Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Hope
The stars were bright. I’d never seen so many while living in New York. Yet the only lights besides the moon and the sky were the lights from the mansion below and the illuminated pool around us. I sighed.
At a bamboo beach chair, I took off the swim covering and revealed the black one-piece I’d found.
Everything was different now where Charlie was concerned. He popped his head out of the water, and water dripped down his muscles.
I’d half not come out after I’d seen his naked body for a split second, since I was tempted. However, if I hadn't come, I would have just imagined those muscles. And he looked like a god among men.
He called me over. “You’re beautiful, sweetheart.”
I dipped my toe in the water then walked into the shallow end. “I’ve not gone swimming in a long time.”
He stood. “I’ll go slow with you.”
The pool was heated, and so was I. A huge part of me wanted to pick up where we'd left off and imagine we were what we pretended. I met his gaze. “You’ve never gone slow with anything in your life.”
I lowered myself into the water. He watched me, and my skin buzzed with awareness. He followed me in. “That’s not true. I’m going slow with you.”
I walked to the deeper end, and it was like I knew I was heading into danger. “But we’re not real, which means we can be honest.”
He followed me. “Why are you shy now?”
“I was always shy.” I swam to the other end. I hadn’t known my muscles even remembered my lessons from the community pool.
He joined me. “The woman steaming up the shower with me wasn’t.”
A vivid memory of how we couldn’t get enough of each other floated into my mind, but I splashed him a little. “I was living out a fantasy. You weren’t supposed to call.”
Then I swam back, hoping that was the end of the flirting. I wasn’t sure I could handle more.
As he came next to me in the shallow end, he said, “I called.”
My heart skidded. It had been a horrible morning, but he’d kept his word. He’d found me at the restaurant, drinking my sorrows. My body was all trembles as I said, “You did but because you needed something from me, not because you wanted me.”
I pushed off again. If I stayed still, I would kiss him—or worse. Self-preservation was absolutely necessary. He joined me in the deep end, where my feet couldn’t touch the ground.
“You wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want you.”
Goosebumps grew on my arms. I wanted him again. I held on to the wall but scooted back. “You don’t know how to quit.”
He stayed as he was, but his eyes seemed to bore right into my soul. “I’d never quit… on you.”
I was tempted to run out of here or throw myself in his arms for more sweet kisses. Instead, I made a beeline back to where my laps had started. Once my feet were firmly planted, I pushed my hair back. “Well, if I had all your money in the world, I’d create something to call my own.”
He kept his distance, and I realized talking about dreams might keep us separated. It was the only tool I had right now.
He asked, “What would that be?”
If he wasn’t sure, then I would have to prove another way we were all wrong for each other. So I met his gaze. “Advertising is fun, but honestly, if money was no object, I’d be more like you.”
His jaw became firmer. “What do you mean?”
I let out a breath I’d held. No one here expected anything from him except love. I envied that in a way. I shrugged. “Find something that challenges me and overcome it. I hate being afraid of everything.”
He inched closer. “Are you afraid of me?”
“No, not really.” I splashed him more forcefully. “I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop so I stop fantasizing you’re perfect.”
“Sorry to disappoint. I’m absolutely perfect.” He splashed me back.
With water now dripping down my face, I laughed and used both my arms to make sure I made a big wave toward him. “Sure, playboy, sure.”
Maybe it wasn’t the best way to ward off all things named Charlie Norouzi, but I was aching to be his. And splashing helped me keep my distance and laugh, which was why we both needed more than sex. And I was sure the fallout if I fell for Charlie for real would burn me.