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“Okay, what?”

She gives me a sheepish, apologetic look. “Sly will probably be there. He’ll mind his own business and not bother you.”

“Bother me?” I bite my lip. I’m glad I’m a bit red from the sun because otherwise there would be no hiding how I am blushing from thinking about how hard he’s been fucking me.

No, him bothering me is not what I’m worried about. I almost skipped seeing Sisi to hang out with him. I’m worried about everything else that’s happened between the two of us lately. If I’m being honest with myself, it started when I climbed into his lap at The Hatch. Since our lips met, I’ve felt things that no one else has ever made me feel. And of all the thoughts he’s stirred up, there’s one that gnaws at me.

It pains me to admit, but when I leave, I’m going to miss him. It took all my self-control to say no when he texted me earlier to meet up for dinner, but I’d already made plans with Sisi.

It’s not just the physical connection, as insanely good as that is. It’s startling how quickly our bodies might have sorted some shit out—or more accurately, never missed a beat. That’s not what has my mind running through so many memories at night, even when my body is blissed out from god knows how many times he’s gotten me off.

It’s the way he looks at me. It’s the way he reads me and knows me. He knows about Black Sheep Bunni. He’s given me a glimpse of that sweet and kind boy I loved for so long, and I still can’t believe he knows. More than that, he’s been one of my subs for years. Even more importantly, he still just sees me—and not just the old me that he knew—but me as I am today. He sees the version of myself that has parts of what a younger Josie wanted to become—independent, free, spontaneous, and not tied down to anything.

That’s what makes me feel like I need to put up some barriers between us again. I can’t only rely on the expiration date of my stay to protect myself. Distance might be what I need again.

“Yeah, let’s do it,” I say, brushing aside those emotions, at least for the time being. Distance and barriers can be a problem for later.

“Good. I wasn’t sure since you two were… you know—” She holds up two fingers, tapping them together.

“Wait, what?” I almost drop the pitcher, staring back at her in disbelief. “Sly told you? How did that even come up?”

She shrugs innocently.

“It’s a long story, but I sort of unintentionally pried it out of him after a—uh—laundry situation?” She holds up her hands in a stopping gesture. “Don’t be mad at him. It’s not his fault.”

I shake my head and groan. “Alright, well keep that between us, okay?”

“Of course,” she says adamantly before making a zipping gesture over her lips.

As much as I was hoping this would stay between me and Sly, I can live with her knowing. It was bound to happen in a small town like this, where someone would see us together. It’s my other secret that I’d rather her not know.

Opening the gate and walking through the white picket fence along the path to the Sterlings’ house brings back a rush of fond memories. I spent more days by their pool than I can count with Sisi and Sly, and their older brothers, albeit I only ever paid attention to one of the boys—the one that owned my heart and never let go.

Just like then, my eyes immediately gravitate to Sly swimming around in the deep end. The way his water-slicked skin and the sunlight plays with his tattoos makes him look somehow as delicious as he did that day I saw him washing his car.

Unlike that day, he doesn’t look focused or obsessed but instead relaxed. With him facing the horizon in the distance, I can only see part of his face. It’s all I need to see—that goofy smile still steals my breath away while he does a backstroke toward the deep end. His grin is so wide that his dimples pop, and I⁠—

Wait.

“Did you shave?” I blurt out, just as the metal pool gate clangs shut behind me.

I set the pitcher and my tote bag down. So much for distance and pool safety, because I nearly sprint to the edge of the water. I don’t feel nearly as restrained as I had been sneaking around the past week since Sisi apparently knows that we’ve been spending time together. Standing at the edge of the pool, I look down to see Sly gazing back up—with eyes as blue as the water around him—focused solely on me. He definitely shaved and looks sinfully good. It’s his fading grin and disappearing dimples that have me worried.

“Yeah, um.” Worry flashes across his face. “I just… uh.” He hesitates, swallowing hard. “Thought it was time for a change. Fall’s almost here and you know—new season, new look?”

“It’s about time,” Sisi says, coming up beside me and looking down at her brother, inspecting his new appearance. “Yeah, this is better. Depressed lumberjack wasn’t a good vibe for you.”

“Really? I thought couch-rotting-chic was so in right now?” he deadpans.

I snort a laugh and cross my arms, propping up my chest. With a bikini on, I know the move makes my tits look good, and by the way Sly’s eyes track the movement, I know I still have my performer skills and his attention. Now, without that beard, I can see the way the muscles tick in his jaw and his throat bobs.

“Sly, you were starting to look like you and your couch were becoming one,” she says, weaving her fingers together. “Losing the beard is an improvement, but it was the least of my worries. We need to start on that wardrobe.”

He tilts his head and glares up at her, paddling around in the neck-deep water. “Once again, thank you for your unsolicited feedback on my appearance, Sisi.”

“I kind of like his vibe, actually,” I chime in, prompting both of them to look at me like I have two heads. “He needed to loosen up. The laid-back joggers and comfy T-shirt works for him.”

“Thank you, Josie,” Sly says. “You always had good taste.”