5. Greer #3
“Or something,” she said, snapping the lid on her own bowl. “Troy didn’t like it. Before we started dating, I used to do it all the time, but things have gotten so chaotic since I haven’t gotten back into it.”
“Why don’t you come with me tomorrow? I’ll go easy on ya,” he said, pushing his shoulder lightly into hers.
“Will you now,” she said, laughing as she swished her own feet in the water. “Why do I get the feeling this’ll be a setup and you’ll wind up smoking me?”
“Aww, now, don’t use that as an excuse,” he said, putting his arm around her. “C’mon, I know you probably packed some running clothes.”
She sighed and looked up at the sky full of stars. “Not running per se, but I do have some workout gear.”
“Knew it,” he said, a smug grin tugging up his lips.
“Am I really that predictable?” She turned her big blue eyes up at him.
“Yes,” he answered, without question. “But only because I know you so well now.”
“Oh, really?” she asked, a hint of challenge in her voice. “Well, you’re pretty predictable too, you know.”
“Is that so?” he answered, the same challenge in his voice. “If that’s the case, tell me what I’m thinking right now.”
For a hot second, their eyes locked, and despite there being very minimal light out, he knew down to his bones that he’d heard her heart skip a beat. She held his stare, and for the first time ever, he wasn’t sure what was going to come out of Tessa’s mouth.
“You’re thinking this is an epic waste of time and you wish you were back in Boston.”
“Incorrect,” he said, studying her neck, her pulse pounding away at the side. “Try again.”
“You’re thinking about the fight coming up.”
“I’m always thinking about the fight,” he said honestly, reaching up to stroke a finger along her jawline. Her eyes fluttered in response, and she didn’t seem to notice when she leaned in just an inch closer. “But that’s not what I’m thinking about right now.”
This time, she visibly swallowed, but didn’t look away. “You’re wondering how you got into this whole fake boyfriend thing.”
Greer paused for the tiniest of moments, a thousand thoughts flooding his brain. He could not get a read on Tessa, her beautiful face still inches away from him, but the moon effectively cast a shadow over half of it. He wondered if he was wrong, if he was pushing things too hard.
Or if she felt the same way he was feeling for her.
“No, Tess,” he said, cupping her jaw and stroking her cheekbone with his thumb. He could have sworn a small whimper escaped her in response. “I know exactly why I’m here. It’s because I want to be.”
“You do?” she asked, and once again, he wondered. Was she happy about that? Sad?
Scared?
He wasn’t sure he could handle Tessa being scared of him for any reason.
“I do,” he said, going back to stroking her cheek. Her skin was so soft that he vowed to commit it to memory. Something he could remember her by later. “It’s because someone told me this incredible woman needed my help, and she’s come to mean a whole lot to me ever since.”
“Greer,” she said softly, the look of surprise spreading across her face. “I think that’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever told me.”
“Well, good,” he said. “Because you didn’t guess what I was really thinking.”
“Oh,” she said, seemingly realizing that they’d gotten a tad off topic. “What were you thinking?”
He couldn’t help the wide grin that spread across his face. “I was thinking it’s a hot night. Might be a good time for a swim.”
She yelped as he scooped his arm under her legs, bringing her close as he launched them off the dock.
But just as soon as the water rushed over his head, his feet touching the bottom briefly before he pushed them back to the surface, he wondered if she had anything on her that could have been damaged by water.
He knew she didn’t have her cell phone, and he’d left his in the house, too.
But she did have her smartwatch on, which should have been fine?
It didn’t matter if she could swim or not. He had her. He’d keep her safe.
He probably should have checked to see if she had a fear of the water, though.
Bursting through the surface, he held her tightly to his chest, shocked beyond all belief when she whooped, splashing her arms and legs, and laughing like he’d never heard her laugh before.
“Oh, my gosh!” She continued to laugh, pushing the sopping hair from her face without a care in the world. “I did not see that coming!”
“Can you swim?” he wondered, holding onto her as he tread water.
She gave him a ridiculous look as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I was on the swim team in high school. Two time champions. Go Riots.”
“You’re not mad I dunked you then?” he asked, amazed he didn’t know this about her.
“I probably should be,” she said, turning her face up to reflect the moonlight. “But I seriously can’t find it in me. You were right, it was hot. And this feels good.”
“It does,” he said, wholeheartedly agreeing. The moon, the stars.
Tessa tucked into his arms.
“You know, you never did ask me what I was thinking,” she said.
Greer’s back snapped so straight he wondered if he looked like a meerkat with his head rising above the surface. The slight hesitation in her voice captured his attention in spades.
“What were you thinking?”
She rolled her lips in slightly, timidly, making him reactively grip her tighter to him. “Do you remember what I asked you at the Bruins game?”
Kiss me. The words echoed through his head as he stared at her. But when he felt her fingers slide into his hairline, he was done for.
Meeting her halfway, his lips found hers and, just like he’d come to expect, that spark ignited.
Before he realized what he was doing, he’d dropped her legs and crushed her torso against him, all but devouring her.
His fingers gripped, and his mouth took, all while she clung to him, hanging on for the ride.
Or maybe she was the one driving all along?
“Did you hear that?” a man’s voice asked from… somewhere? Greer and Tessa stopped, frozen mid-kiss in the water.
“It must be animals,” a high-pitched, rather whiny-sounding voice said. “I heard a grunt.”
“Is it mating season?”
“No, you daft fool, it’s not the right time for mating season.”
“Why do you always have to argue with me?”
“Why are you always asking dumb questions?”
Tessa’s eyes grew wide, probably like his at that time, as the arguing moved further away and stopped altogether after the thud of a door.
And right on cue, they began laughing.
“Oh, that was perfect,” Greer said, softly kissing Tessa once more. Her face was still close to his and near impossible to resist.
“We almost got caught,” she said, though her eyes seemed alight with danger. “Water carries sound, so who knows who might have heard us?”
“We’d better get in before they send a search party,” Greer said in a low tone, trying to keep himself from laughing.
Reaching for her, he felt for the bottom of the lake and began to slosh out on shaky, waterlogged legs.
But once they made it to shore, Tessa began an exhausted giggle, and he was done for.
Staggering back into the house, they found their way to a nearby bathroom, and once again, Greer was impressed by what he saw. A spacious, white-tiled room that was well furnished with a tub and shower combo. Tessa dug into the cabinets, passing him a towel.
“I probably ought to shower,” she said, wringing out her hair.
“Same,” he said, wondering if she might invite him for one. He wasn’t going to push, but he also wasn’t going to refuse.
“You still need to pick a room for the night,” she said, leading him to believe she’d like some alone time if she were sending him away on an errand. That was fine; it wasn’t their last night together by far.
“I do,” he said. “I’m probably going to crash, so I’ll say goodnight here?”
Hopefully not?
Tessa smiled at him, a real, genuine, honest smile that made his heart warm. “Thank you for everything, Greer.”
“You’re welcome,” he said, more automatically than anything. What did she have to thank him for? If anything, “I’m the one who should be thanking you.”
“Agree to disagree then,” she said, chuckling.
Greer stepped forward, sliding a hand to her lower back and leaning in for a soft kiss goodnight. Taking the choice out of her hands, he stepped backward toward the door, giving her a smile before leaving.
“Goodnight,” she said.
“Sweet dreams, Tess,” he returned, stepping out into the hallway and moving back to the living room.
He grabbed his bag off the floor and wandered down to where the bedrooms were, surprised there were four here, and he really did have a choice.
Picking the one next door to hers, he tossed his bag on the bed, trying to get his head around how things had changed.
Tonight they’d been entirely by themselves. They weren’t performing any longer.
But even more, he saw a side of Tessa that he’d always hoped was there and just buried deep down inside of her. The side that didn’t have a desperate need for control. The side that was spontaneous.
The person he suspected she always had been before this ex of hers decided she wasn’t good enough as she was.
As he pulled his sopping shirt over his head and his shorts off, he walked to the ensuite bathroom and draped them over the towel rod before turning on the shower. He needed to get ready for bed and get a good night’s sleep because tomorrow morning was the start of a new day.
It was more alone time with Tessa, but this time it was all about being themselves. No pretenses or acting.
Tomorrow, everything was going to be different.