. “I dare you to do a belly flop off the diving board.”

“Ouch.” I rubbed my stomach, already anticipating the pain. “Done.” Swimming over to the edge, I hauled myself up and onto the diving board. I blew her a kiss while standing on the end, jumped once, and splayed my arms and legs. The blow knocked the air from my lungs and hurt like a son of a bitch, but it was worth it to hear Hannah’s gasp and see the worry when I flipped onto my back and floated over to her. “Your turn. Truth or dare?”

“Truth.” She shook her head with a grimace. “Almost afraid to choose dare after that.”

“You didn’t think I’d do it?” I smirked at her when she blushed. “It’s fine. Most people underestimate my level of audaciousness. Ryland, you ask her a question.”

Ryland propped his elbows on the edge of the pool and watched Hannah through lidded eyes. Yeah, we were all sinking fast for this girl. “If you could have anything in the world, what would it be?”

“Security for Liddy,” she answered without a shred of hesitation. “She deserves that. It’s not her fault I slept with a douchebag who ran off and left us with nothing.”

The reality of her situation settled between all of us. I’d known a little about her history, but it hadn’t truly sank in until that moment. “I’m sorry.” I whispered the words, and she gave a short shrug.

“Does that mean it’s Ryland’s turn?” She ducked beneath the water, then popped up and climbed onto the flamingo float she’d bought. The sight of her laying there intoxicated me. Everything about her drew me in, made me want to get closer.

“Yes. Truth or dare, Ryland?”

“Dare.” The look he gave me said I’d better make it good.

Oh, I planned on it.

Watching Hannah, I said, “I dare you to run naked around the pool.” He was out of the water and stark naked in seconds.

Hannah covered her eyes with a squeal, her laughter pealing out. “My eyes.”

“That’s right. You’ll never look at me the same way again.” Ryland raced around the pool. The man had no shame. Like me, he enjoyed a challenge and wasn’t afraid to go for what he wanted.

Hannah snorted and peeked through her fingers. “Got that right.”

I didn’t have to be a mind reader to know what she was thinking, what she was staring at.

“My turn.” Arthur smacked water toward me as Ryland dove back into the pool. He’d left his shorts in a pile on the concrete. His bare ass shone in the moonlight. Hannah dropped her hands to her lap and watched him. Admiration tipped her lips up in a half smile.

“Truth or dare, Arthur?”

“Truth.”

Of course he’d pick truth. I nearly rolled my eyes at him.

Hannah flipped onto her stomach and kicked her feet up in the air while propping her chin in her hands. “How many women have you slept with?”

Damn. Talk about a question worthy of a nondisclosure agreement.

Arthur’s frown deepened to the point I thought he’d walk away and never come back. He met Hannah’s open curiosity with a non-wavering gaze and a flat tone when he answered, “Three.”

“Truth or dare, Hannah?” I interceded before we dipped into dangerous territory.

She took her time looking away from Arthur and finding me. The pool lights kicked on, painting the world in shades of blue mixed with shadow. “Dare.” She said it so quietly I almost missed it.

We’d gone from cute and funny to sultry and intoxicating. Ryland’s flirtatious race set the tone for my dare, but I worried that Arthur’s deep truth ruined any chance of it working.

I had to try.

“I dare you to kiss each of us.” I held up one finger to stop her when her mouth dropped. “And tell us who’s the best kisser.”