Page 30 of Fourth Wall

“I was just super overwhelmed with gratitude for this house. What he did for me and the girls is extraordinary, and he had held my hand during the tours, so I thought I was picking up on a vibe. I grabbed him, threw him in the office, and kissed him.” Their jaws were mutually hanging on the ground.

“Holy—”

“Shit.” Tatum finished for Gianna.

“Ugh. He pushed me away, and then we went on our way.”

“Wait, this all makes sense.” Tatum looked around like she was literally piecing puzzle pieces together. “He ran away because he was confused about the kiss, too. I bet he likes you,” she squealed. I shushed her.

“Nah. That’s messed up, then. He likes her, kisses her, and then it's too much, so he runs to fuck another girl?”

“Exactly,” I emphasized, just grateful that someone was on my team.

“I know it seems fucked up, but knowing Christian, I just think that’s how he processes big emotions.” I shook my head at my friend.

“You must know how absurd this sounds, right?” I asked my friend right as I quickly bit my words back because the three boys came over.

“Enough of the gossip. I miss having a conversation other than work,” Elio murmured and slid next to Gianna.

“Give them a break, El.” Christian laughed before assessing the seating situation. Julian sat next to Tatum in her lounge. Only one chair was left, and I was sitting on it. Christian looked down at the empty spot on my chair and shrugged before sitting. “Firecracker over here was probably just talking about how much she likes me.”

Everyone went dead silent. Christian and I just engaged in a staring war between each other in silence before I took the rest of my seltzer and lifted it over his head. Then I tipped the can. You could only hear the water lapping in the distance from the pool as the wind hit it. Otherwise, everyone stared at this exchange in utter and complete shock.

“No, you did not,” Christian said after whatever was left of the can was all over his head.

“Whatcha going to do about it,West?” I teased him, using his last name like the guys in the military used to call him, and sometimes Julian did when they were around company other than family.

“You fucking—” He didn’t even finish that sentence before he hoisted me off the chair and threw me over his shoulder. I just banged on his incredibly hard shoulder blades. How did he have the time to make these things feel like steel?

“Put me down,” I half screamed but also giggled between each word. I lifted my head and saw our friends finally all relax. They were now joyfully watching this scene unfold. “I swear to god, Christian,” I threatened again.

For a moment, he paused. “Or what?”

“Or I will...” I had no idea what I would do. At this point, I think I was having too much fun to even care that he would dunk me. “Or I will take all the hot water in the shower tonight...on purpose.”

Three…two…one…whoosh. I was suddenly underwater, but he held me with a firm yet playful grasp. He had lowered me down, our bodies close, before he flung us both into the pool with a hint of mischief.

Kicking my legs, I felt his support as he lifted me, and together, we surfaced from beneath the water, bubbling with excitement.

"Pathetic comeback, firecracker," he murmured, his voice dripping with forbidden allure. It was barely audible, a seductive growl that sent shivers down my spine. The water cascaded from our foreheads while his hands remained locked around my waist, creating a scorching sensation. An electric current pulsed through our connection, a tangible reminder that, at that moment, it was just the two of us, and our existence was consumed by the moment's intensity. There was no one else in the world.

Summoning the courage to acknowledge the reality of our situation, I reluctantly broke free from his touch. We were destined to be nothing more than friends, and I needed to stop entangling myself in these precarious positions. Sensing the thick tension that had enveloped us, our friends joined us in the pool as if to break the spell. We spent the rest of the afternoon finding solace and distraction in each other's company.

18

Christian

“So I was thinking we could talk about tomorrow with the girls coming back?” Maeve asked as we were cleaning up from dinner. Everyone had left, and it was just the two of us. I was already itching to get out of there, hating myself for how uncomfortable I get when it’s just the two of us.

We were in the kitchen, but still in my wet pool cover-up that I slipped on over my bathing suit.

"Yeah?" I pondered, my gaze fixated on how her swimsuit accentuated her alluring curves. I couldn't help but notice how those two triangles barely contained her tantalizing breasts, teasingly riding up and all but begging her nipples to make an appearance.

A surge of desire coursed through my veins, primal instincts urging me to reach out and claim what was teasingly on display. Every damn move she made ignited a fiery anticipation, igniting a potent tension in the air.

But I had to hold back and exercise some self-control. We were just supposed to be friends, and I couldn't risk screwing it all up by giving in to the raw attraction that sizzled between us. It took all my damn willpower to tear my gaze away and focus on the other things happening around us.

“Can you pick up that napkin that fell?” Nope. My instincts were winning this battle. I pointed at a fallen piece of paper in front of her. I watched as she slowly leaned down so her entire ass was now in my face. There was just a scrap piece of fabric between her sweet little ass that I could quickly claim. My cock agreed with my assessment of what was quite literally staring me in my face.

---