get a chance to catch up sometime. I’m looking forward to watching you two swim. I always loved watching you race,” Duncan says, squeezing my grasp on his hand once before letting go.
“I’ll be up later. I’ve gotta get my workout in,” Will says, his eyes leaving me for only a second.
“No matter to me. I’ll be asleep in about thirty seconds,” Duncan says, his hand waving over his shoulder.
When the door shuts, Will leans back against the wall, his thumbs looped in his pockets and his eyes paused just below mine.
“You’re here kinda late,” he says, and his gaze flits to mine for only a beat. He’s nervous.
He’s guilty.
“You missed. I wanted to make sure you were taking this whole thing seriously,” I say, falling against the opposite wall and folding my arms across my body.
Will’s mouth tugs up on one corner just before he pushes off from the wall and walks past me and through the back door.
“If you want me to pee in a cup, Maddy, all you need to do is ask,” he says.
I open my mouth to argue that’s not why I’m here, but before I can utter a word, Will’s hands reach above his head and he tugs the black T-shirt he’s wearing up and over his head.
“What are you doing?” I ask instead.
“I’m getting my laps in. Promised your dad I would,” he says, his feet working to kick off his shoes before he pulls one heel up and slips away a sock.
“Will, it’s nine at night. You’re swimming again in…” I pull my phone from my pocket to help me with the math as I look at the clock. “Less than eight hours. You’re going to exhaust yourself.”
“Better than not trying,” he says, unbuttoning his jeans and sliding them down without hesitation. I turn to the side and bring my thumbnail to my teeth, shielding my eyes with my other hand.
“Maddy, you’ve seen me in my underwear more than any girl I know,” he says.
His words make me shift to look at him again, but the moment I do, my eyes grow wide and my face heats up at the sight of him. There’s something different about seeing him like this—not in his training suit, but just…like a man. He’s toned, hell, ripped even. His muscles make that perfect parallel down his stomach and into his underwear, which hug his hips and legs like only the world’s greatest pair of boxer sport briefs can. I cover my eyes and turn again quickly.
“Yeah, I know, but it’s different when you’re scrawny and fourteen. I’ll leave you to it,” I say.
“Suit yourself,” he says. I take a few steps to the door, and my heart is pounding in my throat, when Will baits me. “If you’re afraid to lose to a boy.”
Goddamn him.
I hear the water splash, and I wait a second before turning to make sure he’s submersed. When I face the water, he’s treading in the center lane, a dozen yards out, moving backward. The deck light is only bright enough to see his profile.
“I’ve got nothing to prove to you, Will Hollister,” I say, taking more steps forward until I’m at the end of the deck.
“Yeah…I know,” he says, splashing as he pushes backward a few more strokes. “But I have a mountain of shit to prove, most of it to myself. Racing you always brings out the best in me, but it’s okay.”
The water moves with his strokes as he swims slowly to the other side. I watch as his form fades until the only evidence he’s in the pool at all is the ripples left in his wake. He doesn’t move for several seconds, and I know he’s waiting at the edge, watching me.
“Shit,” I say finally, kicking my sandals to the side.
“Ohhhh ho ho yes! I knew you couldn’t handle walking away from a challenge,” he says through cocky laughter.
“Turn around,” I yell.
“Oh I am, don’t you worry,” he says, nothing about his tone sounding honest.
“Will, you better turn your ass around or so help me God…” My hands are frozen on the button of my shorts, my arms and legs tingling with adrenaline.
“I’m turned; I’m
“I’ll be up later. I’ve gotta get my workout in,” Will says, his eyes leaving me for only a second.
“No matter to me. I’ll be asleep in about thirty seconds,” Duncan says, his hand waving over his shoulder.
When the door shuts, Will leans back against the wall, his thumbs looped in his pockets and his eyes paused just below mine.
“You’re here kinda late,” he says, and his gaze flits to mine for only a beat. He’s nervous.
He’s guilty.
“You missed. I wanted to make sure you were taking this whole thing seriously,” I say, falling against the opposite wall and folding my arms across my body.
Will’s mouth tugs up on one corner just before he pushes off from the wall and walks past me and through the back door.
“If you want me to pee in a cup, Maddy, all you need to do is ask,” he says.
I open my mouth to argue that’s not why I’m here, but before I can utter a word, Will’s hands reach above his head and he tugs the black T-shirt he’s wearing up and over his head.
“What are you doing?” I ask instead.
“I’m getting my laps in. Promised your dad I would,” he says, his feet working to kick off his shoes before he pulls one heel up and slips away a sock.
“Will, it’s nine at night. You’re swimming again in…” I pull my phone from my pocket to help me with the math as I look at the clock. “Less than eight hours. You’re going to exhaust yourself.”
“Better than not trying,” he says, unbuttoning his jeans and sliding them down without hesitation. I turn to the side and bring my thumbnail to my teeth, shielding my eyes with my other hand.
“Maddy, you’ve seen me in my underwear more than any girl I know,” he says.
His words make me shift to look at him again, but the moment I do, my eyes grow wide and my face heats up at the sight of him. There’s something different about seeing him like this—not in his training suit, but just…like a man. He’s toned, hell, ripped even. His muscles make that perfect parallel down his stomach and into his underwear, which hug his hips and legs like only the world’s greatest pair of boxer sport briefs can. I cover my eyes and turn again quickly.
“Yeah, I know, but it’s different when you’re scrawny and fourteen. I’ll leave you to it,” I say.
“Suit yourself,” he says. I take a few steps to the door, and my heart is pounding in my throat, when Will baits me. “If you’re afraid to lose to a boy.”
Goddamn him.
I hear the water splash, and I wait a second before turning to make sure he’s submersed. When I face the water, he’s treading in the center lane, a dozen yards out, moving backward. The deck light is only bright enough to see his profile.
“I’ve got nothing to prove to you, Will Hollister,” I say, taking more steps forward until I’m at the end of the deck.
“Yeah…I know,” he says, splashing as he pushes backward a few more strokes. “But I have a mountain of shit to prove, most of it to myself. Racing you always brings out the best in me, but it’s okay.”
The water moves with his strokes as he swims slowly to the other side. I watch as his form fades until the only evidence he’s in the pool at all is the ripples left in his wake. He doesn’t move for several seconds, and I know he’s waiting at the edge, watching me.
“Shit,” I say finally, kicking my sandals to the side.
“Ohhhh ho ho yes! I knew you couldn’t handle walking away from a challenge,” he says through cocky laughter.
“Turn around,” I yell.
“Oh I am, don’t you worry,” he says, nothing about his tone sounding honest.
“Will, you better turn your ass around or so help me God…” My hands are frozen on the button of my shorts, my arms and legs tingling with adrenaline.
“I’m turned; I’m
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