The Girl Next Door
Chapter 20

He throws a devilish look over his shoulder before a wide grin breaks out across his face. Mischief dances in his eyes. When his feet land on the concrete, he straightens to his full height.

Oh.

My.

God!

He's naked!

Full-on naked!

It's not like I haven't seen the goods before, but that was two years ago. I've tried so damn hard to eradicate the image from my brain.

"In the house." He tosses out the comment nonchalantly, as if it's no big deal I've been swimming around naked with him for the last half an hour.

How did I not realize it sooner?

Maybe because I was trying to avoid looking at him altogether?

My tongue darts out to moisten my lips. They feel as dry as the Sahara.

"Don't be shy, Stanbury, take a good look." There is so much heat filling his voice that it could burn me alive. "I don't mind at all."

It takes effort to avert my focus. "Just do the dare."

I need to get this over with before something happens between us. Something I'll inevitably regret.

"Don't rush me, woman." He raises his hands, palms out. "I'm moving." There's not a bashful bone in this guy's body as he saunters to the diving board before climbing up the stairs.

Once on the board, he pauses as his hands grip the metal railing before strutting to the end that juts out over the water. Beck softens his knees before taking a few preliminary bounces. His c**k flops around, and I can't help but laugh. The sound breaks the s**** tension brewing dangerously between us.

A smile cricks the corners of his mouth. "Is there something funny?"

I press my lips together and shake my head. "Nope, not at all."

"All right, if you say so." He bounces, and his d**k continues to slap against his lower belly and balls.

I don't think I've ever seen something so ridiculous. I'm all but dying now. My shoulders shake at the image he makes standing on the board in all his glory. Even when he's making a complete jackass out of himself, he's still gorgeous. All six foot three inches of him. "You ready to be blown away by my mad skills?" he asks, bouncing away gleefully.

I clear the laughter from my voice and remind, "It's a backward flip."

"Oh, yeah." He points at me. "I almost forgot."

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea," I say. "Seems like you could do irreparable damage to some rather sensitive pieces."

An unconcerned expression settles on his face as he shrugs. "It's sweet that you're concerned about my tender bits and pieces."

Hardly.

"A dare's a dare, right?"

"Yeah, I guess." Here's my chance to end this stupid game. "If you want to quit, I'd be fine with that."

A knowing glint enters his eyes as he smiles. "Sorry, sweetheart, you're not getting out of this that easily. I'll have to keep my legs together when I land and hope for the best."

He turns around until I have a perfect view of his a*s. I hate to admit it, but Beck has one hell of a gorgeous backside. The urge to squeeze those perfectly shaped cheeks rushes through me, and I have to tamp down the impulse that stirs inside.

With his back to me, he stands at the edge of the board until his heels can hang off the end. He holds his arms straight out in front of him and takes a few initial bounces before bringing them down to his thighs. Beck squats and launches himself off the board. I hold my breath as he tucks into a ball, legs rotating over his head before landing in the water.

I hate to admit that I'm impressed. The guy gets a ten for perfect form.

Once he breaks through to the surface, I ask, "Did your giblets make it out all right?"

"Yup. Kept my legs firmly pressed together." He gives me a wink along with a sly grin. "Just like you've been doing for the last two years."

All of my good humor evaporates as I narrow my eyes.

Now that I know Beck isn't wearing board shorts, I keep at least ten feet of distance between us at all times. When he swims closer, I back away. But still, it feels like I'm being stalked in the pool. And I can't migrate to the shallow end unless I want to get an eyeful of him. Not that he would mind.

He tilts his head as a smirk simmers on his lips. "You afraid I'm going to give you cooties?"

I shrug and keep a tight rein on my nerves. They're vibrating like crazy. "Anything's possible."

"Ready to take your turn?"

What I'm ready for is to get this over with. If I play my cards right, I'll be out of here in three minutes. Five, tops. And then I'll be able to breathe easier.

I jerk my head into a tight nod.

"Truth or dare?"

Ha!

I'm not falling for that again.

"Dare."

"A dare, huh?" he drawls before pursing his lips. A thoughtful look enters his eyes. "All right, I got one." There's a pause as my anxiety ratchets up a few hundred notches. "Your dare is to kiss me."

My arms and legs freeze, and my body sinks to the bottom of the pool. Right before my head can slip beneath the surface, I kick my feet and propel myself upward.

"What?" My voice comes out sounding high-pitched and shrill.

"And you have to wrap your legs around my waist while doing it." No way!

"But-but...you're naked." My voice escalates until it's barely a squeak. "So?" He raises a brow. "It's nothing you haven't felt or seen before."

"We're not going to talk about that," I bite out harshly.

"Why not?"

"Because..." My voice trails off as I search for a way to escape the situation, but there isn't one. I'm stuck. Goddamn it. Why did I agree to play this stupid game in the first place? It might have sounded innocent in the beginning, but it's turned out to be anything but. When I remain stoically silent, he says in a challenging voice, "You're not going to puss out on me, are you, Stanbury?"

I blink back to the present.

To the naked guy treading water in front of me.

"No."

Surprise flickers across his face. Trust me, he's not the only one shocked by my surrender. I'm feeling a little stunned myself.

Beck might be the only guy I've had s*x with, but he's not the only one I've fooled around with. The sad truth is that every time I get close to sealing the deal, all of my Beck-filled memories rush to the surface and ruin everything. Even though I don't want to, I end up comparing the guy I'm with to my hot, next-door neighbor. And they always come up lacking.

It's frustrating. I've tried to convince myself that what I experienced with Beck wasn't nearly as good as what I've built it up to be.

But not even I believe that.

Maybe this is my chance to prove that Beck isn't as amazing as I remember. One mediocre kiss with too much saliva is all it would take to move on and stop dwelling on him.

Beck grins before he raises his hand and curls one finger in a come here gesture.

Am I really going to do this?

I suck in a shaky breath before carefully exhaling it from my lungs and forcing myself to close the distance between us. When I'm only a foot away, I pause, unsure how to proceed. Tension and excitement spiral through me. My hands flutter tentatively to his shoulders before my nails bite into his flesh.

His eyes darken with desire.

What am I supposed to do now?

My movements falter, and I stare pleadingly, willing him to take control of the situation. This is more difficult than I imagined it would be.

"Come on, Stanbury," he murmurs, "you've come this far. Don't stop now."

I press closer until our bodies can brush against one another beneath the water.

Inside, I'm freaking out.

This isn't a big deal.

You're wearing bikini bottoms.

Any other girl would be wrapped around him like a python, devouring him whole.

All you have to do is pretend you're one of those girls.

Averting my gaze, I widen my thighs before wrapping them around his waist.

"Eyes on me," he says gruffly.