After the show, Theo did everything in his power to lift my spirits—which meant buying me two cocktails on top of the spiked thermos we'd shared during the event.

Slow and uncoordinated, we'd stumbled our way to our hotel room, giggling our way up the elevator and ignoring Jay's criticisms about our embarrassing alcohol tolerance. Then, in our massively incapacitated state, we decided to venture to the rooftop pool to wind down.

Given that most of the tourists were still living up their spring break in the club, we figured we'd seize the opportunity for some alone time. That is, if my drunken ass could get my bikini top on. The outfit offered little coverage and a shit-ton of aesthetic straps, and I finally accepted that sexy clothing rarely doubled as pragmatic.

Or comfortable, for that matter. 

I turned to Theo with a pouted lip, dropping my mangled elbows in defeat. "I think I need some help."

He laughed and crossed the bedroom to release me from my straitjacket of a swimsuit. "You're a mess."

"A hot mess."

"Well, that goes without saying."

Beyond our door, I heard Jay speaking in a low voice. He mentioned something about his diagnosis and his choice to stop treatment, and I blinked up at Theo as he rearranged the swimsuit over my breasts. "Who's he talking to?"

"Ian."

My eyes widened, and as soon as Theo freed my arms, I moved closer to the door, straining to hear the private conversation.

"...not asking you to leave your job and take care of me," Jay was saying, "but...I thought you ought to know. I guess...give you a chance to say goodbye."

I stared at the wall, then at Theo—perplexed and amazed by my uncle's change of heart. "Was that you?"

The barista sat down on the edge of our bed. "I jus' talked about how much it meant to me...to be there for my mom's final moments," he explained, his voice laden with the liquid depressant. "I felt like I got to help her a little...actually feel useful, y'know? And those last few weeks with her were special. They meant a lot." His gaze rose from the carpet. "Also...I told him if he called his son, I'd pay for a stripper."

My eyes felt too heavy to roll, so I tossed him a flat look. "You're serious?"

He shrugged. "He's on his way out. He deserves to see some ass."

"I mean, I guess. Do you plan to partake?"

His smile widened, and I hated how transparent I was in this state. Drunk me was incapable of keeping her emotions in check—including unwarranted jealousy. "Why would I?" he asked, and his eyes roamed over my figure and the small strips of fabric concealing my privates. "I've got the hottest stripper in town, and she's all mine."

I made a face.

"What? It's true."

"You're drunk, Theo."

"Two things can be true at once..."

His reply pulled a reluctant grin out of me, and I threw a large t-shirt over my bikini before walking out the door.

Jay was sprawled out on the suite's couch with a popcorn bag in his lap and a fresh joint on the coffee table. My cousin's face lit up his phone screen, and the two Rivas boys smiled through their tears, exploring the heavy medical decision together—free of judgement.

I gave Jay a thumbs up, and he huffed, waving me and my pride away. But he seemed happy with his decision to expand his support group, despite the drama that unfolded at my mom's, and it soothed the lingering ache in my chest.

"Trinity will be here in about twenty minutes, so don't fall asleep," Theo informed my uncle, which spurred a dozen follow-up questions and exclamations from Ian. "Cash is on the kitchen counter."

Jay saluted us. "Have fun, kids. Don't throw up in the pool."

"And don't use the cancer card for a free lap dance," I shot back, knowing the geezer already had a speech prepared. "This is her job. Respect it."

He frowned. "Taking advantage of people's sympathy is the only benefit of dying, Roe."

I sent Theo a pained glance. "Maybe you should stay. I think he might require adult supervision."

But my drunken companion just laughed and dragged me out the door.

As we stepped into the cool evening air, I paused to absorb the beautiful, wallet-leeching setting.

Across the rooftop, pink, orange, and turquoise lights illuminated the swirls of glowing water carved into the concrete. Hotel casinos towered above us, reflecting the massive digital advertisements along the Strip, and in the distance, a city of golden flecks and brake lights collided with the darkness overhead. It was just as glitzy as I expected, but it also felt like a galaxy of blinking stars and dazzling auroras, and my fingers itched for my camera.

Thankfully, it was also the quietest place we'd visited all day. As we'd predicted, the chaise lounge chairs lay empty, along with the bar seats. And only a handful of people occupied the hot tubs.

I sighed at the serenity of it all, breathing in the chlorine and a tinge of marijuana.

Finally, something that resembles a vacation.

Theo and I wandered over to the heated pool closest to the glass parapet, and as he dropped into the shallow end, I shyly pulled off my shirt. The alcohol must have been wearing off a little, because I hadn't batted an eye during his swimsuit adjustment, but the way he was looking at me now sent all my blood to my face.

"What?" I murmured, descending the stairs into lukewarm water.

He greeted me with a kiss on my fourth step, and I giggled against his lips. It was a wet kiss, and a hungry one. I could tell he'd been waiting for this all day, and it put a warm, gooey feeling in my belly.

He pulled me further into the pool, his arms snug around my waist, and I moaned quietly into his mouth. I'd forgotten how fun drunk kisses could be—a little sloppy, a little tingly, and all reservations forgotten while the world spins at a faster, more dizzying pace.

We separated to catch our breaths, and I peeked behind me at the people in the hot tub, realizing just how few inhibitions I'd retained. This level of PDA would've had the old me shriveling with bitterness and disgust, and yet, I couldn't find it in me to feel embarrassed. I'd spent too many years as the bystander, and I'd finally found a hot guy to parade around. I was going to bask in this, dammit!

Besides. No one seemed to care what we were up to; the group was engaged in a lively debate about sports teams. Our worlds could not be more separate.

I turned around and placed my back against the tile, watching Theo study me in a way that no man had ever cared to do.

"Your hair's getting long," he murmured, thumbing a damp cluster of split-ends.

I smiled at the length. Unintentionally, my hair had become a marker of our timeline together, and it was strange to think how much I'd grown in three months, how much my daily life had changed since New Year's. And although I didn't consider myself a superstitious person, cutting it now almost felt unwise.

"Thanks, I grew it myself."

He tutted at me, but the lame joke didn't provoke his roasting. Instead, he drew closer to me, and those large, calloused hands found my waist again. Then slowly, deviously, they snaked their way up my body until his thumbs brushed either slit of exposed underboob.

The contact made me shiver, and my goosebumps didn't go unnoticed. "This bathing suit is dangerous," he whispered.

My lips formed a coy smile. "You like it?"

"I have mixed feelings," the drunk replied. "It fits great, but I also want to rip it off your body."

I lowered my chin, fighting the desire to punctuate his sentence with another sloppy kiss. "Well...if we weren't in public, I'd encourage it."

Sinful eyes flicked to mine, and I raised my brow.

"...Theo."

Feigning innocence, he slid his hands up over the tiny triangles of my bikini—triangles without any padding whatsoever—and glanced at me beneath his fringe. "Hm?"

"I..." His touch was everything I craved and more. But we couldn't. "Is it your life goal to get us registered as public sex offenders?" We'd already toed the line once at Grounds; this was just asking for trouble.

He passed a furtive glance at the guests behind us. "I'm just fixing your swimsuit."

Using my body to conceal his nefarious intentions, he pinched my nipples through the fabric—hard—and the gasp that erupted from my throat was nothing short of humiliating.

His smile widened, pleased with my reaction, and I glared at him.

But...as stupid as it was, I didn't want him to stop. I didn't want to sever our physical connection, nor the feeling brewing inside me. "What exactly are you trying to fix?"

He chanced another glance at our distracted company, and then he moved a strip of cloth aside, exposing my left breast in its entirety.

Flashing all of Sin City.

Jesus, Moe, my brain hissed. What has this boy done to you?

For a few seconds, Theo just stared at my tan skin and the lattice of intersecting straps framing my chest, and I had to admit, I loved the way he never grew tired of my body. Before he'd come along, I'd always considered my top half less than satisfactory, but since our contract's inception, my insecurities had faded to background noise.

And how could they not? His adoration for my body was borderline obsessive.

"That's better." He rubbed my nipple between his thumb and forefinger. Relishing my twitching. Savoring my barely suppressed moans.

"You're terrible," I said.

He palmed my naked breast and squeezed. "The worst."

Laughter rang from the other end of the roof, and I stiffened, reminded again of our audience. But Theo was unbothered—and completely undeterred. He pushed my right cup aside as well, leaving me fully indecent, and I felt a spark of adrenaline shoot through me at the vulnerable state he'd left me in.

This was so incredibly risky, sitting here with my back to unsuspecting strangers, my bare chest on display for any peeping guests in the surrounding high-rises. But even so...I liked being indecorous with Theo. I liked breaking the rules when he was there to bail me out. It was thrilling, casting my puritanical upbringing aside, gambling with my reputation.

Perhaps that made me no better than your common exhibitionist, but I was happy to admit that I simply did not care. Not this time.

He teased my burgundy skin with the lightest of touches, drawing tantalizing circles all across the erogenous zone. I squirmed and hissed in pleasure, leaning into the stimulation, and he hummed as he kneaded the softest parts of me.

"God, you're sexy," he groaned.

Afraid I might release the incriminating noises in my throat, I sought another means of expressing my combined arousal and frustration. Silently, I tangled my hands in Theo's dark hair, fingers curling into his locks as I battled my own sensitivity. His eyes swirled with lust as he sank even lower into the pool, even further out of sight. And then, with his chin kissing the water, he swallowed the tip of my breast.

My lips parted in shock, then immediately bowed in pleasure.

He kissed and sucked my supple flesh, grazing me with his teeth until I grew erect inside his mouth. His tongue, hot and dexterous, stroked my nipple at the same time he twisted and flicked its twin, and I bit down on my bottom lip to contain my whimpers. Even underwater, the teasing lit a fire between my legs, and it was almost too erotic, watching him close his eyes and make love to my cleavage.

What an art piece it would be, my body pinned to the edge of the pool, his mouth devouring my chest. Wet skin speckled in water droplets. Bodies reflecting the various blues, pinks, and oranges shining down on us. It was pornographic, surely, but I couldn't help thinking this collision was also beautiful.

Theo was beautiful.

My captor's eyes snapped open, locking on mine as he held me firmly to his tongue. And the determination pulsing in those pinion forests whispered a harrowing truth: he planned to torture me until I achieved an orgasm. Here, in public.

Shit.

The chatter behind us rose in volume, but in this moment, I heard nothing but the wet smack of his lips and my own intoxicated soul screaming and shouting in ecstasy. Sensing the shift in me, he switched sides and flicked his tongue faster and faster over my neglected nipple. Building me up. Pulling the smallest of moans from me. Forcing me to temper my own convulsing body, lest we alert the other tourists.

Fuck. Fuck!

My eyes fluttered shut as a surge of glorious heat and electricity erupted inside me, and I instantly dropped under the water to muffle my screams.

Christ, Theo.

How the hell did he even do that? What supernatural abilities did he harbor?

When I reemerged with my bikini back in its proper place, Theo wiped his mouth, impressed with himself. "Wow. I didn't know I could do that."

"Me neither." I spared an anxious glance over my shoulder, but the other group was still rattling on about football. Then I fixed my gaze on Theo. "You're a crazy drunk. And a horny one."

He leaned in for another kiss, which I eagerly granted. "And you're hot. How the hell are you still single?" I pushed him away, laughing, but he shook his head. "Seriously. Why has nobody snatched you up yet?"

"I don't know. It's not for a lack of trying on my part," I complained, skirting past him in the pool before I acted on the hormones in my blood. "The guys I fall for just...let me down."

His eyes followed me, waiting for me to divulge my painful memories, and I took a second to admire his runny eyeliner and messy, damp hair before proceeding.

"I had this middle school crush. Eighth grade. He was the first boy I ever kissed, and I thought it was going to be this special, innocent little romance. But a week later, he told me he only did it to figure out if he was gay or not. Which he was." Theo snorted, and I glided through the water, extracting the moments I'd worked so hard to purge from my mind. "Then there was this guy, Jake, in high school. I liked him all four years, and a few weeks before prom, I finally built up the courage to tell him how I felt. He seemed excited, and we texted all of spring break. The way he was interacting with me...I thought he liked me too. But as soon as our vacation was over, he asked me for nudes." Theo's smile faded, and I gave a commiserating nod. "Yeah. I didn't send them, obviously. So he took someone else to prom."

"Douche."

"Big time." If only my track record ended there. "Then freshman year of college, I met Jared, who lived in the same dorm."

"Another J name?"

I blinked, sailing straight past the joke to the seeds of a genuine conspiracy theory. "Woah. Maybe Adora was onto something."

Theo snickered, and it was clear the liquor was catching up to him by his delayed response. "Sorry. Carry on."

"Jared was super nice to me, and I offered to help him out in chemistry. We became friends after that, and he'd always bring me food and ask me to go to the campus events with him. He was a total flirt, and I thought he might ask me out at the end of the year. But that spring, his long-distance girlfriend came to visit. A girlfriend he'd never mentioned in all our time together."

Wincing, Theo leaned against the side of the pool. "Ouch."

It had tainted the entire year for me, too. In every memory I treasured, Jared was also there, and his presence turned every recollection sour. "Then there's Bowel Movement Barry."

"...Do I want to know?"

I grinned at the fear on his face. "Last year, Baker dragged me to a neighborhood party where I met this guy, Barry. He was super charming, and he wasn't fucked up like everyone else, so we actually had the chance to connect. We ended up crashing there at his house, and he asked me if I wanted to share his bed." Theo's body language changed a little, and I raced on to assuage his concerns. "He didn't do anything perverted. We just cuddled and made out a bit. But when we woke up, I realized he'd shit the bed."

The barista's jaw fell open to form an amused, horrified kind of smile. "Tell me you're joking."

"No. He shit his pants. Deadass," I promised. "He hadn't been drinking that night, but apparently, he'd snorted more cocaine than his colon could handle." I shook my head at the traumatizing memory. "I left while he was still in the shower."

And those were just the boys who'd acknowledged my affections. So many more crushes were undisclosed—or destroyed, in Andrew's case.

"Damn, Moe." He watched me for a moment, adding a few additional pieces to my ever-expanding puzzle. Then he sighed. "Well, screw those losers. They don't know what they're missing."

I snorted, my gaze sweeping over the sparkling city. "Yeah, Carl and I are a real package."

"Yeah, you fucking are." He looked up at the sky. "You wouldn't be my friend with many, many benefits if I didn't think you were just...just brilliant, Moe. Inside and out." His expression turned sincere. "You deserve so much better than those asshats."

My smile faltered at the affection spreading inside my chest—like a bowl of yeast rising between my ribcage.

I'd sensed that foreign, fungus of a feeling more and more lately, and it wasn't allowed to grow anymore. Frankly, the two of us needed to scale things back a bit after this trip. Establish more boundaries. Kill whatever might be blossoming here.

"...You deserve more than me," Theo concluded, and that snapped me out of my musings.

"More than you?" I waded towards him. "What do you mean?

"More than this." He gestured between us, struggling with his sentences. "More than sex."

"But...I'm happy with our arrangement." Fear slithered into my chest and laid its eggs. "Aren't you?"

"Yeah. It's the best contract ever," he said, meeting me in the middle of the pool. He reached for my hands—to comfort me or to seek stability in his drunken state, I wasn't sure. "But...I'm also pretty fucking sure I'm falling in love with you."

Time froze around us, and the heated pool turned cold and uncomfortable against my skin, like bathwater I'd stayed in far too long.

No...

He'd just said everything I never wanted to hear.

In one sentence, he'd ruined us.

He's just intoxicated, I reminded Carl. He's spouting shit he doesn't mean.

Drunk words, sober thoughts, he countered.

No, no, no...

Theo was still smiling at me, so I decided to interpret his answer as a joke—and force it to be one, if necessary. "Sure you are."

He squeezed my fingers. "You don't believe me?"

"I think it's hard to know what your heart wants when your dick is making decisions," I put carefully. "Not to mention all the alcohol in your blood."

Lifting our joined hands from the water, he placed my left palm against his chest. "Not all of us are overthinkers," he insisted. "That right there? That's not the sound of a heart that's confused."

"That's your right nipple, Theo."

The inebriated goof slid my hand to his other breast, and I could feel his pulse shuddering against my palm, restored and seemingly unbroken. "There, see?"

I quirked an eyebrow. "Are you a heart doctor now?"

Smiling, he touched my own bosom, right above the nervous, pounding organ. "Yes."

"Ah...I see. Then tell me doc, is my heart confused?" I asked, genuinely unsure.

"Nah. Just scared." He leaned down to peck my cheek. "And full of artificial sweetener."

I shoved at him, scoffing, and it triggered his boyish urge to compete. Before I could even process the chaos I'd unleashed, he tackled me into the pool, and water shot up my nose, straight to my brain.

Fucking nuisance of a man!

I swam away from him, gasping for air, and when I turned back to look at him, he was folded over and cackling like the demonic child he was. I slid out of the pool to seek refuge, but as I walked away, his declaration floated back to the surface.

He caught feelings, Moe, Carl pressed. It's time to cut him loose. Before this gets ugly.

But my gut said otherwise. He has a greased tongue tonight. He didn't mean it. We're fine.

He was horny and drunk, and in his attempt to comfort me, he went too far. His words would turn to ashes by morning; he probably wouldn't even remember this.

I paid the barista one last glance, watching him climb out of the pool, his back muscles rippling, his arms flexing under his weight. When he caught me staring, he shot me a smug, toothy grin, and my pulse thrummed in my fingertips.

We're fine.