Kay looked up at the full moon, hugging herself. A breeze fluttered the hem of her dress and goosebumps erupted over her skin. This was the first time she actually felt chilly in Malta. It was a bitter miracle. She only hoped she wouldn't have to keep hugging herself much longer, but she was nervous. Maybe she'd been too subtle, maybe she was being too daring. Maybe...

The sound of rushed footsteps had her breaking into a smile. Of course Kyle got the message. He knew how to read her better than anyone else. She didn't turn around, just waited to feel his arms around her. The footsteps stopped.

"What's up?" she asked, still not turning.

"I was trying to figure out if you were serious."

Now she faced him, trying to wrap her mind around the hesitance in his voice. Had she misinterpreted his behavior? His face betrayed nothing. He looked legitimately curious.

"I thought that..." she stuttered.

And the curiosity was replaced with that confident smirk she loved so much. "You didn't think wrong. Jerry did ruin that dance for us." He strode to her, wrapped and arm around her waist, and dipped her.

She immediately hooked her arms around his neck, holding on for dear life. His hand slipped up her thigh, stopping at the hem of her dress, and her skin caught fire. Conversation was pointless and she already felt hazy, her heart beating at an electrifying pace. Yes, this is where they were so rudely interrupted.

"Why does he have to be such a spoil sport?" she whispered.

"Maybe he was afraid your dress would catch fire." He bent so low, she couldn't even see him straight anymore.

And at that moment, she wanted her dress to catch fire, she wanted him to kiss her until she could no longer breathe, and she saw no point in waiting. She pulled him in, her lips crashing against his, kissing him for every missed opportunity, for all the times they weren't alone. His grip on her tightened and he kissed her back with that breathtaking intensity she remembered and loved, as if she were his source of air and he'd been close to drowning.

She ran her fingers through his hair, down his back, loving the way his muscles tensed at her touch, the way his fingers dug into her, scorching her skin. He held her even closer, pressing her entire body against his, and she wanted it tighter. She wanted to lay down somewhere, so he wouldn't have to hold her up, she wanted to explore more of him, she wanted—

A door slammed and they jumped apart. Kay breathed greedily, hoping with all her being that Jerry wouldn't come charging at them with a broom; though at that moment she'd totally tell him to screw off in a very unladylike manner.

Fortunately, no one came over to interrupt them. The drunken voices remained on the other side of the wall, talking in German. Unfortunately, Kyle pulled away from her, his eyes unfocused. He shut them tightly, and when he opened them again, he seemed to come to his senses.

"Well, we got a little carried away." He lifted a strap of her dress back over her shoulder.

A little was an understatement. They were in public after all, even if no one was actually around to see them. "I guess so..." Damn, her voice came out incredibly longing.

"We need to cool down."

"Yeah, but—" Her words died in her throat when Kyle pulled his t-shirt over his head and tossed it on a nearby beach chair. The little light from the bulbs above the entrances to the houses and the moon made his skin look almost golden. She swallowed heavily. "You're not helping."

"Yes I am." He walked past her, bent his knees, and jumped headfirst into the pool.

She stepped back to avoid getting splashed and watched him resurfacing and resting his forearms on the edge of the pool. Nope, seeing him wet was even worse. "You're crazy, throwing yourself in the pool dressed up."

"You just want me to take my pants off," he answered with a laugh.

Heat shot to her cheeks because it was exactly what she wanted. He stopped laughing abruptly and looked up at her with narrowed eyes. It made him look even hotter if possible.

"What are you playing at, sweetheart?"

Even she wasn't sure. But she still sat on one of the chairs and unstrapped her sandals, then kicked them off and walked back to the edge of the pool. "I'm not playing at anything."

He reached out his hand and she took it. "I think you need to cool down, too." And before she could make a move, he pulled her into the water.

Thank God years of swimming worked in her favor and she immediately held her breath. But when she emerged, she wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or thump him. He was laughing his head off, the hot idiot.

"Sorry about your dress." He came over and pushed the hair out of her eyes.

"Screw my dress," she said, trying to push it down over her thighs, but it continued to float stubbornly. "But you did get my hair all wet and now it probably looks—"

"Beautiful," he whispered, stepping closer to her.

She backed up and her butt hit the wall of the pool. He followed her, leaned his hands on the wall, trapped her between his arms, and bent even lower. Kay's senses went haywire. The cool water, the heat bouncing off his body, the breeze ruffling the leaves of the nearby trees, the flickering light of the traitorous moon...

"You are the most amazing, gorgeous—"

She kissed him before he could finish, wrapping herself around him, dying to feel his hands on her. And he complied, kissing her back, running his hands up her thighs, on her back, unzipping her dress. The straps fell to the side and he moved his mouth from hers, kissing her neck, her shoulders. She just leaned her head back, giving him better access, digging her fingers into his shoulders. A low moan escaped her throat.

He pressed his forehead against hers, panting. "Don't moan. You know what it does to me."

"I want that," she whispered with batted breath.

"I want it too, more than you know, but we can't."

Yes, they could, and she'd prove it. She took his face in her hands and kissed him deeply, curled tighter around him. He groaned into her mouth, and it was the hottest sound ever. For a moment, it felt like he'd pull back, but then he let himself fall against her, his hands grasping her thighs, kissing her even more fiercely.

She let her hands roam, caressing his shoulders, his back, sinking them into his back pockets. Her head spun out of control, unreliable and unneeded. All she wanted was more. And he gave her more. More kissing, more touching, more skin.

But all of a sudden, he pulled back and rested his forehead against her collar bone. His body shook as he chuckled.

"What are you doing?" she asked warily.

"I was thinking if going out tonight counted as a date."

"You were thinking?"

"Not exactly. It just sort of came to me. Your five date rule."

Kay wanted to scream. "Didn't we agree we'd screw the five dates all together?"

"Yes. That's exactly what I was thinking. But, and I can't believe I'm saying this, we're not doing it now."

"Define it," she mumbled.

He laughed and she felt like hitting him. How could he cool down so fast? And especially, why were they talking?

"You deserve much better than this," he finally said. "And I'm not just talking about a public place and a swimming pool, but also about my mental state."

That caught her attention. She could've dismissed the logistic nonsense, but she was unpleasantly reminded that he was actually grieving. And shame sent her cheeks on fire. She'd been so insensitive, only thinking about her own pleasure, her own needs.

"I understand. You deserve much better than this, too."

He tilted his head. "Nope. Against a wall in a swimming pool is fine by me. But not for you. Not for our first time. So..." He pulled the straps back over her shoulders. At least he looked as if he regretted it, and it made everything a little more bearable.

Her brain recognized that he was right, that her lust had gotten the better of her, that it was maybe her own way of grieving, of proving to herself that she could still be happy. But her body was still on fire, waiting for the conclusion of what they'd started.

She heaved a sigh. "You're right. I can totally see where you're coming from."

"But?"

He'd sensed the but and she wondered if she should actually tell him. "But I hate it that we're stopping."

He squinted at her. "Who said I'm stopping?"

"You just did!"

He put his hands on her thighs and lifted her on the edge of the pool. "I was merely setting boundaries. I'm not done."

Kay just smirked and closed her eyes.

🌟🌟🌟

Go take a cold shower. I'll wait. You're welcome 😏