Page 140 of Grounded
Plus it's our first one. There will no doubt be some hiccups along the way. My goal is to set him up with a few ideas that he can organize all on his own once I've found a new job.
WhenIparkmycar in my usual spot, Theo's light isn’t on in his room. He must be asleep.
My dad must have left the kitchen light on as a courtesy before locking up. It's not usual for me to come home at this time, so I appreciate the thought.
It's only after I turn the light off that I'm able to see the glow of the Jacuzzi.
So that's where Theo is.
Checking the time on my phone, I see it's 9:45 p.m. Instead of changing into my bathing suit, because I have no idea if he's in the mood for company or not, I walk outside and give him a simple wave.
"Hey," I announce while sitting on the edge of the exterior.
Theo looks sexy as ever. His hair is damp enough to keep the long piece pushed back, which gives me an unobscured view of the eyes I've sunk my entire being into. His gaze is as effective as defibrillators.
"Hey."
"You're not naked in there, are ya?" I joke.
"I bet you'd like that. How was your night out with Benny?"
"We got a lot accomplished. Our first after-hours movie night will be in three weeks."
"You're sticking around that long?"
It's a strange thing to say—not exactly supportive, not entirely unkind.
"I'll be there even if I magically get a job by then. Think you'll make an appearance?"
"Not sure if you remember, but your coworker hates me."
Theo joins me on the edge, but his masculine legs are hanging in the water whereas I am sitting crisscrossed. My hand skims the surface along the bursts of bubbles, and the temperature is tepid.
"No time to heat it up?" I ask.
"It was a last-minute decision. Plus it was in the eighties today. Coming in?"
"I might go up to bed soon."
"Okay, I was planning on getting out soon anyway."
I hand Theo his towel and watch him dry off. He rubs the terry cloth fabric against his soaked board shorts before wrapping it around his waist.
He unties his trunks and lets them fall to his ankles. The towel does its job and he's skilled at removing his clothing without flashing his package. While I appreciate his modesty, it's nothing I haven't seen before.
The same mantra that has been running on a loop kicks back up again. Sex with Theo was a one-time thing. Your dad trusted you. Your heart cannot handle another disaster.
We've never addressed our midnight escapades, and while days have elapsed, this isn't the ideal hour to discuss what is going on between us. But that tingling sensation is hitting me in all my sensitive areas, and the view before me is hard to reject.
The way he's ogling me in the shadows of the backyard feels like animalistic behavior. Predatory, but in a way that excites me, not intimidates me.
Is the sexual tension obvious to him even if we didn't say anything suggestive to each other?
"Going inside?" he asks when I find myself lingering, willing to keep the conversation going so we don't have to separate.
"Yes, sorry. Go ahead, I'll lock up behind us."
He steps through the door with the towel still around his waist while his shorts remain outside.
