Half of me was fantasising about the idea of Joe just throwing me, caveman style, on that pool table and having his wicked way with me, while the other half was already realising how hard it could be to get over him if that did happen.
Maybe the mom...
The poor guy is sleeping on his side on a sun lounger when I come down to the dimly lit pool to check if he's there. He looks so uncomfortable. His book has slipped to the ground and his glasses are askew. I feel some sort of emotion I can't quite identify clench my insides at the sight of his handsome face.
When I woke up, still alone, at three in the morning, to discover a text from Kate saying she was going to Jack's apartment, I thought it might be a good idea to check the pool area. I knew Joe had said they had separate rooms, but I also knew a couple of salient facts about Kate which made me suspect sleeping in the room next door wouldn't be too easy. I'm therefore unsurprised to find Joe here.
When I gently rouse him, his eyes flutter open and he seems confused. "Sienna, what . . .?" He mumbles, righting his glasses and rubbing his face. Holy crap, even half asleep with his hair all over the place, he's still unbelievably attractive.
"Come on," I pull him to his feet and help him collect his belongings. "You're coming to my apartment. You can bunk up with me"
We only have a studio so there's only one main room, comprising of the beds and kitchen area, plus the en suite. I'm extremely glad therefore that Kate didn't decide to bring Jack back to ours for a shagging session as there would have been less privacy, and even less space. So much so, it would have practically been a menage a trois, with me as an unwilling third participant.
"Do you want a water or juice or anything?" I ask opening the fridge after I've let us in. We stocked up on lots of water, Fanta Limon and Mythos on the first day. It's barely been touched thanks to Kate's absence.
"A water would be great, thanks," Joe replies. "I'm parched." I toss him a bottle, which he fumbles to catch. Still not quite awake. Adorable. I lean against the kitchen worktop, sipping from my own already opened bottle.
He takes a long swig from the bottle and then looks at me curiously, smiling. "How did you know?" I realise what he's asking.
"I got a message from Kate to say she was going back to your apartment. I figured it was going to be a bit noisy."
He raises an eyebrow questioningly, propping himself up against the wall across from me.
"She's been single a while," I shrug in response. "And also, I used to live with her... she can be bit of a screamer." I wince. I spent many a night trying to hide under my pillow back in the day.
"That," he says, shaking his head. "Was sadly accurate."
"So you got the full show?"
"Most of it."
"Listening to other people having sex," I say. "Isn't much fun." My voice has went husky all of a sudden.
Joe regards me steadily over the rims of his glasses. Sexy. "No." He agrees. "It's not."
Something has just shifted, and it's changed the atmosphere between us. Probably the fact we're talking about sex. Oh, and he's topless. That would do it.
There's a couple of beats of silence. Loaded silence. His mouth curves upwards and his eyes flash emerald. I can feel my cheeks redden.
My insides contract involuntarily again. This time I know exactly why.
"Anyway, you can catch some kip here," I say hurriedly, breaking the spell. "It's only fair." I indicate Kate's bed. In typical holiday apartment fashion, it's pushed close to my own bed. "I'm assuming she's probably not going to be sleeping here much now anyway."
"Thanks Sienna," he says softly. "I really appreciate it." He removes his glasses and slides under the sheet, moving about as he tries to get comfortable. At least it'll be an improvement over a lounger - they're not even comfortable to lie on when you're trying to sunbathe.
I slip into my own bed and switch off my bedside lamp. I curl up on my right side although I know I inevitably will wake up on my left side with no recollection of when I shifted.
"Sienna?" he whispers into the darkness after a minute or two.
"Yes?" I ask sleepily.
"I just want you to know . . . You're safe with me," he says. "I know I'm a virtual stranger and I appreciate you trusting me enough to share your space. But I promise I won't lay a finger on you."
His words should reassure me and I know that's his intention.
But I also get the unsaid message behind them; that despite that brief moment of heat between us there, he doesn't intend for it to go any further.
"Okay. Good to know," I say coolly. And I close my eyes tightly and try to force sleep to take away the sudden disappointment flooding through my veins.
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Did Sienna and Joe just have "a moment"?
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