Chapter 9 Pool at Night

Leighton couldn't stop staring at her laptop.

She'd been preparing for tomorrow's interview for hours. Reading about Knight Security Solutions until her eyes burned. Memorizing product names, company values, and all the things she was supposed to say to sound impressive.

But all she could think about was Noah's thumb on her lip.

At eleven thirty, she closed the laptop and pressed her palms against her eyes.

She needed to clear her head. Needed to stop replaying that moment in the kitchen over and over.

The pool. She could go to the pool.

Noah had mentioned it on her first day. Said she was welcome to use it anytime. And he'd been locked in his office for hours. Probably still working. He worked late every night.

She changed into her black one-piece swimsuit and grabbed a towel.

The house was dark and quiet as she made her way downstairs. No light coming from under Noah's office door. Good. He was probably asleep by now.

The back doors led to a stone deck. The pool glowed blue in the darkness, underwater lights making the water look almost magical. Beyond the fence, city lights twinkled in the distance.

Leighton set down her towel and tested the water with her toe. Perfect temperature. Not too cold, not too warm.

She dove in.

The water closed over her head, blocking out everything. She surfaced and gasped, then started swimming. Her arms cut through the water in steady strokes. One lap. Two. Three. The rhythm calmed her racing thoughts.

She'd been so tense all day. Wound up about the interview, about the job offer, about Noah and whatever was happening between them.

But here, in the water, everything felt simpler.

She flipped onto her back and floated. Stars scattered across the sky above her. The water held her, buoyant and cool against her skin. She could hear nothing but her own breathing and the gentle lap of water against the pool edge.

This was exactly what she needed.

She closed her eyes and let herself drift.

Movement caught her eye. A shadow shifting on one of the upper balconies.

She righted herself in the water, treading in place.

Noah stood on his balcony. His balcony. The one attached to his bedroom. He gripped the railing, looking down at her.

Her heart jumped into her throat.

How long had he been standing there?

They stared at each other across the distance. Too far to see his expression clearly. But she felt his gaze like a physical touch. Heavy. Intense.

She should get out. Should grab her towel and go back to her room before this becomes something.

But her body wouldn't move.

He didn't move either. Just stood there watching her. The seconds stretched into a minute. Then another.

Her skin prickled with awareness. The swimsuit suddenly felt too thin. Too revealing. She was hyperaware of the way the fabric clung to her body, of her wet hair stuck to her shoulders.

She couldn't look away from him.

Then he turned and went back into his room. The balcony door closed.

Leighton released a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

Right. Of course. He'd just been checking to see who was in his pool. Making sure everything was okay. Nothing weird about that.

She turned toward the steps to get out.

The back door opened.

She froze.

Noah walked out onto the deck. He'd changed from whatever he'd been wearing earlier. Now he wore only swim trunks, his chest bare. Even in the dim light, she could see the definition of his muscles. The scar on his left shoulder.

He walked to the edge of the pool and dove in without hesitation.

The water erupted where he entered. He surfaced a few feet away from her, water streaming down his face. Pushed his wet hair back from his forehead.

"Hey," he said.

Her mouth was dry despite being surrounded by water. "Hey."

"Couldn't sleep?"

"Too much on my mind."

"The interview?"

"Among other things."

He moved closer. Not swimming, just walking along the pool floor. The water came up to his chest, rippling with his movement.

"You'll do fine tomorrow."

"You don't know that."

"Yeah, I do." He stopped a few feet away. Close enough that she could see drops of water caught in his eyelashes. "I've seen your work. I know what you're capable of."

"That's different from an interview."

"Not that different."

She wanted to believe him. Wanted to believe she could walk into that office tomorrow and prove herself. But doubt ate at her.

"What if I freeze up? What if I say something stupid?"

"Then you say something stupid. It happens. You recover and keep going."

"Easy for you to say. You probably never say anything stupid."

The corner of his mouth twitched. "You'd be surprised."

The space between them felt charged. Electric. Like the air before a storm.

"I should probably get out," she said. "Let you swim."

"You don't have to leave."

"I've been in for a while. I'm getting pruney."

"Leighton."

The way he said her name made her stop. Made her look at him.

He moved closer. One step. Then another. The water between them disappeared until he was right there. Close enough to touch.

"I can't stop thinking about earlier," he said quietly. "In the kitchen."

Her breath caught. "Noah..."

"I know I shouldn't have touched you. Shouldn't have said what I said. But I can't take it back."

"I'm not asking you to take it back."

"No?"

"No."

His hand moved underwater. She felt his fingers brush her hip. Barely a touch. Testing.

Her skin ignited where he made contact.

"This is dangerous," he said.

"I know."

"If Chloe finds out..."

"I know."

But neither of them moved away.

His other hand came up out of the water, reaching toward her face. His fingers were cold from the pool. They traced her jaw, leaving a trail of heat despite the chill.

"You have an interview tomorrow," he said. "You should be focused on that. Not this."

"I can focus on both."

"Can you?"

"I don't know." Honest. Raw. "But I'm tired of pretending there's nothing here."

"There's definitely something here."

His thumb brushed across her cheekbone. She leaned into the touch without meaning to.

"Tell me to stop," he said.

"Why?"

"Because if you don't, I'm going to kiss you. Right here. Right now. And everything changes after that."

Her heart hammered against her ribs. "What if I want things to change?"

"Do you even know what you're asking for?"

"Maybe not. But I want to find out."

He stared at her. Water dripped from his hair down his face. His dark eyes searched hers, looking for something. Doubt, maybe. Fear. A reason to stop.

She didn't give him one.

His hand slid from her face to the back of her neck. Pulled her closer. Inch by inch. Giving her time to pull away.

She didn't.

Their bodies were almost touching now. She could feel the heat of him even through the cool water. Could see the way his chest rose and fell with each breath.

"Last chance," he murmured. "Tell me to stop."

Her hands found his chest. Wet skin over hard muscle. His heart pounded beneath her palm.

"I'm not going to tell you to stop."

He made a sound low in his throat. His grip tightened on her neck. His other hand found her waist underwater, fingers splaying across her hip.

He pulled her against him.

Then he stopped.

Their bodies pressed together, her chest against his, her hands trapped between them. His forehead rested against hers. Both of them breathing hard.

But he didn't kiss her.

"Noah?" Her voice came out breathless.

"I can't."

"What?"

"I want to. God, I want to." His voice was rough. Strained. "But if I kiss you now, I won't stop. And you have an interview tomorrow. You need to be sharp. Focused. Not thinking about this."

"I'm already thinking about this."

"I know. So am I." He pulled back slightly, putting an inch of space between them. "But you deserve better than me taking what I want without thinking about the consequences."

"What if I don't care about consequences?"

"You should. Because there will be consequences. For both of us."

He let go of her and stepped back. The loss of his warmth felt like a physical ache.

"Go inside," he said. "Get some sleep. Ace that interview tomorrow."

"And then what?"

"Then we figure out what this is."

"Noah..."

"Go, Leighton. Before I change my mind."

She wanted to argue. Wanted to close the distance and make him stop thinking so much. But something in his expression stopped her.

She swam to the steps and climbed out. Grabbed her towel. Looked back at him.

He stood in the middle of the pool, water lapping at his chest, watching her with an intensity that made her shiver.

"Good night," she said.

"Good night."

She walked back into the house on shaking legs. Her skin still tingled where he'd touched her. Her lips ached for a kiss that hadn't happened.

He'd pulled back. He'd stopped.

But the way he'd looked at her said this wasn't over.

Not even close.