Cheers erupted from the party goers, and several of them followed suit by stripping down to their boxer shorts and jumping into the pool. Savannah stood gaping, lost for words. When he surfaced again, he had a mischievous look on his face. He said nothing. He simply stared at her with smouldering eyes, treading water, challenging her.
She shook her head ever so slightly. A silent, unseen conversation between themselves. He raised an eyebrow at her, pushing the challenge harder. She looked down at her dress. Damn, but she wanted to. Every fibre in her body was telling her to jump. If it wasn't for the designer Lori Gables dress adorning her body, she would have been in there already. Half naked and wrapped in his arms.
She blushed deeply at where her thoughts had taken her, and cursed inwardly at even having thought such things. He was living in her house! She chastised herself and cringed. She couldn't mix things up like that and blur the boundaries. It had to be the alcohol, she thought. It was screwing up her usually rational emotions and playing tricks on her. But still, he just stared at her. Challenging her. Waiting for her.
Carly grabbed her forearm and spun her around, away from Josh's grasp. “Do you trust me?” Savannah didn't answer. There wasn't even a need to. Her best friend knew the answer already. Carly simply smiled and held Savannah's face in her two hands. “Stop thinking. Stop analysing.” Carly let go and quickly dropped Chad's phone into her small handbag and without any hesitation, pulled her top off and shimmied out of her skirt. “Stop thinking. Just do.” She said, and jumped into the pool in her bra and underwear.
Josh pulled Savannah back a few steps to keep her from being drenched. He gave an awkward laugh but seems relieved that he had her all to himself, seeing as an apparent swimming epidemic had occurred. “OK, that was completely normal.” He turned her around again to face him, which she did, somewhat reluctantly. “You want to go somewhere less wet and noisy? Maybe back inside?” He pulled up her hands to his lips and kissed them. “I want to talk about us.”
Savannah waged an internal battle within herself, realising that she was not nearly sober enough to properly weigh up her option, but not caring wither way. Josh was familiar and they'd been together for a year. He'd never pushed her for sex, even when it was obvious that he was more than willing to. He'd been a gentleman. He'd met her parents and she'd met his. Yes their career and study paths would lead to a long distance relationship in the future, but surely that was not going to stop them form being happy together?
Then there was Chad, who was pushing her limits when she hadn't even known she'd had them. He was exciting and adventurous, and made her feel desirable. He spoke to her like she was precious, even while he ignored her at the same time and brushed her off. He was a puzzle.
And she wanted to solve it.
“Sorry Josh.” She withdrew her hands. “There is no 'us' any more.” Without stopping to think, she kicked off her shoes and peeled the dress over her head, before diving head first into the pool.
Chad was waiting for her at the far side of the pool, an expectant look in his eyes. She made her way slowly across the pool towards him. When she was within arm's reach, he pulled her against him swiftly, bringing the lengths of their bodies against each other. He put his hands on her hips, squeezing them tightly and keeping her body against his. He felt the softness of her skin beneath his hands and restrained himself from looking at her body, so exposed. He'd forgotten briefly how to breathe when she'd taken off the dress. The confidence in her face as she dove in the water had him completely dumbstruck.
She however, was feeling very bold, and rested her hands on his shoulders, allowing herself to feel the heat from his muscles under her fingertips and she ran them gently down his arms. She was also not being discreet about looking at the tattoos that covered most of his upper torso and arms. He locked his eyes on hers and gave her a mischievous smile.
“Maybe you're not such a good girl after all.” He said quietly.
“Maybe I just haven't been caught yet.” She said, as she move her hands around to the back of his neck, linking them together and pulling herself closer.
Alarm bells went off in the back of his mind, warning him that he had crossed a line somewhere in the last five minutes. This was Striker's daughter. He was living under her roof. He was about to screw everything up again. But all rational thoughts left him when she pressed her lips to his.
Savannah wasn't completely green when it came to kissing, but she'd not felt sparks before. Chad was sending electricity through her body and making her hair stand on end. Every part of her that touched him was tingling, and there was a lot of her touching him as he pulled her tightly against his body. She could feel every hard line and contour of his body, and it only thrilled her more. She couldn't tell how much time had passed or even recall why they were in a pool in the first place. All she knew was that she was in his arms. And it felt good.
“Princess... you need to stop.” He said breathlessly, loosening his grip on her and allowing her to pull away slightly. She let out a whimper of dissatisfaction, but grudgingly released her grasp and rested her head on his shoulder, breathing fast.
“Kill joy.” She mumbled, causing him to laugh quietly and his body to shake.
“Believe me, I wouldn't usually be stopping after a girl jumps on me half naked and attacks me.” He said with a grin, earning himself a sharp pinch on his chest. He chuckled and rubbed his hand down her spine. “But there are people watching, and you ain't thinking straight.”
“I'm thinking perfectly straight.” She countered, tracing a line of his tattoo with her fingertips. He picked up her hand and kissed the fingers, holding them tight.
“Do straight thinking people usually jump into pools in just their bra and panties? Or is it just you Mayfield girls? Because I can move in permanently if it's a Mayfield thing!”
She laughed and smacked him on the chest. “Pervert.”
“Drunken hussy.” He said, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. He glanced around for Carly, who was already out of the pool and drying herself off. He hadn't even realised that towels had been brought out. He whistled at her, and she came running over with a towel. Chad escorted Savannah to the steps and averted his eyes as she climbed out of the pool and was wrapped up in Carly's waiting towel. She held out another one for him but he shook his head. “I gotta swim a few laps and clear my head. You get her dressed. I gotta sober her up before taking her home.”
The depth of what Savannah had just done, dawned on her as Carly was helping her pull the dress over her still damp underclothes. The cool air when she got out of the pool had been like a bucket of cold water. Carly had dragged her inside and into what she thought was Drake's parent's room and had dried her off as best she could. Now she could feel the shame.
“Oh Hell. I threw myself at him!” She buried her face in her hands and let out a muffled scream. “I am so embarrassed! What the hell was I thinking?”
“You weren't thinking, and that was the beauty of it.” Carly said, throwing her shoes at her feet. “You wanted to be reckless and spontaneous for a change, and that's not bad.”
“I was slutty and wanton!” She cringed. “How can I even face him after how I behaved?”
Carly sat down next to her and patted her thigh. “For once in your life, stop over-thinking things. The man is as hot as hell and he wants you. And seeing as you dove half naked into a pool for a hot make-out session, I'd say the feeling was pretty mutual, wouldn't you?” Savannah nodded, feeling her face heat even as she did. “So two people, who are attracted to each other, had some drinks and made out. Big deal.” She shrugged her shoulders dramatically. “The bigger question now, is what are you going to do going forward?”
“I don't know!” Savannah waved her hands around, in a panic. “I mean I was drinking and I wasn't really myself. But I knew what I was doing. I wanted to do it.”
“And now that you've sobered up a little bit?”
Savannah took a deep and calming breath, before allowing herself a grin. “I think I'd do it again. In a heart beat.” They broke out into laughter. “I felt so alive. So different. So confident and sure of myself! If I ever drink whatever shots those were again, stop me before I start.”
They laughed again, and after some words of encouragement, left the room and went downstairs