Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
Riley
When I wake up the next morning, my stomach complains about missing dinner last night. To say I’m starving doesn’t even cover it. I jump out of bed, throw on a pair of shorts and a tank top, and head downstairs looking for food.
There’s a woman in the kitchen singing softly as she pulls something out of the oven that smells heavenly.
She can’t be taller than five feet, and her dark, curly hair is pulled back with a headband.
She’s wearing black pants and a white shirt rolled up at the elbows.
This must be Rosie. A smile tugs at my lips as I picture her husband, Paul.
He’s a good head taller than her and as thin as a rail.
Turning around, she smiles when she hears my stomach rumble.
“Riley, it’s so nice to meet you.” She walks over and gives me a hug. Awkward.
“I’m sorry I didn’t come down for supper last night. I was exhausted.” I muster up an apologetic smile.
“That’s perfectly fine; no need to apologize. What would you like for breakfast?”
“A cup of coffee and whatever came out of the oven. It smells delicious.”
“It’s banana chocolate chip muffins, my own secret recipe,” she says, handing me a mug full of hot coffee. She plucks a muffin from the tin, placing it on a fancy plate before setting it on the table in front of me.
As I take a warm bite, I can’t help but roll my eyes as it melts in my mouth. This makes Rosie chuckle. “This is the best muffin I’ve ever tasted,” I say. “I’m going to gain a ton of weight while I’m living here.” I thank Rosie for breakfast as she heads into the laundry room.
Once I’ve put my dishes in the sink, I decide to go to the pool and soak up some sun. After changing into my bikini, I pack my lotion, towel, e-reader, and sunglasses into a tote before heading out.
Plopping down on one of the comfy lounge chairs, I slather lotion all over. I’m fair-skinned, and the last thing I need is a sunburn. I’ll have to take pictures of this place so I can send them to Ashley later. It’s so gorgeous, she’s going to freak out!
Leaning back, I close my eyes and let the sun ease the tension in my body. When I feel a splash of cool water hit my feet, I yank off my sunglasses to see what’s happening.
There’s a man swimming in the pool! He pulls himself through the water with such speed and fluidity that I see every toned muscle in his back and arms. He goes underwater, flips, kicks off the wall, starting another lap.
I lose count after thirty. He slowly turns around, dives underwater, then ambles up the stairs.
I have to remind myself to breathe. In all his glistening glory, he’s clearly the most handsome man I’ve ever seen.
He has honey-colored hair with piercing blue eyes, and I’m completely caught off guard when he notices me staring at him as he makes his way over.
“Hi, my name’s Hunter Davis.” He saunters over with a cocky smile. “You must be Riley. Your dad’s told me so much about you.”
What I want to say is, “Really? He doesn’t even know me,” but I hold back. “Well, that’s nice, but I’m sorry—he didn’t mention you at all.” I give him my best sarcastic smile, but I don’t think I pulled it off because he’s chuckling.
He places his hand over his heart and shakes his head. “I’m crushed he didn’t mention me; I live in the apartment above the garage. I have access to the pool and Rosie’s amazing culinary skills.”
“I didn’t even know there was an apartment up there.” I look around, and for the life of me, I don’t see the garages.
“The house is L-shaped, and it’s at the end. I even have my own entrance by the gate.”
“You’re a great swimmer.” I burst out, feeling my cheeks burn as I stare at him like I’ve never seen the male species before.
“Thanks. During the summer, I work as a lifeguard, so I like to do laps on my days off to stay in shape.”
A lifeguard! My heart skips a beat.
I watch his eyes scrutinize every inch of me from the top of my head to the tips of my polished pink toes. When his eyes meet mine, the corners of his mouth curl up in a mischievous grin. “You'd better put some of that sunblock on. You’re burning already.”
“I was about to go inside to get a drink. Could I get you anything?” That damn smile makes my stomach flip.
“Maybe some other time. I’m meeting some friends in an hour for lunch.
” He walks over, extending his hand to me.
When I place mine in his, he pulls me up from my chair and positions me in front of him.
His hands move up and down my arms as his tongue brushes over his bottom lip.
“You'd better go get that drink; it’s really hot out here today,” he whispers as he walks around the corner with his towel slung over his broad shoulders.
I’m still standing here five minutes later because my knees feel weak. Did he know I was out here and put on that little show just for me? I don’t know if I’m flushed from the sun, from Hunter, or from both.
He was right about one thing—my throat’s dry like the desert, and I really need a cold drink.
* * *
Hunter
When I walked through the gate and saw her sitting by the pool in that revealing blue bikini, I had to do extra laps just to get my act together.
Her breasts were spilling out over the top of her swimsuit, and her long dark hair was tied up in a ponytail on top of her head.
All I wanted was to lick my way down her throat to the silky flesh bursting out of her top.
She didn’t notice me as I was walking through the gate because she was wearing shades. But when I dove in, I could feel her staring at me with every stroke I made as I pulled myself through the water. I won’t lie; it was exhilarating.
When I stepped out of the pool to introduce myself, I was captivated by her eyes. They are the same stormy shade of blue as her bikini, and they were inspecting every inch of me. Her long, shapely legs are even more amazing up close and personal.
I hated leaving her just standing there, but when she asked me if she could get me anything, my response was immediate. That’s when I remembered I had fantasized about Riley’s legs wrapped around me last night, and it had been the most explosive orgasm I’ve ever experienced.
How was I going to have dinner with them on Sunday night if she has that kind of effect on me?
When I held her small hand in mine, there was this connection that I hadn’t felt in so long.
I have to keep this on friendly terms, no matter what her touch does to me.
Riley’s way too young and innocent for the likes of me.
After I shower, I hop into my Jeep to head over to Jake’s. They serve the best burgers in town. I’m meeting Connor and a few friends for lunch, and I hope he didn’t ask Beth to join. That would definitely ruin my perfect day so far.
As I walk in, I see everyone sitting at a corner table, so I head over. Beth is here, damn. She’s sitting so close to Connor that she’s practically in his lap.
“Hunter, it’s so nice of you to show up. What took you so long?” Emma asks, trying to hide a smile. Every time I’m late, they assume I’m getting laid.
“I did a few extra laps in the pool, and it set me back. You didn’t have to wait for me to order.”
“You could be a little more considerate, Hunter. I’m eating for two now, and I’m trying to stick to a schedule.” Beth rubs her belly as everyone’s eyes widen. I’m guessing Connor didn’t tell anyone but me.
Connor places his hand on Beth’s leg; he might just be pinching it for all I know because she’s giving him a look that could kill.
Connor clears his throat. “I was going to wait until after we had lunch to tell you guys the news, but I think Beth just did.”
I look at all their faces. Emma, Zoe, and Grayson seem ready to cry. And Alex—the only other guy at the table besides me and Connor—looks pissed.
Alex speaks up. “Beth, have you ever heard of birth control? In this day and age, no one gets pregnant unless they want to, so I’m guessing you wanted to.”
Beth quickly stands up, knocking into the table, and causing everyone’s drinks to spill. We rush to grab napkins to clean up the mess before it gets worse. Too late. “I should have expected this reaction from all of you. Bro’s before ho’s, right, Alex?”
Beth grabs Connor’s hand, pulling him out of his chair. But he follows her right out the door like a little puppy, without even a goodbye.
The waitress approaches to help clean up the mess. We apologize repeatedly as she waves her hand, telling us not to worry. She places down more napkins just in case as she takes our orders.
“What the hell just happened?” Grayson asks. She’s pale, and her bottom lip is trembling.
Customers are still staring at us as I decide to tell them what I know. “Connor just told me she was pregnant last night. He needed to let it all sink in before telling everyone, but he should have known bringing Beth here would mess that all up.”
“Well, let’s change the subject. If Connor needs us, he knows where to find us. This is between him and Beth.” Emma has always been the peacemaker.
So, we talk about work, which was what originally brought us all together.
This is our third summer working together, and we’ve been friends ever since.
I’ve had to console Emma and Zoe through some major breakups.
Grayson experienced a death in the family, which was the hardest for me to handle, and the only thing I had to do for Alex was cover for him a few times with his girlfriend, who is now an ex.
But I have no idea how I’m going to handle Connor’s problem—nothing I could say or do would fix this.