The pool is heated, the water a welcome relief from the hot sun.

Skylar is already swimming laps.

"About time," she teases, pulling herself up to the edge of the pool.

"Sorry," I say, trying to keep my voice casual. "I couldn't find my top."

Her eyes trail to something behind me. "And who is this? I thought it was just going to be the two of us," she says, a slight frown marring her features.

"This is Ares," I introduce, praying that she doesn't notice how red my face is. "Archer's brother. He's in town for work and is staying here for," but I can't finish my sentence because he never told me how long he would be here.

"A few weeks," he finishes for me.

"Nice to meet you, Ares," she says, eyeing him appreciatively. "I didn't know Archer had a brother."

"It's a surprise to most. It's a pleasure to meet you," Ares replies, his voice smooth.

I'm surprised at his sudden professionalism. He had no problem teasing me and flirting just a moment ago, and now he's all charm and propriety.

"Would you care to join us?" I ask, motioning to the pool.

He shakes his head. "I have some work to do. But you two enjoy yourselves. I'll make lunch in a couple of hours."

"Sounds good," Skylar says, flashing him a smile.

As he strides away, Skylar doesn't miss a beat, her eyes tracking his every move. "He's hot," she declares, a note of mischief in her voice that instantly puts me on edge.

"Don't even think about it," I warn, shooting her a pointed look.

"What?" She grins at me, that all-too-familiar twinkle in her eye. "He's a total silver fox. I bet he's wild in bed."

"Skylar!" I gasp, feeling my face flush with embarrassment. I quickly glance over my shoulder, half expecting Ares to have magically reappeared, but thankfully, he's nowhere in sight.

Her laughter rings out, clear and carefree, as she playfully splashes water in my direction before effortlessly floating away on her back. "I'm just kidding," she says, but I can see the way she's looking at him.

I dip my toes into the water before sinking in.

"So, how's your love life?" I probe, hoping to change the subject.

She shrugs. "It's meh, the usual non-starter love life. But enough about me—spill about last night with that hottie Alex."

I can't help but groan at the memory, even as I float on the water's surface. "Well, it ended with him practically carrying me home from the party."

Skylar cackles. "You're such a lightweight, dude."

"I know, but I was having a good time," I explain, rolling my eyes. "And you know I'm not good under peer pressure. He just kept refilling my cup."

Skylar glides through the water with the grace of a mermaid, circling me like a shark that's spotted something interesting.

"So, spill the beans. Did anything happen between you two?" she prods.

There was the kiss, but that meant nothing, so I don't even bother bringing it up.

"Nothing worth talking about," I mutter, trying to sound as indifferent as possible. "I've told you a million times, Skylar, he's not my type."

She waves off my words like they're just flies buzzing around her head. "Oh, come on. He's a total babe. How can you not be even a little bit tempted?"

"Why don't you go after him, then?" I throw back, half joking, half serious.

She scoffs, executing a perfect eye roll."Because I'm not his type. You, on the other hand, are exactly his type. He's totally into you."

I shake my head. "You're crazy. We're just friends, Sky. That's all we will ever be."

"If you say so," she says, but she doesn't sound convinced.

I submerge myself under the water, giving myself a break from this conversation.

Under the water, my thoughts turn to Skylar's relentless shipping of me and Alex. It's clear she harbors a tiny crush on him, despite her protests to the contrary.

When I resurface, the conversation shifts to more general topics, and we spend the next hour or so just enjoying the water and the warmth of the sun. Skylar stretches out on her back, soaking up the rays with a contented sigh, her skin slowly turning a deeper shade of bronze. I, on the other hand, can almost feel the sunburn creeping up on me, a reminder that I should probably reapply sunscreen soon.

The sudden sound of the door sliding open jerks me out of my sun-induced daze, and I bolt upright, blinking away the bright light. Ares strides out "Lunch is ready," he announces.

"Awesome," Skylar responds, leaping to her feet like a cat that's spotted a laser pointer. She extends a hand to pull me up, and together we make our way inside, trailing after Ares like hungry ducklings.

The food is waiting for us in the kitchen, and it smells delicious. There's a large platter of grilled vegetables and shrimp, a bowl of salad, and fresh bread. Who knew Ares was such a cook?

We each take a plate, loading them with food.

"This is so good," Skylar moans, taking a bite of the shrimp.

Ares smiles, clearly pleased by the compliment.

"This is incredible," I chime in, breaking off a piece of the bread. It's as good as it looks—fluffy on the inside with a crust that crackles satisfyingly under my fingers.

We eat in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the food.

"So, what do you do for a living?" Skylar asks Ares.

"I'm in business," he replies, a smirk tugging at his lips.

Skylar cocks an eyebrow. "What kind of business?"

Ares just shrugs, nonchalantly sipping his drink. "Various things," he says, adding to the mystery.

She rolls her eyes, clearly not impressed with his vague answer.

I'm curious too, but I don't press him. Archer and Ares both always just refer to it as 'business,' but they never say what kind.

"So, do you have any kids?" Skylar asks, continuing her line of questioning.

"No," he replies, his voice short.

"And pets? Got any of those?"

Again, "No," he answers, his gaze sharp on her, as if trying to figure out where she's going with this.

"Girlfriend? Wife?" she probes further, undaunted by his brevity.

"No and no," he replies, the corner of his mouth twitching as if he's fighting a smile.

Skylar laughs, a light, teasing sound. "Wow, you're a regular chatterbox, aren't you?"

Ares doesn't respond, simply giving her a wry grin.

"So, Emma," Skylar begins, turning her attention to me. "Any plans for the rest of the weekend?"

I shrug. "Not really. Just the usual. Study, study, and more studying. I'm trying not to fall behind."

She rolls her eyes. "You need to learn to live a little, girl. All work and no play makes Emma a dull girl."

I laugh, shaking my head. "I can't help it. School is important to me."

"Speaking of which, did you decide about the internship?" she asks, a hint of concern in her voice.

Why did she have to bring this up right now?

"I did, and I don't think I'm going to do it," I say, taking a bite of my food. Looking for any excuse to not keep talking about it.

"What internship?" Ares asks, his gaze fixed on me.

Before I can answer, Skylar does it for me.

"Emma was offered an internship at a local marketing firm, in their advertising department. It's a pretty big deal. They only take a single intern like, every four year or something," Skylar explains.

"And why exactly do you not want to take it?" Ares presses, his voice tinged with curiosity.

"Well, for one, it's unpaid. So, I'd be working for free," I say, my voice trailing off.

"So?" he scoffs. "If you want the experience, that's all that matters. You'll have plenty of time to earn money later."

"That's easy for you to say. You probably have enough money to never work another day in your life," I point out.

He chuckles, his lips twitching. "You're right, I do. But that doesn't mean you should let a lack of money stand in the way of something you want. If you're passionate about the industry and want the experience, take the internship. You'll learn more from doing it than from reading about it."

His words hit home. He's right. If I want to work in the field, I should take the opportunity. I'll be able to network and learn first-hand.

"Besides," Ares adds, his gaze fixed on mine. "I could help you out financially. It's not a big deal."

Skylar's eyebrows shoot up, and she looks at me expectantly.

"I couldn't let you do that," I protest, shaking my head.

"Why not? I'm offering," he says, his voice steady.

"Because it would be weird," I argue.

"No, it wouldn't," he counters. "We're family now. Let me help you."

I hesitate, mulling over the offer. As much as I hate to admit it, he's right. It wouldn't be weird, and I could use the money.

"I'll have to think about it," I finally say.

"Okay," he replies, a knowing look in his eyes. He knows he's won.

The conversation turns to other topics, but I can't help but think about what Ares said. The internship would be a great opportunity, and I shouldn't let a lack of money stop me. But there's something about letting Ares pay for it that feels wrong.

Skylar leaves not long after lunch, and I'm left alone with Ares.

"I can help you financially, you know," he says, his eyes burning into mine. "It's not a big deal."

"It is to me," I reply, shaking my head. "You're not obligated to help me. I'm not your responsibility."

He steps closer, cupping my face in his large hand. "I want to help you, Emma. Let me do this."

I search his eyes, seeing the sincerity in them.

"Why, though? Why do you want to help me? What do you get out of it?"

His thumb brushes against my cheek, sending a shiver down my spine. "Because I can. Because you're a smart, ambitious young woman. Because you deserve every opportunity. And because I know you'll make the most of it."

I swallow hard, his words touching a place deep inside me.

"And because," he continues, his voice low and husky, "it makes me happy to help you. To see you succeed."

I melt into his touch, my pulse racing.

"Let me do this for you," he murmurs, his breath hot against my ear.

"Okay," I whisper, my voice barely audible.

"Good girl," he croons, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

His praise sends a jolt of desire through me, and I can't help but press my thighs together.

"I have to get some work done, but we can talk more about this later," he says, dropping his hand from my face.

"Okay," I breathe, trying to calm the pounding of my heart.

Ares tilts my chin up, pressing a gentle kiss to my lips. It's quick and sweet, but it sends a rush of desire through me.

"See you for dinner," he says, winking at me before leaving the kitchen.

My knees go weak, and I slump into a chair, trying to catch my breath. Ares has an effect on me that I can't explain. Every time he touches me, it's like electricity shooting through my body.