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“Come on in, the water’s amazing.”
A tremble rocked though me as I stared at him standing there with the water coming halfway up his chest. Oh, it was so, so very tempting to jump into the water and see where it led us. But I was pretty sure I already knew where it led and wondered if what was going on was really healthy. Never mind the press; maybe the physical part of our relationship needed to end before I got my heart broken.
“Hey, so let me ask you this.” Zack dove under the water and reappeared at the edge of the pool closest to me. Wiping the water from his face, he continued, “What’s your stance on the whole marriage thing? Are you looking for your prince charming so you can buy a nice house in the burbs with the cute picket fence and yard out back? Perhaps a couple kids and a Mercedes in the driveway.”
I wasn’t sure how to answer him, so I took my time, choosing my words carefully. “Marriage wasn’t something I planned for my immediate future, but it’s something that I do want—eventually. I think most women want that in the end. They want to know the relationship is going somewhere…”
“I’d beg to differ. I’ve met many women who didn’t want to get married.”
I raised a brow at him. “Groupies?”
Giving me a sheepish grin, he shrugged. “Some of them.” Folding his arms along the side of the pool, he placed his chin on his hands, his blue eyes piercing into me.
“Groupies will tell you what you want to hear. I would bet any one of them would fall over herself to say yes if you proposed.”
“I’m not that great.”
“Meh, you’re okay.”
Laughing, he continued with his questions. “Have you ever come close to getting married?”
“No. Not really. I haven’t had a lot of boyfriends to be honest. I didn’t grow up in an environment where meeting people was easy. In college, I was driven to follow in my father’s footsteps. Meeting guys wasn’t really on my radar.”
He crinkled up his nose at me. “What? No sororities or frat parties?”
It was my turn to laugh. “No. None of that. Besides, I had a reputation to uphold. If pictures got out of me getting wasted my father would have lost his mind. He prided himself on his reputation and the reputation of our little family, especially after the scandal of my mother overdosing.”
“I see. Sounds a little suppressive.”
“No. It really wasn’t. I wouldn’t be where I am today, managing the biggest band of our generation if I had any other life. There’s time in the future for a husband and marriage.”
“You do think about it then.”
“I suppose I have from time to time. One day I want a husband and children. You may think it’s a cliché, but it’s the American dream.”
“Most Americans’.”
“Okay. I’ll concede. Most Americans’. Come on, you must get lonely at times. And I don’t mean lonely for a piece of ass, but lonely for female companionship beyond one night. Someone of relevance that you know will have your back no matter what. A woman who will love you no matter what hairbrained crap you do.”
He remained quiet for a moment, his jaw clenching. I could see in his expression that he was contemplating what I’d said, though I couldn’t read how he was feeling either way. Finally, he smiled. “Why would I need someone like that? I have you, don’t I?” He didn’t wait for me to respond, instead he pushed himself backward and under the water. His movements in the water were so graceful I’d have thought he was half fish.
Was he hinting at something or just messing around with me? I wasn’t sure, but I was leaning toward the latter, even though my heart was screaming for the former to be true.
I groaned out load as I slumped back into the chaise and closed my eyes. I was more confused now than I was before we first started talking. The only thing I could do to safeguard my heart would be to simply expect that he saw me as a friend with benefits and if something changed along the way then…
What then…?
I sprang forward, my eyes opening, no longer even remotely relaxed. I had feelings for him. I wanted to be with him on all levels. But what about Dylan? I needed to talk to Dylan; I needed to know if I felt the same way for him as I did Zack. And how did Dylan feel about me? This was such a confusing potential mess I’d gotten myself into. I had some serious thinking to do.
