Page 336 of The First Time
Chapter Twenty-Three
The roof-access door is locked.
Of course, Blake has a key.
He squeezes my hand as he unlocks the door and pushes it open.
Moonlight falls over the concrete stairs. I grab onto the cold, steel railing as I climb the steps.
There.
It's like I'm actually touching the sky. The tall buildings surrounding us look close enough to touch. The dark, grey clouds seem inches above me.
I feel like a superhero. Like I could bounce around these buildings, making the city mine.
It's colder than it was this afternoon, but it's not seeping into my veins. If anything, I'm hot.
The rooftop pool glows with an aqua sheen. It's a spot of brightness against the dull sky.
Light dances on the water. It casts strange lines over Blake's face.
He's watching me, studying my reaction. It's softer than normal. Sweeter.
"No one else has access to the roof," he says.
"So this is your private pool?"
"More or less."
He drops his keys on a little patio table. The guy maintains a pool on the roof of a damn skyscraper for kicks.
"Do you ever use it?" I ask.
"When I need to think."
"And how often is that?"
He smiles. Actually smiles. My heart goes into overdrive. It's like I'm a schoolgirl with a crush. Blake is smiling at me. Smiling. At. Me.
We're going to get married, and I'm atwitter over a smile.
I'm totally fucked.
"Your point is taken," he says.
"So I was right? You admit it."
He laughs. That's twice in one hour. It's a record.
He nods. "You getting in?"
"After you."
He pulls his t-shirt over his head.
I try not to gawk, but I can't help it. His body is a work of art.
There's no way I rejected his sexual advance minutes ago. That's impossible.
