Chapter 8
EIGHT
Owen
Meadow walks beside me, matching my stride as if nothing just happened between us.
I’m not sure which part is going to keep me up tonight—the way Meadow looked at me when I told her she deserved better than her nightmare of a manager, or the way her lips parted with a tiny gasp when I basically admitted I’d follow her anywhere.
My daily dose of Meadow.
What the fuck was that?
Since when does anyone turn me into someone who says shit like that?
The steady slap of our sandals against the stone is the only sound between us. The path down to the pool is lit with modern ground lights and tiki torches, casting an amber glow against our skin.
With every second of silence, the awkward tension pulls tighter between us. I should fill it with conversation, but I’m still stuck replaying dinner in my head.
Meadow’s mocha eyes glazing over as each word left my lips.
The way her throat worked when I told her I’d follow her anywhere.
And when she asked if I wanted all the things my ex did—marriage, kids, the staged happily-ever-after—my first thought was that I saw those things with someone like her.
Not even someone like her.
Just her.
What got me the most was that Meadow actually cared to ask about me. She wasn't digging for the messy details of the breakup. She didn't bring it up for gossip or drama.
She genuinely wanted to know how I was holding up.
“Are you… Sad?”
Fuck , just those three words made me feel more than I ever did with my ex.
For the first time in a long time, someone cared to ask about how I felt, what I wanted for my future. In less than five minutes, Meadow asked me the questions that my ex never cared to ask. Instead, my ex told me what she wanted and expected me to follow like a dog on a leash.
My steps falter as we round the last curve in the path, the pool coming into view.
The massive pool spreads out like a glowing lagoon. The edges are rounded and tiered with natural stone, lit from below in shades of aqua that make the water look like liquid moonlight. Palm trees ring the area, their trunks wrapped in string lights.
A couple of cabanas sit off in the corner, draped in white fabric that blows in the night breeze. An older couple is lounging in one of the two hot tubs bordering the pool, a guy is nursing a drink at the swim-up bar, and a family with small children is splashing around in the shallow end.
Even though there are people here, the pool area is so big that it still feels quiet and peaceful.
“This place just keeps getting better,” Meadow says in awe, slowing as we reach the gate.
“No kidding,” I agree, my eyes widening as I push it open. I gesture for her to go first. “After you.”
“Thanks,” she smiles, adjusting the strap of the tote on her shoulder as she steps into the resort’s very own oasis.
We claim two lounge chairs near the opposite side, far enough away from the kids to give us a pocket of privacy. Meadow drops her towel and bag on one chair, then places her phone and room key on the little table between us.
She studies the water, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.
The same lip I’ve fantasized about biting. Dragging between my teeth and pulling into my mouth just to hear the sound she’d make.
“Do you think it’s cold?” she asks, still staring at the rippling surface.
“Can’t be worse than what we live with in Chicago,” I reply, stepping closer until I feel the heat of her shoulder. “This should feel like a sauna compared to that.”
She makes a small, considering sound, her eyes narrowing at the pool.
“You want me to toss you in so you can find out first?” I smirk, bumping her elbow with mine.
Her head snaps toward me, a warning glare in her eyes that tells me she’ll absolutely retaliate.
“Do that, and I swear I’ll drown you,” she threatens, but her grin betrays her. “Right here in front of everybody.”
“Oh yeah?” I murmur, leaning in until her breath hitches. “I’d like to see you try.”
“I’m not kidding, Owen. Push me in, and you’re dead.”
“Cute,” I taunt, unable to stop the splitting grin stretching across my face. “Is that how you flirt now? With death threats?”
She scoffs, rolling her eyes like she can’t decide whether to laugh or strangle me.
“Shut up and get in the pool,” she fires back. “Before I actually follow through with said threat.”
“Damn, you’re feisty tonight,” I reply with a cocky grin. “I like it.”
She chuckles and shakes her head.
“I can’t stand you,” she mutters under her breath before bending down to rummage through her bag.
Her long hair falls over her shoulder in a dark, glossy curtain. My gaze drops, landing on the loose hang of her swimsuit cover, dipping just enough to reveal the top curve of her breasts.
And holy fucking hell.
Her tits are full, round, and sitting pretty in the pink triangles of her bikini top. Two perfect handfuls that look like they were made specifically for my palms and fingers. Her breasts gently bounce with each movement, causing my cock to thicken in my shorts.
She has no idea what she’s doing to me right now.
Bending forward like that with her perfect tits on display, nipples barely hidden behind the nylon fabric.
If she only knew what I’m standing here imagining in my head.
Thoughts of what her soft breasts would feel like filling my hands.
What it’d taste like if I closed my mouth around her puckered nipple—
Jesus.
I drag in a shaky breath and push my fingers through my hair, pulling myself together before I embarrass myself in public.
Needing to distract myself, I toss my towel down on my chair and hook a finger under the hem of my shirt before dragging it over my head in one quick motion.
The humid air slides across my skin, sticky and warm.
I’m not shy about my body—I know I’ll never be as fit as I was in my college football days, but I still hit the gym enough to keep myself in decent shape.
I glance down to tighten the knot on my orange swim trunks and make sure they’re secure on my hips. When I lift my head, I catch Meadow in a fucking trance.
She blinks hard, her eyes darting anywhere but directly at me.
It’s a terrible attempt.
She tries a casual glance.
Then another, before her gaze gives up pretending and drags down my torso in a slow sweep that I feel all over my body.
Her eyes skate over my chest, stall at my stomach, and then dip lower—right to where my trunks ride low on my hips.
Her mouth parts as her tongue flicks out to wet her pouty bottom lip. A bolt of desire punches through me so hard it almost knocks me back a step.
Meadow jerks her gaze back up, her cheeks flushed and breathing uneven, like she just ran a marathon.
She’s turned on by me. And it’s the hottest fucking thing I’ve ever seen.
No matter how hard she tries, her reaction to me isn't subtle or innocent. I have to push down a groan at the way she’s devouring me with her eyes.
Meadow might not see me as anything more than her idiot friend or co-worker, but she’s definitely not immune to the attraction between us. I know that now.
There’s something there that neither of us can describe. And that realization has adrenaline coursing through my body.
“Water looks nice,” I finally say, my voice gritty. “You gonna join me?”
Meadow looks down at her cover-up—a short white dress that stops mid-thigh—and nervously runs her fingers along the hem.
“I’ll, uh... be there in a second,” she answers. “Go ahead. I’ll catch up.”
She’s shy, hesitant about peeling off that protective layer in front of me. Little does she know, I already think every inch of her is fucking flawless.
“Alright,” I nod, giving her the time she needs.
I walk down the wide steps into the pool, letting the water rise over my calves, thighs, and torso. The temperature is perfect. Not scalding like a hot tub, but not cold either. Just warm enough that my muscles loosen as I sink deeper.
I push off from the last step and let myself float back, rolling my shoulders as the water slides over me. For a minute or so, I just drift, letting the water quiet the thoughts I can’t seem to shut off.
“The water’s great—”
When I turn around to call Meadow in, I lose the ability to complete a sentence. To form a fucking word.
I forget how to breathe as the air in my lungs vanishes.
Holy. Fuck.
Meadow is standing at the edge of the pool, basically naked except for the tiny bikini she’s wearing.
Her cover-up is abandoned on the lounge chair, and in its place is the bikini that will be my demise. It’s bright pink with neon flowers and a triangle top that ties behind her neck and mid-back. It bands around her creamy skin, showcasing her supple curves and exposed breasts.
The bottoms are high-cut, riding up on her hips and showing off her smooth thighs. I could spend hours mapping every inch of those thighs with my lips, biting and nipping my way up until I reach the sensitive space between her legs that I know would be dripping for me.
Her stomach catches the blue glow of the pool lights, highlighting silky skin that begs to be kissed and worshiped.
And then I see it—the small silver ring glinting just beneath her navel.
Fuck. Like she needed to give me another reason to lose my damn mind.
I have to clench my jaw to hold back my groan when my gaze lands on the thin piece of fabric hugging her pussy. It’s so tight that I can see her slit, perfectly centered, and waiting for my tongue to part it.
I reach down and discreetly adjust my angry cock to sit beneath the waistband of my shorts. It’s twitching for her, aching with the need to feel her.
A violent pang of hunger rips through me, sharp enough that I have to curl my fingers beneath the water so I don’t haul myself out and drag her right into me.
I feel all hot and tingly, like a beast about to rip out of my skin.
She looks so fucking good.
Too good.
Meadow tucks a piece of hair behind her ear, looking everywhere but directly at me.
Look at me, Meadow.
See what you do to me.