Page 17 of Pool Girl - An Instalove Possessive Age Gap

I look back at the van and see Piper, who looks furious by now as she heaves the van door open and then slams it again once she’s got out some pool chemicals and other gear.

I dig my heels into the soft lawn, easily holding Barbie… Errr… Vanessa back with my weight.

“I think we’d better concentrate on the pool today, Vanessa. Guy’s told me we have to get it done today.”

Her eyes narrow again, shooting me a sulky pout of rejection and a cold look towards Piper.

“Suit yourself,” she murmurs, still clutching my arm. Her nails actually digging into my flesh.

“But when you have a minute,” she says suddenly, leaning in closer, letting me smell her cheap perfume and three hour old margarita mix breath.

“I need you to look at my… pipes,” she says, adding an over the top wink as she finally lets go of me and almost tumbles over as she collects her heels from the lawn, then snakes her way to the front door and goes inside.

The side gate clicks open and I turn back to the van to help Piper with the gear.

She thrusts some gear straight into my chest, hard and storms past me towards the gate.

I groan softly to myself, rolling my eyes for real this time.

Really?

If it were anyone else, I’d laugh to myself. But with Piper, I don’t want her even thinking anything that will upset her… no matter how unusual or bizarre.

Passing by the kitchen window of the house, I can see Vanessa watching me, undoing her blouse, so I keep my eyes front and catch up to Piper, pausing only for a second as the smell from the pool arrests me.

“Ugh!” I exclaim, wanting to cover my mouth. Wanting to order Piper back to the van so she doesn’t have to breathe this in, but I know better than that now.

“Piper,” I tell her in a firm tone as I step closer not flinching once she turns her back on me.

“If you really think I’d be interested in that… person, then you don’t know me at all,” is all I can say.

I’m surprised that I’m the one sounding hurt and a little angry, but it kinda sucks that Piper would think so little of me and my choice in women.

I chose her after all, didn’t I?

I have excellent taste in women, and only perfection will do.

And Piper really is perfect.

I can see Piper’s shoulders shivering from behind and I’m not sure if it’s cold or if she’s holding back tears.

“I love you, Piper. From the minute I saw you,” I tell her, figuring now’s as good a time as any.

I really want her to cover up now, not because of what people might see, but because I want her to stay warm.

I take a few steps closer, she’s standing behind a tall tree that’s near the pool, blocking the view of the house.

She turns and I open my arms, catching her as she hurls herself at me.

She’s crying.

I stroke her hair and tell her again.

“I love you, Piper. Nobody else, only you.”

I kiss her head and hold her for as long as I dare before I start to feel the familiar stirrings. The effect she has on me.

“Now, let’s nuke this pool and get out of here. What D’ya say?” I ask, holding her by the elbows before she stands on her tippy toes to kiss me this time.

“Thank you,” she whispers, and I want to tell her that I owe her all the thanks, not the other way around. But having her kiss me and hold me just now, the way she looks in the late afternoon glow and that damned chest of hers…

I feel like I’m at her mercy.

Like I always will be.

I scrub the sides and the bottom of the pool while Piper nukes the filters and pumps with a possibly fatal amount of chemical before we set the automatic vacuum on its longest cycle.

It’s almost dark before we leave, and glancing through the kitchen window, we both see Vanessa slumped over on the kitchen table, a nearly empty jug of margarita mix by her elbow.

We look at each other and I shrug. Piper looks concerned for Vanessa, even though she was so mean, but I shift her towards the van by her shoulders, ordering her into the warmth with the promise of a hot meal once we get home.

Jumping in the driver’s side of the van, I see that Piper’s not sharing my enthusiasm.

“I can’t go with you, Will. I have to go home. I have to look after my dad.”Chapter ThirteenPiperHaving Will tell me he loves me is the most special moment of my life so far, my second not far off most special, his tongue lashing and its effect is gonna stay with me for some time.

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