Page 87 of The Sweet Spot

“Why would it change?”

“It might not, but everything changes. People change.”

“Yeah, but…” I shrug, forcing myself to keep on looking him in the eye. “Sometimes things, people, change for the better. Or they change together. That’s a good thing.”

“Sometimes.” He scans the pool, quiet for a beat. I’m about to ask him what he’s thinking about when he brings his gaze back to me. “You make me smile, too.”

Warmth. Trust. I never want to do anything to change that look, not after what he’s been through. Rising to my toes, I press a kiss to his cheek. “Good.”

Two girls float by on a giant, inflatable pizza slice, their loud, tipsy conversation popping our bubble. There aren’t as many people at Kellan’s as there were when we first arrived, but the pool’s gotten more crowded. Luca slides his hands away as we lean against the wall.

“My mom texted me a little while ago.”

He takes a sip of his drink. “About tonight?”

“About everything, but I’m not in the mood to hash things out with her.” I huff softly. “It’s not like I’m mad at her, you know? I mean, I was, but I’m past that. I think I’m just disappointed. I wish she’d give Arlo a chance. He’s really trying.”

“Expectations make things difficult,” he says sagely, propping his elbows onthe lip of the pool. “Mãe loves to say the biggest gift we can give someone is letting them be themselves.”

“She’s right.” I look beyond him, focusing on a light that just came on over the deck. “But that’s easier said than done.”

“I know it is.” Luca’s eyes soften. “Speaking of Mãe, she’s been after me to bring you out to Walnut Creek for dinner.”

“Really?” I grin up at him, everything else forgotten. “I’d love that.”

“They do family dinners every Sunday,” he says. “You want to try next weekend? We can drive up around noon and come back that night.”

“I’ll check my schedule,” I fib, knowing damn well it’s clear.

“Let me know.”

* * *

A tentative breeze picks up, rustling the persimmon trees around the pool. Yawning, I drag my fingertips across the water’s surface as I float from one side of the pool to another. The water’s so warm I could fall asleep out here.

Saira and Kellan are playing a sloppy game of Giant Jenga in the corner of the yard. Matt’s passed out in his lawn chair, the tiny blonde sprawled across his lap. Everyone else has left.

Luca descends the steps leading from the house as I float into the shallowend, two water bottles dangling from his fingertips. I stare shamelessly as he crosses the yard, appreciating how the outdoor lighting flickers across his beautiful skin. His muscles, cast in sharp relief by the lambent light, flex as he moves.

A wave of desire ripples through me. We’ve been drinking, so maybe my inhibitions are down, but I’m not drunk. No, I’ve wanted Luca since the moment our eyes met across the counter at the Sweet Spot, and seeing him in those low-slung, black boardshorts doesn’t help. I’d love to just run my tongue across his stomach, down his razor-sharp obliques.

Wading through the water, he hands me a water bottle, his gaze so heated I slide down into the water just to put out the flames.

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” He opens his water bottle and drinks, Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallows.

I follow suit, drinking until my thirst is slaked. Setting the bottle on the side of the pool, I turn to find Luca in my space, a breath away from kissing me. “Hey,” I say, a breathless laugh escaping.

Quirking a smile, he reaches down and squeezes my thighs, hoisting me up. Our skin glides wetly as I wrap my legs around his hips and my arms around his neck. He trails his lips over my throat, kissing the space below my ear. “Wren.” His voice is hushed, barely audible over the wind in the trees. “Do you remember when we danced? At the party here?”

“Of course, I do…I was thinking about it earlier, when we walked by the solarium.” I shiver against the breeze, images of that night playing behind my eyelids. “We danced to ‘Blue Christmas.’”

“I wanted you that night.” His hands slide down to my bottom where he lingers, his fingertips playing at the edge of my bikini. “I wanted you, and that was as close as I could get.”

“I wanted you, too. But I respected the line you’d drawn. It was the right thing to do.” I kiss his temple, running my nose over his damp skin. “Even if it did just make me want you more.”

“Yeah.” He chuffs softly. “Same.”

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