His trunks hung low on him and as my gaze traveled over his flat stomach, I saw that he was already having trouble controlling his dick. Without thinking, I raised my hand and was about to touch it when the sliding French doors opened onto the patio, and Nik came out with an ice chest full of beers.

My hand dropped back to my side, my heart racing as I tried to get my desire under control. It was not smart to start something with Jesse Thornton. I was not going to start anything with Jesse Thornton… I really wanted to start something with Jesse Thornton!

“If you make fun of me, I’m going to kick you in the balls,” Emmie said as she came out of the house and started up the few steps that lead from the patio to the deck. I thought she looked beautiful with her baby bump sticking out. Her boobs looked full and firm, her ass perfect. From behind no one would even know she was pregnant.

“I think you look beautiful,” I assured her as I slipped into the water.

Emmie beamed down at me. “Thanks. I wasn’t sure if I should wear a bikini, but then I figured I don’t give a fuck.” She pulled her long auburn hair into a pony tail and turned around. The tattoo on her back caught my attention. I instantly wanted one.

The way the demons wings looked like they were actually a part of her instead of a tattoo. Whoever had done the art work was really freaking talented. Every single scale was precise and well defined, the shadowing done in a way to give it a 3D look. The Goth style words underneath, ‘Property of Demon’s Wings,’ was just as beautiful.

“Who did your ink?” I asked, unable to take my eyes off of her back.

“Drake designed it, but I can’t remember the guy who put it on.” She shrugged. “I got it when I was eighteen in Miami.”

“Drake designed it? God, what talent!”

“That’s Drake.” Emmie stopped beside of Jesse who helped her sit down. The way he was so careful with her made something ache inside of me. All of the guys were so careful around Emmie. I didn’t think it was just because she was pregnant either. It was as if they treated her like fragile glass. To see those big, bad ass rockers being so gentle around her was something to behold.

“Layla, you want a beer?” Nik asked as he popped the top off of a Corona and offered it to me.

I accepted without hesitation. I didn’t drink often, but then again, I found myself doing things lately that I never thought I would ever be doing… Like hanging out with rock stars in their swimming pool.

But it was so much fun! For the next hour we swam and splashed around, and I couldn’t ever remember having more fun than I had with those three. It felt as if we had been friends for years. I had only known these people for less than a week. I worked for them, but they were treating me as if I belonged to them. It was another new experience for me.

Emmie sat on the edge of the pool again. Water streamed out of her ponytail and dripped down her body. She was still laughing at Nik’s attempt to dunk Jesse, which was no easy thing to do even considering Nik’s muscles and height. “Ha, ha,” she taunted. “I knew you couldn’t do it.”

Nik swam over to her and pushed her thighs wide so that he could step between them. “You’re supposed to be on my side.”

She grinned down at him where his head was eye level with her breasts. “Says who?”

“Says me, the one that loves you most.” His arms wrapped around her distended waist. “The one that put this little angel in there.” He dropped a kiss on her belly and I saw Emmie shiver. “You remember me, right? The one who’s going to marry you when you get around to deciding you actually want to get married.”

“I said I would, didn’t I?” She ran her fingers through his hair, and the moment seemed to intimate for me to watch so I turned around.

Jesse was standing just behind me. I hadn’t heard him swimming closer. Even with the cool water washing over me, I couldn’t help but melt. His closeness did things to my body that none of the three lovers from my past had been able to do with a touch. The way he looked at me caused air to get trapped in my lungs, and I had to keep reminding myself to breathe.

“I want to kiss you so fucking bad,” he muttered under his breath so that only I could hear him. Not that he needed to bother. Emmie and Nik were locked at the mouth now, and I doubted they even realized that we were still there.

My lips instantly tingled, as if anticipating his kiss.

“But I’ll be damned if I’m going to do it here.” He ran a hand over his smooth head. Reaching out, his hand captured mine and linked our fingers together. My skin felt like it was sizzling from that innocent contact with his skin.

I wanted him to kiss me! I was ready for him to devour me with that wicked looking mouth of his. My fingers curved around his, and I was taking a step closer when I heard Lana’s laugh as she came out of the house. She was followed by Drake, who was laughing just as hard as she was, with Lucy bringing up the rear.

I jumped back as if I were standing to close to a live wire, which I was sure I was. To me, Jesse was like an electrical current that was ready to zap me at any moment. One that would fry me if I stepped to close, something that I was about to do.

“I thought you were unpacking,” Lana called as she pulled a sucker from her mouth. The three of them all had candy in their mouths and grins on their faces. I hadn’t seen Lana smile like that since we were little.

“The pool was just too tempting,” I told her as I started climbing out.

“Look, Layla.” Lucy came rushing over to me with a bag full of toys. I saw an inflatable raft, swim rings, and several other pool toys. Drake had a bigger bag which I could only assume was the sandcastle tools that they had gone after in the first place. “Drake said that since I don’t know how to swim yet, that I have to wear these if I wanted to get in the pool. But he promised he would teach me!”

My heart clenched at how thoughtful Drake was. I shot him a thankful smile. “Thank you, Drake. That was sweet of you.”

He shrugged like it was no big deal. “Come on, Lucy. We have a few hours left of daylight. Let’s start on that castle.”

Leaving the bag with me she skipped away with him. Her little hand was swallowed in his huge paw as they walked toward the beach, hand in hand. Lana watched after them with a look of pure longing on her face. I didn’t know if it was because she wanted to play with them too…or something else. I would have to talk to her about it later.