the lounge chair facing Sophia, mainly so I could see her in her bikini. Even though I’d seen her naked countless times, there was something so sexy about looking at her while she was covered in the areas only I had access to.
Sophia rolled her head to the side, and she pulled her sunglasses up to get a better look at me. “What does that mean?”
I couldn’t tell what she was thinking because her expression seemed to catch somewhere between confusion and anger. I realized quickly that the “in between” was a dangerous place to be.
“Just because I could get used to this.” I gestured to the outdoor area that was centered between the various buildings in the complex. It was the middle of the afternoon, and we hadn’t seen a soul at the pool. “Lying here with you in the sun.” I ran a hand over her knee and up a little higher, stopping just below what would be considered inappropriate for public viewing. “Getting you wet.”
“Drew,” she said with a swat to my hand. “Not here.”
“What? That’s not what I meant,” I said, acting as though the word choice was accidental.
Sophia knew me better than that. She rolled her eyes playfully.
“I was talking about the pool.”
She couldn’t help but smile. “Sure you were.”
Aamee and I didn’t know it when we’d looked at the place initially, but the apartments were frequently used as short-term housing for businesspeople who traveled to a technology company that was practically next door. It seemed most of the people in the complex were working during the day, which meant the pool and other outdoor spaces weren’t at all crowded.
Sophia interned at the marketing firm, but she was typically done by early afternoon and had Fridays off. I usually used the mornings to make some progress at Rafferty’s, and then I’d come home for a few hours to relax and spend some time with Sophia before heading back over to bartend.
The schedule seemed to work well so far, and even though I was working more hours than I was used to, having a place to relax that actually felt relaxing made it easier.
“If you don’t believe me, I can show you.”
It took her a moment to realize what I’d meant, but once she did, she gripped the chair tightly.
“Don’t you dare! It’s probably cold in there!”
“There’s only one way to find out.” Scooping her up under her legs and back, I lifted her easily. But the chair rose with her.
“You can’t throw the chair in too,” she squealed.
“Sure, I can. There are already some in the water.”
I was referring to the six chairs situated near the edge on a specially designed ledge that was only about a foot deep so people could relax without getting too hot outside of the pool. Of course, even though the chairs were the same style as the one Sophia currently had a death-grip on, her chair wasn’t supposed to be thrown in the pool.
“You’re gonna get us kicked out, Drew!” she said frantically.
“Then you better let go of the chair because you’re going in either way.”
She was barely hanging on to it anyway because her grip had been awkward from the beginning and the chair was cumbersome. I heard it hit the pavement and felt one of the bars slam into my shin. Once Sophia’s arms were free, she wrapped them tightly around me.
“If I’m going in, so are you,” she said.
“Fine with me,” I said before heading to the edge of the pool and launching both of us into it.
She was still clinging on to me when we entered the water, but her smile told me she was happier about it than she let on. Wrapping her legs around my waist, she leaned in to kiss me. At first, it was quick and playful, but when she pulled away, I leaned into her to capture her mouth again.
We’d kissed for only a few seconds before I had her pressed against the side of the pool. When she ground against me, I was sure she could feel me through my thin swim trunks.
“Told you I like you wet,” I teased.
“I can tell,” she breathed. “Wanna go upstairs? Taylor won’t be home until later.”
“I kind of like it here,” I told her, my hand brushing lightly over her stomach on its descent lower.
“Drew,” she scolded breathlessly when my fingers inched below her bikini bottoms. “This is really gonna get us kicked out this time.”
It was a good point, but one