Where You'll Find Me

Chapter 2

I sank into the deep end of the pool and let the water caress my skin. It warmed me at the touch and sent a delightful shiver through me. Thomas waded in the water in front of me. There was very little space between us, only a few feet. Clearly Thomas thought that was too much, when he grabbed my hand and pulled me toward him.

He wrapped his arms around me. Our chests glued together. His grip was gentle, but firm. I was in an unbreakable grasp. My face was heating up at our closeness so instead of letting him see, I turned and looked toward the beach hoping he couldn't see me blushing. Even though I was in a one piece he could still make me feel like I was more exposed than I actually was.

Slowly he backed me up until my back hit the hard cement of the pool wall. I gripped his shoulders and looked at him, but he wasn't looking at me. He was taking in the outside of the beach house.

"Your aunt has expensive tastes in vacation properties, not that I'm complaining."

I followed his gaze around the structure of the house. "It's her job."

He looked back at me skeptically. "It's her job to take vacations?"

"Yep. She's a travel reviewer. She gathers information on travel destinations for some company and they compile it in those travel books you see in bookstores. All her travel expenses are paid."

Thomas smirked. "Maybe I should consider changing careers."

"Maybe we both should." His arms tightened around me and grinned. "What?"

"You look like an angel." He glanced above my head as if to find a halo there.

I snorted. "That's quite a compliment coming from you. Is Thomas Cavanaugh getting mushy on me? I didn't think that was your style."

He gave an amused smile. "First off, I'm not getting mushy. And second, in this light, you have a halo going on." His hand released me to draw a circle around my head then placed it back under the water around me. "It's the way you hair reacts to the light."

Surely enough, directly above us, there was an inset light in the ceiling of the patio that was shining directly on top of my head. I smiled. "Ah. I was wondering what happened to the Thomas I knew."

He pressed himself into me further. "You don't have to worry about that. I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere." He leaned himself into me until his lips met mine. His teeth nipped on my bottom lip until I groaned. That seemed to be what he was waiting for and he chuckled.

I pulled back and gave him my best glare. "Don't tease. That's not very nice."

With a tilt to his lips he said, "Who ever said I was nice?"

"Good point." Laughing, I wrapped my arms around his neck. "No one would dare claim that."

His head rested in the crook on my neck. "No one," he murmured.

I felt his teeth graze my neck leaving a trail of tingles in his wake, all the way down to my shoulder. I shivered again.

"What's the matter, Liv?" he said without stopping. "Cold?"

He knew very well that wasn't it. I sighed and wrapped my legs around his waist. "You're bad."

"The worst."

He made his way back up to my neck again and then behind my ear and back down again. His hands gripped my thighs to tighten myself around him. Just as a moan escaped my lips, the kitchen light flicked on and Thomas and I separated quickly.