Page 57 of Wilder at Heart
‘Everyone’s getting in. Miles and Saoirse thought it’d be a laugh.’
‘What happened tono organised fun?’ I grumble. ‘And it’s not on the schedule. Drunk swimming’s not a good idea. What if someone dives into the shallow end and cracks their head open?’
‘Hey.’ His hand rubs my stomach. ‘Put away the clipboard, would you, Karen, and relax. No one’s dying tonight. Let’s just be spontaneous. Okay?’
And so I allow him to lead me back to our room, where I lock myself in the bathroom, pull my hair up into a messy bun on the top of my head, and stick on a red bikini and a matching halter neck cover-up while Theo gets changed in the bedroom.
‘You decent?’ I shout before I dare open the bathroom door.
‘Afraid so,’ he replies.
He’s jaw-dropping. I’ve seen him in shorts before, but these swimming trunks lie low on his hips, giving me the perfect view of the V of muscle that disappears under the waistband. His skin is a gorgeous, even tan that emphasises the sculptural plains of his pecs and abs. He rakes a hand through his dark hair as he eyes me.
‘Can’t wait to see what’s under that dress thingy.’
‘Shut up.’
I allow him to take my hand and lead me out to the pool. Most of the others are already in. Stephen and Margot are definitely the most hammered. He’s giving her a piggyback as she screams delightedly. I hope they aren’t too hungover tomorrow to enjoy their day of freedom.
I go to untie my halter neck, but Theo’s hand shoots to the back of my neck.
‘Allow me?’
I want to tell him to fuck off, because he’s taking this fake-boyfriend thing a bit too far. It’s absolutely not necessary for him to undress me in public. But I find myself nodding and dropping my hand.
He unties it, and the slip of fabric drops to my feet, leaving me in just my red string bikini. His gaze follows it down and back up over my body. I know this because my eyes are glued to his face. He bends to grab the dress, and I step out of it so he can chuck it on a lounger.
‘Even more beautiful than I imagined,’ he murmurs as he comes back up. His thumb brushes against my bare hip bone. ‘I am so fucked.’
Mr Emotionally Slutty strikes again. I wish he wouldn’t say stuff like that. It’s not true, and it’s not helpful. Before I can reply, he winks and takes off, cannon balling into the deep end, practically on top of Miles. I roll my eyes and approach the pool.
The usual pooldynamics are in play. The girls hang around the edges, trying not to get our hair wet, our glasses of whatever we’re drinking beside us on the stone. Margot has abandoned Stephen, and the boys are now in full-on horseplay mode, dunking each other, jumping on each other’s backs, and generally indulging in plenty of gratuitous physical contact.
‘Am I the only one who’s finding all this more than a bit homoerotic?’ Saoirse slugs her rosé next to me and cocks her head. Her eyes don’t leave the admittedly impressive naked, soaking torso of her fiancé, who’s currently wrestling my equally impressive fake boyfriend.
‘Totally,’ Keeley agrees.
Margot giggles. ‘You can take the boys out of boarding school…’
‘They’re not exactly hard on the eyes, are they, though?’ I ask, my gaze slipping all over Theo. The muscles in his upper back are flexing as he wrestles Miles, and I have a sudden and highly specific urge to lay him on his stomach on our bed and lick and suck my way down that back. I shake my head.Get a grip, Nora.
Miles grabs Theo by the bicep and says something to him before Theo grins, and they both turn and make their way towards us, wading through the water, their skin wet and slick. Beside me, Saoirse inhales sharply and I do the same, becauseholy fuck.Miles is homing in on her, and Theo’s looking at me like he’s a starving man and I’m dinner. I stick my glass on the edge and swallow, hard.
He grabs me and pulls me into him, into that soaking, hard body, and my legs and arms slide around him of their own accord.
‘That’s my girl,’ he whispers, staring at my mouth. ‘I have no idea why I’m feeling my fucking brother up when I can feel you up instead.’
He spins us around and walks us over to the opposite, deserted side of the pool, trapping me between the edge and his body. I’ve kissed him, yes. I’ve groped him. And I’ve seen him practically naked in his flat, but this is a first.
Skin on skin. Wet and slippery.
Dangerously few items of clothing between us.
My legs wrapped around his waist so tightly that his stomach is firm against my core.
‘Can I kiss you, sweetheart?’ He holds me with one arm and puts his thumb to my lower lip. Pulls it down the slightest amount as his dark eyes search mine for permission.
‘Theo…’ My forehead creases with the effort of trying to find the self-control to say no. He’s so close to me, and my entire body is crying out with joy at being wrapped around his. I know how good it could be between us.Canbe. I have evidence of that already.
