Page 126 of Whistle

A spark of interest lit his stare, illuminating the curiosity already on display. He wanted to, but he was afraid.

A notion I was all too familiar with.

Catching the hem of the shirt he was wearing, I tugged. He hesitated, then lifted his arms, and I pulled it free. His nipples pebbled instantly, and I squashed the urge to play with them, tossing aside the shirt and reaching for his pants. Once they were gone and he stood before me naked, I palmed his ass and pulled him flush against me.

His soft sound made my stomach flip, as did the way he lifted his face for a kiss. As I smoothed the hair back from his face, our lips met and clung, rubbing in a sensual dance.

Pulling back, I tugged the Speedos from his fist and dropped in front of him. After a moment of hesitation, he stepped in, and I dragged them up his long, lean legs to fit them over his body.

Grasping his hand, I knit our fingers together, swallowing his hand in mine. His quietness was endearing as he let me lead him out of the locker room and back to the edge of the pool.

“Sit on the deck and put your feet in,” I instructed, nudging him forward.

When his toes hit the water, his shudder was unmistakable. A look of pain tightened his face as he dropped his feet the rest of the way in until the water was up to his calves.

Pushing off the deck, I dove in, the frosty water hitting me all at once. It stunned me for a brief moment. Then that anticipated stinging sensation prickled my limbs. I glided through the dense waves, feeling as though silk were being dragged over my skin.

Reveling in the freedom, my arms cut through the water to push deeper. Bubbles escaped, filling my line of sight and floating overhead. I watched light dance across the floor and followed the shadows cast by the bobbing lane lines.

The second my fingertips touched the tiles, I flipped and pushed off, heading back to the surface, focused on the legs hanging over the ledge. The moment I broke through, I drew in a breath and shook my head, flinging icy droplets in every direction.

Chlorinated water dripped into my eyes, and I blinked it away while closing the distance between us. Bodhi’s stare never left me, even when my hand curled around his ankle, gliding up his calf.

Keeping one hand on his leg, I anchored the other on the pool edge beside his hip. “How do you feel?” I asked, the rippling of the water the only other sound.

“What was your stroke?” he asked.

“Guess.”

He half smiled, eyes dancing with orneriness. “Brah, you scream freestyle.”

Amusement bubbled in my chest. “What makes you say that, brah?”

The half smile blossomed into a full one, and my heart skipped a beat. Yeah, that smile was my end goal. To see him wear it every day. I also knew it meant he was about to be even more of a brat.

Scoffing, he rolled his eyes. “Cocky. Bossy. Self-aware. Intense.”

I arched one eyebrow. “Is that so?”

“Indubitably.”

“Such a surfer boy,” I teased.

Yeah, I could tease. And flirt. Just a little out of practice.

His white teeth shone with another smile. “There’s also those big-ass hands and long arms. Perfect for free.”

“Hmm,” I hummed. His assessment wasn’t far off.

“Probably why you hate Walsh too.”

I jolted back, water splashing with the force of my recoil. “I don’t hate Walsh!”

He grinned, clearly happy he got a reaction.

Lunging forward, I grabbed his ankle again and yanked. Shock filled his face as he slipped into the water. I caught him before his head could go under, winding my arm around him and pulling him right against me.

His body was rigid, eyes like those of a deer in headlights. His lip trembled, and he bit into it, trying to hide the reaction.

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