I twist the unlit cigarette between my fingers, biting my lip as my gaze falls on the house to my left. A silly grin comes to my face at the memory of the conversation I had in the shadow of darkness with La Mariposita.
— Did Dima give any sign?" I ask the man next to me, arching my eyebrows questioningly.
He frowns for a few moments and glances at the dozens of people around the pool, smacking his lips as his gaze falls on a girl diving without warning into the water.
— Aren't you supposed to know better where your neighbor is? Adam gives me a sarcastic look, making me roll my eyes. Seriously now, why the hell did you buy this house?
I shrug nonchalantly, raising my glass of lemonade to my lips as I try to come up with a plausible excuse, but fail. I could tell her that I did it for her, but she'd give me a hell of a lecture if she found out I was about to break the rules for a certain gray-eyed girl with gray eyes that are burned into my mind.
I part my lips, ready to give her a trite reason, but stop when two arms wrap around my torso. I snort mildly amused when he sticks his generous chest against my back and runs a hand down his abdomen, slipping his fingers under the robe of the shorts I'm wearing. I place my hand over his, at which point he chuckles and presses his lips to my skin, placing a kiss between my shoulder blades.
— It's more than obvious he bought it to get rid of you! The cat-like voice of the red-haired woman's cat-like voice as she runs her fingers unrestrainedly over my skin makes me giggle slightly.
Adam smirks as the woman disengages herself from my back, positioning herself to my right within seconds, not taking her hands off my body. He scans her for a few moments with his eyes, resting a little too much on her chest which is more bare, and I can't blame him.
— Are you sure you're not the person he wants to get rid of? I hear he has a new favorite, Adam's smile widens, and I don't have to look at the one to my right to know that his has disappeared completely.
I roll my eyes as the redhead disappears from beside me and settles down in front of Adam, pressing her index fingernail into his chest without a hint of restraint. Adam looks at her with undisguised curiosity as she scans him with her eyes, snorting in amusement.
— Honey, no matter how many times she fucks him, I'm the one she turns to every time!
— Are you sure about that? Adam chuckles, genuinely amused by the conviction with which the woman between us speaks.
— Oh! Come on, you don't mean the bitch he called into his office two nights ago! the woman starts laughing outright, unable to believe that such a scenario could be possible.
I clench my jaw when I hear him call her that, and Adam seems to notice, as he scrutinizes my face questioningly.
— I'm sure that was just a...
— Sofia! I say her name in a raised tone, glaring at her. Be careful how you speak to her. As long as she's near Dima, you'll respect her. You will respect her name and her presence! Is that understood? I arch my eyebrows questioningly, abandoning any trace of goodwill towards her.
She widens her eyes, flashing an apologetic smile, which disappears as soon as she realizes her gesture has no effect on me. She rolls her eyes and smacks her lips, clearly annoyed, but shakes her head in affirmation after a few seconds without protest.
She turns to face me and moistens her lips as she scans me with her eyes, then reaches out her right hand, stroking my abdomen in passing. I watch her completely bored, unimpressed by her touch, which she notices. She swears under her breath and turns her back to me, surprised by my refusal.
— You wanted to see her, not Dima, didn't you? Adam stares at me, looking genuinely surprised.
Instead of answering his question I glance briefly over my shoulder in the direction of Dima's house, smiling at the corner of my mouth, which confirms all his suspicions. I know he's about to tell me all about the stars and the moon, so I make my move, throwing myself without warning into the crowded pool. I start laughing when I hear Adam swearing wildly from the edge, throwing my head back.
I cast my gaze up at the ebony sky being kissed by the stars and can't help but wonder what it's like to be kissed by her. By the one who stole my soul from the first second, the one who made my body burn with a mere glance.
For a few moments I feel like I hear her calling my name, but I know that's impossible, so I close my eyes, clinging to the voice that stains my mind.
The voice comes again, causing me to suddenly open my eyes and look around in bewilderment. I suddenly turn my head to the right and forget to breathe when my gaze falls on a woman watching me from the edge of the pool. An involuntary smile comes to my face as I realize that her presence is not just in my mind.
— Earth to Enzo! her voice is heard again, luring me to the edge of the pool.
Within seconds I'm leaning on my elbows against the wide edge, watching her with a stupid smile plastered on my face. I analyze her from head to toe, without a trace of restraint or shame, which she notices, as she averts her eyes for a few seconds.
— Hm, you remembered my name. Nice of you, Aiyana, I say her name slowly, causing her to look at me again.
— Apparently you caught it too, she replies almost instantly, looking around her with obvious interest.
— Are you looking for someone in particular? I follow her gaze, genuinely curious.
— I'm looking for Dima, but I don't see him around. Do you have any idea where he is? he fixes his gaze on me, making me swallow dryly when he moistens his lips.
I part my lips, wanting to give him the only answer I have, but I don't. Maybe I didn't take enough advantage of the small moments I was close to her, but I'll be damned if I'm going to repeat the same mistake.
— It depends... I shrug nonchalantly, glancing around briefly.
— It depends! she exclaims clearly puzzled.
— It depends on what I get in return, I lock my eyes with hers, smiling slightly at the corner of my mouth when she blushes.
She stares at me for a few silent moments, trying to decide what to do next. She slowly shakes her head in denial, blinking often. She frowns and makes a slight sign of disinterest as she turns on her heel.
— Forget it! she throws over her shoulder at me, preparing to disappear into the crowd, but it doesn't happen.
Sofia appears out of nowhere, and I don't have time to make a gesture when she slams hard into Aiyana's shoulder, knocking her off balance. I swear under my breath as Aiyana lets out a short shriek, making contact with the water in short order.
I lock my gaze on her as she tries to stay afloat, analyzing her movements for a few seconds. A strange feeling comes over me and I harden as I realize that her movements are completely disjointed.
I take a deep breath and dive underwater, reaching her in two seconds. I grab her middle and lift her up, pressing her wet body against mine. She gasps for air, running her hands over her wet face to remove the excess water. I watch his every gesture in utter fascination, gasping when she opens her eyes and locks her gaze into mine.
She breathes jerkily as she analyzes my face, and puts her hands over mine, swallowing dryly.
— Enzo... she whispers my name like a plea, luring me with his gaze. It's about time you let me go, she murmurs after a few moments, her voice softening.
— If that's what you want... I look away for a second, taking my hands from around her waist.
— No! a short scream rolls from her lips as her body falls back to the bottom of the pool.
The horror that stains her face for a few moments amuses me, stealing a few chuckles as I wrap my arms around her again. She instinctively wraps her arms around my neck, feeling the need for support and security, and I take advantage of the gesture to bring her closer. I feel her hot skin hiding behind the thin material of the T-shirt she's wearing, and I know she feels every fiber, every inch of my torso. There's no barrier between our bodies now, which seems to terrify her by the expression staining her face.
She moves gently in my arms, igniting a fire inside me that's hard to stop. I begin to breathe faster, deeper as I analyze her damp face, my gaze finally falling on her parted lips, and God what I wouldn't give to be able to kiss them.
I instinctively tilt my head to the left and lean forward slightly, feeling the need to be as close as possible to the wonderful being that has found shelter in my arms. I swallow dryly as I realize that our lips would touch without fail if she lifted her face even a little.
— I won't let go even if you beg, I murmur against her skin, tightening my grip with my left arm.
I loosen my right arm from around her and lift my hand gently, stroking her face in passing. She swallows dryly when I tuck an unruly strand of hair behind her ear, resting my fingers on her face for a few moments.
I let myself go with the flow and lazily lower my hand down her neck, pulling it closer as I lean forward. I smile when she abruptly turns her head and my lips touch her smooth cheek.
— I wasn't going to kiss you, Aiyana... I whisper in her ear, making her skin catch on fire.
— No? she murmurs, turning her head to look at me completely astonished.
She arches her eyebrows in puzzlement when I stare at her, and I realize she doesn't believe me, so I shake my head in denial to reinforce my words.
— No, not in the true sense of the word... a trace of amusement stains my voice as I reply.
— You're lying... she whispers, her eyes boring into mine. I don't know you, and you're not easy to read, but I can tell when people are lying to me, the faint smile that stains her face makes me smile back.
— Maybe I'm not lying, maybe I didn't mean to kiss you, I stare at her, and I know my lie provokes her.
— Lying. And now you want to kiss me. You analyze my lips and trace their contours in your mind, and then you look into my eyes. The gestures betray you, Enzo, the slightly hoarse voice turns my world upside down, making me forget everyone and everything.
I take advantage of her scrutinizing my face with undisguised curiosity and suddenly lift her up, forcing her to cling to me even tighter. The shock that crosses her face is more than evident when her breasts reach to crush my chest.
I moisten my lips and lean forward again, but this time she doesn't shy away, content to watch me as I bring my face close to hers. My lips hover ghostly over hers for long seconds, but I don't touch them.
— I like the way my name sounds on your lips, that's all. If I wanted to kiss you, I wouldn't hesitate, I confess to her without a trace of restraint, pulling away a little.
She locks her eyes on mine, and I watch in fascination as she slowly tilts her head. I open my lips almost unconsciously and lift my head to meet her, completely intrigued by her gesture. Her lips brush against mine in passing, leaving me breathless.
She pulls away abruptly, and I know that the astonishment on my face is more than evident when the woman in front of me smiles with a victorious smile.
— You lied, again... her hot breath scorches my face, draining the last shred of sanity I had left.
— Honey, don't play with me if you're not willing to play through to the end. Next time it's all or nothing...
She purses her lips, but the words fall off her tongue as I run my thumb over them, tracing their outline. She closes her eyes for a few moments and I take advantage of her inattention to bounce her up. She yelps as my hands caress her bare thighs, working my way down to her full hips, which I embrace without regret, forcing her to curl her legs around my pelvis. My abdominal muscles tense instantly as her skin merges with mine, and the only thing I can think of is that there's definitely someone up there who loves me and who somehow urged her to wear shorts today of all days.
We stare at each other for a few long seconds and I'd give anything to know what she's thinking. I feel her heart beating hard in her chest, seeming to want to meet mine, and I run my hands down her thighs again, caressing them with sweeping strokes. I lose myself in her gaze, and I would like to take refuge in it, but it is impossible. A single thought crashes against the walls of my mind, but it is strong enough to bring me to my senses.
She is not mine. She does not belong to me.
She blinks often as I wrap my arms around her waist again, lifting her up until her ass touches the edge of the pool. She gives me a brief glance, and then she clears her throat, looking around sheepishly, as if to make sure no one has had their attention pointed in our direction.
Her eyebrows rise slightly in astonishment as she aims her gaze somewhere behind me. She curses under her beard and I clench my jaw as his name rolls from her lips.
I watch as she hurriedly stands up from the edge of the pool, giving me one last glance, then turns her back to me. I swallow dryly and hurry out of the pool, following in her footsteps. I casually swipe the clean towel from my lounger, reaching her in two steps.
She flinches slightly as I wrap the towel around her, and glares at me as I drape an arm around her shoulders, guiding her steps toward the house I've just purchased.
— What do you think you're doing? her voice is tinged with indignation, but she still lets me lead the way.
— Save you from a possible lecture and some questions you don't want to answer. I think Dima saw us in the pool. I'm in no mood to make a big deal out of nothing, I inform her slightly nonchalantly, looking over my shoulder.
— He won't ask questions, because he has no reason to. I fell in the pool and you kept me afloat, simple, she frowns, rolling her eyes.
I glare at her without another gesture, wanting to let her know there's no room for negotiation, and when she swears under her breath I realize I've succeeded. I bite my lips to stop a smile from breaking out on my face, and run my left hand down the length of her arm, gently cupping her palm in mine.
Her skin is smoother than silk, and I'd give anything to be able to hold her hand longer, but I'm forced to let go when we reach the shelter of the walls. She pauses for a moment when we reach the living room, frowning.
— They're identical, if that's what you're wondering, I murmur as I direct my steps toward the stairs.
Her face is filled with amazement as she treads the few steps, reaching me.
— It makes sense, she stammers, and I know she's referring to the shared balcony that connects the two houses.
We creep silently through the darkened hallway and I hear her mumbling something as we enter the room I intend to turn into a bedroom. I glance up at her, and quickly realize that she is not exactly pleased with the view of this room, for from here she can see perfectly into her room, despite the silk cloth covering the sliding crystal doors.
I open the crystal doors, fixing my gaze on her as she passes me without so much as a gesture. My gaze falls on her hair, from which splashes of water are falling rhythmically, and I can't stop a stupid smile from forming on my face.
I look at her with undisguised curiosity when she stops abruptly in front of the crystal doors separating her from her room, frowning slightly as she turns her head to look at me.
— By the way, my name is Aiyana Santino, and Dima... she pauses briefly, and despite the dim light, I realize she's smiling. It's my brother, she completes before turning her back on me again, then walking out of my line of sight.
The smile suddenly fades from my face as her words crash against the walls of my mind. I sigh and purse my lips in a straight line, cursing to myself in thought.
Of course she's his sister! It doesn't get any better than that! Damn!