Page 63 of Chasing the Sun

She turned and left, and then he poured them each a glass of wine. Afterward, he sank into the water up to his chest, hoping the warm bubbles would help calm his nerves.

A few minutes later, she reappeared wearing a black cover-up that tied around the waist. He watched her come closer, anxious to see what was underneath, but for now, he kept his gaze on her face.

When she reached the table and chairs that were next to the hot tub, she paused and placed her hands on the tie. Keeping her eyes glued to his, she slowly loosened it and then eased the cover-up down her shoulders.

He swallowed hard when he saw her swimsuit. It wasn’t the hot-pink bikini he’d seen before. This time, she was wearing a black one that was even tinier with strings that tied at her hips. When she turned to place her cover-up on the chair, he saw the back view, and his eyes went wide. A tiny scrap of material was all that covered her bottom, leaving an abundance of creamy, smooth skin exposed.

He watched her slowly immerse herself in the tub, choosing the seat across from him instead of beside him. Once she was in, he handed her a glass of wine.

“Thank you.”

They each took a long drink before he spoke. “How was your date?” He hadn’t meant to start with that, but he wanted to get it over with. He needed to know if she had feelings for Seb before he continued.

“It wasn’t a date.”

“What would you call it, then?”

She sighed. “Having a drink with a friend.”

“Hmm. Is that what he thinks too?”

“Did you call me home to talk about Seb?”

“I need to know…”

“There’s nothing between us except friendship. He’s a good guy despite what you wanted me to believe.”

“I was jealous.”

Her lips quirked up, and she looked pleased.

“I didn’t like the thought of you being with him.” He was somewhat embarrassed to admit it, but it also felt good to get it off his chest.

“It’s not him I’m interested in,” she said pointedly and then took another sip of wine.

“Chloe, I…” His voice trailed off because she’d set down her glass, stood up, and was moving toward him. She stopped directly in front of him and placed her hands on his shoulders.

“Tell me,” she whispered.

It was almost impossible to think straight with her standing so close, water droplets clinging to her beautiful body, her hair curling around her bare shoulders. His hands came off his lap and planted themselves on her hips without his permission.

“I owe you an apology,” he managed. “After we kissed…”

“I know,” she said, dragging her hands up and twining her fingers behind his neck.

At this range, her breasts were right in line with his mouth, and he was dying to touch them, taste them.

“I’ve been trying to ignore this…these feelings…and I hurt you in the process.”

She wove her fingers into the hair at his nape, and he tipped his head back, enjoying the feel of her soft hands on him.

“I understand,” she said while gently massaging his scalp.

“I’m not sure how to do this.”

She giggled softly. “It’s pretty simple.”

“How’s that?”