Layna dressed quietly wearing a snug shirt and shorts; she narrowed her eyes remembering Thomas's treachery. He would so go down for that. Definitely, she would take him down.

She would extract her revenge.

"Thomas Conrad, you better watch out," she uttered.

"Oh, Layna," Emily's voice floated into her room rousing her from her intense plotting," If you don't get your cute little bum down in two minutes, we're so leaving you behind."

Layna rolled her eyes but did not quicken her pace.

She could hear Emily's giggle followed by Mia's shout, “and we will tell Aunt Mary you deliberately did not want to attend her Saturday party."

"What?!" Now, Layna panicked.

"Fourty five seconds to go."

"Dammit!" Layna rushed to apply her eyeliner and lip-gloss. She so hated her sisters.

"Thirty seconds."

Aunt Mary would most definitely kill her; she simply could not afford to miss her party. Only dire circumstances were taken to be an acceptable excuse, nothing less than that.

Layna pushed her feet into her new, loved sandals. It was such a shame; she did not even have a spare second to admire them. But maybe, just a peek.

"Fifteen seconds."

"Dammit!" She made a grab for her purse.

"Ten seconds."

Layna ran out of her room and hit her conveniently shoulder at her door," Owh!"

"Are you alright?" Emily's voiced her concern impassionedly.

"I am..."

Emily followed her concern with a loud shout, “Eight seconds."

No wonder she felt like strangling her sisters all the time.

Layna managed to slide down the stairs with two seconds to spare. She glared at Mia and Emily who merely gave her cheeky smiles in return.

Before Layna could start an argument. Emily hooked her arm with Layna and dragged her towards their car.

"Come on, let's go. We really don't want to be late." Emily chimed.

Layna just walked along giving them silent treatment.

"You cannot not talk to me, please, I am your favorite sister," Emily looked at Layna as Mia grabbed her other arm.

"Really since when?" Layna asked her ignoring Mia.

"Come on," Mia stopped them, as she turned to lock their door," We're your favorite sisters," she leaned down and kissed Layna's cheek.

Layna smiled and shook," You both are impossible."

"We know that but you still love us and we love you back," Emily echoed.

"I guess I really have no choice," Layna grumbled yet smiled.

"Nope, none at all," Mia retorted to no one in particular watching Emily and Layna race towards the car in a bid to be the first to occupy the passenger seat.

She stopped in front of the winner who was Layna and flicked her head, “Childish behavior."

Layna simply poked out her tongue.

"Can't believe you both are my sisters," Mia muttered as she occupied the driving seat smugly. It was her turn to drive.

"You have.." Before Emily could complete the sentence in a sing song voice from the backseat.

Mia nodded and adjusted her rear view mirror," no choice."

.................

They stopped their car and hopped out. As much as Layna cribbed, she loved being a part of these get- togethers. It signified a bond; an integral thread that bonded them together despite the fact that they did not belong to the same family. Sometimes blood did not matter; it was ties that were most important.

Layna walked along with her sisters when Emily whispered in her ear, “Did you get your bikini this time?"

"Yup, along with my sarong," Layna whispered back.

Aunt Mary had a huge pool, may god always bless her architect, they along with Alan loved frolicking in it, getting a tan on those fabulous beach chairs lining her pool was a treat that literally made them look forward to these parties.

"There you are," Aunt Mary exclaimed as all three of them dutifully bent down to kiss her cheek.

"It's so good to see you all," Mary said her voice hoarse.

They had this union every Saturday and this was Aunt Mary's traditional response. It did not take long for anyone to understand that as much as she loved them all, she was loved and adored more.

"We would never dream of missing it, Aunt Mary," Layna spoke.

Mary took her by her arm as she guided them all inside," As if I give you a choice."

"So true," Emily sighed.

"Did you say something, sweetheart?" Mary pinned her eyes on Emily as Layna and Mia smirked behind her watching Emily with keen interest.

"Umm..no..Not at all, I was merely...ah...ah...appreciating your petunias," Emily finished.

Aunt Mary beamed at them forgetting the matter much to the disappointment of Layna and Mia and pointed towards her beloved flowers," Smart chit, they look good, don't they."

Emily nodded her head in agreement.

"Proud and arrogant, my treasures. You girl," Aunt Mary looked at Emily, “are definitely my most cherished gift."

"But that's not fair," Layna protested," I was your 'most cherished gift' just last week." She crossed her arms in indignation.

Aunt Mary merely flapped her hand in a dismissal tone, “That was before you decided to abandon me in my own party."

Mia and Emily clucked their tongues in mock disgust.

Layna mimicked them as she looked at Aunt Mary," I did not abandon you."

"Come, my Emily, let us go inside," Aunt Mary took the arm of a smug Emily as she stepped inside her parlor.

Layna and Mia followed them.

"I could never abandon you," Layna protested.

"Well you did," Aunt Mary took her seat in a stuffy pink couch that in anyone's house would have looked queer but in her looked magnificent.

Layna crossed her arms and greeted Aunt Mary's housekeeper, Mrs. Thimblebot,"I couldn't as there were hundred guests milling about when I left."

"Yes, that point is irrefutable but," Aunt Mary looked at their audience that included her housekeeper," You left me. So, Emily is my most cherished gift."

"Really," a male voice interrupted their conversation, "you told me yesterday I was your most cherished gift."

"Alan," Mia looked at him and smiled," I held that coveted title just last week."

"Well, no wonder it is said, women are such fickle creatures," Alan added gleefully.

Aunt Mary huffed and nearly grinned when Emily said," I thought that was said about men."

"Well, maybe yes but this present state definitely points towards our gender," Layna smiled at Aunt Mary as she bit into a scone.

"My blood and my god daughters have turned traitors," Aunt Mary put her hand on her heart.

"Not me," Emily pointed.

"Ofcourse, not you. You're afterall the perfect role model," Alan muttered.

"No one asked you," Emily retorted.

"I don't think I need permission to present my views," he spread his hand out and took a sandwich from Emily's plate, “it’s a free country."

"But taking food without permission accounts to stealing."

Alan bit into the sandwich, “My food."

And before Emily could retort, Aunt Mary chided him," Not yours...mine."

"Yes, but what is yours is mine too, maa," he spoke and tugged Emily's hair to keep her from laughing.

"How dare you tug my..."

"Okay, lovebirds, please let's not fight," Layna decided to act as a peacemaker.

Emily looked at her mortified," We're not lovebirds," and dumping her plate in Alan's outstretched hands walked out of the room with Alan following her in a jiffy.

"When will they realize their true feelings," Mia looked at Layna and sighed.

"All in good time," Aunt Mary replied.

"You have a good mediating voice, Miss Patt."

Layna and Mia jolted looked at the entryway and to Aunt Mary's surprise she saw pleasure streak on Layna's face before being masked into a believing frown.

Layna's eyes locked onto Thomas Conrad.

"Thomas, come here you rascal," Aunt Mary beamed.

"Aunt Mary, the eternal beauty of my life," Thomas said as he crossed the room to kiss her hand.

"You charming, diplomat," she affectionately mused his hair bringing a smile on Layna's face. She understood the deep affinity one she herself felt. It couldn't be put into words but something that could be only felt.

After half an hour of poking fun where they were also joined by a friendly Alan and Emily when Aunt Mary suggested they should he'd out for their swim before joining her for lunch while she took her nap.

..................

Layna fantasized lying on a beach chair practically reserved for her. She adjusted her sarong and tied the straps of her bikini top securely behind her neck.

"There you are, come on, take a dip with us," Alan told Layna as she walked upto the pool.

She watched Alan splash Emily who soon went under as Mia and Emily tag teamed to duck him.

Layna shook her head, she wasn't in a mood to get her hair wet and preferred to sit and relax. Her eyes on their own glanced around, not that she was looking for something or.... someone.

Of course, not.

Where did he disappear off to? Layna decided she had lost her mind, how did it even matter. He could have drowned in the pool for all she cared.

She tucked her hair behind her ear and with an outlook that excluded even thinking about Thomas, walked and sat on the chair.

Watching her sisters and Alan play she decided after some thought to lie down. She needed her rest, lying here with her loved ones near her made her feel, totally protected and secure.

"You haven't protected your skin with lotion?" Thomas asked, waking Layna up.

"Thomas."

"Yes?" Thomas wearing the clothes he had been wearing earlier sat down near the end of her chair.

"Thomas, you haven't changed into your swimwear?"

He shook his head," I didnot know there would be swimming."

"You do know Aunt Mary has a closet full of swimsuits?"

"You really badly want to see me in my swimwear, isn't it?" He smiled mischievously.

How was it that every time she saw him he seemed more handsome than before? She did not think she could see his bare torso and resist jumping on him. No, it was for the best for him to be covered. Dammit, she knew life was supposedly unfair but really couldn't god show some mercy on his beloved female species.

He stared at her. Her nerves flickered at his closeness as his thighs brushed along her legs. Why couldn't she just be immune to him? She shifted her legs, knowing it to be an obvious action, so that they no longer touched his.

Thomas couldn't understand why he found her so irresistible, she wasn't astoundingly beautiful but lovely, marvelous, and he just couldn't find the perfect word to describe her beauty. It seemed to beckon him, call upon him to lose himself in her. His eyes travelled from her creamy shoulders, only two tiny blue straps on them that did not block his view but made her look all the more sexy, he dropped his gaze to her barely hidden cleavage to her red sarong covered lush thighs. Red looked good with her skin. Where was he supposed to look? He wanted to absorb it all. He could see her tantalizing curves and his hands wanted them on her, his tongue gliding down that body, her taste exploding in his mouth. He wanted to groan, she would be the death of him.

He shook his head as if to clear his head but did not stop staring at her. He didn't think he could.

The look in his eyes made her heart pound. Desire flared up in her eyes nearly consuming her within it.

"You could find yourself your own chair." Layna breathed, hating the way her voice sounded so so amorous.

"I could," he tilted his head," but I am perfectly comfortable."

She sat up straight,"I am not."

He grabbed a tube of lotion lying near her feet, “Of course, you won't be. Your skin must be burning."

Before Layna could say no, he poured the lotion in his hand and spread the cream on her feet.

"You don't need to..." Layna pulled her legs out of his reach, he grabbed her toe.

"Shh! I am just applying some sunscreen," he lathered her feet with the said lotion, his fingers spreading it evenly.

"Thomas..." she trailed off as he slid his fingers towards her ankle. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. His touch was all that mattered.

Thomas seemed to enjoy her temporary loss of senses as he continued to move his fingers towards her thighs.

Layna stood up. Her back towards him.

"Did I do something wrong?" She shivered as his warm breath washed over her neck.

Yes, yes! You're melting me. I nearly want to dissolve into you. Into your touch.

But Layna obviously couldn't say that. She still remembered how he had given her the cut two days back. She wasn't a woman who forgot things that easily.

"No," she did not turn, not even when he trailed his fingers over her back, god, she wanted to arch, “It’s just...just that."

"Yeah."

Layna took a step forward and Thomas followed her. He turned her towards him, Layna looked up at him.

"It's just what?"

"Remember you told me you would love to know me."

"Yes, I do."

She looked at him underneath her lashes, "I hope it's definitely a pleasure knowing me now," and pushed him in the pool.

Hi, my beautiful people.

I hope you like…ummm…no…love the chapter. If you do…I am not really giving you a choice here, *saucy smile* just send me a hug and a sweet comment. *hugs*. Or I will unleash a big monster albeit a beautiful one on you. Yes, of course it's a serious threat. You know me. Haha...I will be waiting! *looks at you*

Love you,

HIndia150