The minute hand ticks over with a sickly little click, and now it's midnight, and I still can't fucking sleep. I'm tossing and turning in bed like a caught fish, and I can't shake Jeffery from my brain—or his hands, his lips, his dick, or any of the other things he's been teasing me with. I keep trying to let it all go, but instead, I'm clutching my pillow tighter and squeezing my legs together like that's going to make me feel any better. It doesn't, and soon, the frustration is so high I'm whisper-swearing in the dark.

The clock lights up and tells me it's 12:02, and all I can think of is the way Jeffery kissed me yesterday and how it felt when he finally touched me. My body heats up with the memory, sending tingling shockwaves across my skin and building something electric and restless deep inside me. The more I try to settle down, the worse it gets. I kick the covers off, pull them back on, and feel the slick sweat at the back of my neck. I flip my pillow and punch it into shape and lie there staring at the ceiling, knowing that the only thing I want to think about is him, damn it. Him and his teasing looks, his hands, and what it might be like to feel those hands all over me. What it might be like to—

Goddamn it, I think to myself.

I can't stand the tightness in my chest or the way I can almost taste him. I need some kind of release. A frustrated groan spills out of my mouth before I can stop it. It's hot and close and sticky, and I don't think I'm going to get any sleep in here tonight. The only thing that might help is the water; maybe a late-night swim to cool me off.

I shove the covers aside, get up, and start rooting through my drawers for something to wear. I dig out a bikini, and not the most conservative one, either. This thing hardly covers me, but who cares? No one's going to see me out there. I toss it on and stare at my reflection. My nipples are already hard under the thin material, and I run my hand down my stomach, wondering what it might feel like if Jeffery was touching me, wondering if he's awake—wondering if I want him to be.

Jesus, I think. What am I doing? I need to cool off. I grab a towel, bite my lip, and ease my door open. I try to be quiet as I make my way down the hallway, ducking through the shadows. One wrong step, and everything will creak and groan and give me away, so I move slowly, holding my breath and listening for any sound that might mean someone's up. I try to avoid the spots I already know are loose, stepping wide around them. I stop a couple of times to listen to the silent house and my own stupid heart beating in my ears. It's still hard to believe we live in a place this big that the most I have to worry about is creaky floorboards and my own messed-up desires.

Finally, I reach the back door and slide it open, grateful that it doesn't squeak. The air outside is warm and heavy, filled with the scent of flowers and chlorine. The towel's draped around my shoulders as I step out and make my way down the path, and my feet are silent against the tiles as I near the pool.

I can already see the steam rising off it, and I'm thinking about how the water's going to feel against my skin, trying to tell myself I'm out here because I couldn't sleep and not because I'm a walking hormone. There's the sharp sound of splashing, and before I even realize what's happening, I see a shadow in the water. Jeffery. I freeze and almost drop the towel.

He's treading water, moonlight catching on his shoulders and turning the rest of him into a blur of muscle and shadows. I stand there like an idiot, not even sure if I should say something, wondering if I should run back inside or pretend like this is exactly what I was planning. The look he gives me makes my insides twist, and I know there's no way I'm going back to bed anytime soon.

We don't say a damn thing at first—Jeffery's treading water and watching me watch him. The air between us is a live wire, waiting for one of us to make a move, say something, or pretend like this isn't what it is. It takes forever, but I finally decide to stop being a coward, and I step to the edge of the pool and let the towel drop.

His eyes stay glued to mine. I know I should act like this isn't a big deal, as if I hadn't just had to talk myself out of it. The heat builds between us like another kind of summer night, thick and close and full of something buzzing.

He's still not saying anything, but I swear his look is pulling me closer.

"Didn't expect anyone else to be up," I say, forcing a casual shrug as I dip a toe into the water. The cool splash sends a shiver up my spine, but it feels good, the way it shocks me out of my own head.

"Could say the same," he says, and there's something playful and taunting in his voice. I try not to show how much it affects me.

I breathe in and slide down the first step. The water kisses my skin, leaving little goosebumps. I'm pretending not to notice how exposed I feel in this bikini, the material clinging to me like a second, very inadequate skin. I lower myself another step and wonder how this already feels so intense. It's like we're both just waiting to see who breaks first.

Jeffery keeps his eyes locked on me, and I'm scared he's going to see everything I'm thinking, everything I want, everything I haven't let myself even imagine until last night.

His mouth curves into a knowing smile as I finally slip all the way in, the pool enveloping me in a cool embrace. I dip my head back to get my hair wet, and when I come up, I see him moving toward me, slow and lazy. He's treading water like he's barely trying, like it's effortless for him to get under my skin. As he had known all along, this is what would happen.

I start swimming, my strokes as calm and steady as I can make them. The water pushes against me, pulling me closer to where Jeffery floats. We're both pretending this is some kind of casual, normal, middle-of-the-night swim, even though there's nothing normal about how fast my heart's racing.

Finally, he breaks the silence, and his voice carries across the water. "Couldn't sleep," he says. The words hang between us, full of the thousand things he's not telling.

I stop and tread water. "Yeah. Me neither," I admit, letting the truth out with the same kind of urgency that brought me out here in the first place.

He smiles, like he knows exactly what's going on. It's infuriating and so fucking hot at the same time. My legs kick beneath me as we drift closer, the space between us narrowing until there's only the sound of water lapping and my own ragged breath in the air. The pool lights glow, and the blue reflection dances over our skin. We float nearer, the tension wound so tight I can feel it snapping inside me.

When Jeffery reaches out, it feels like slow motion. His fingers find a strand of my hair and brush it from my face, leaving a trail of electricity that races across my skin and makes my breath catch in my throat.

"Ella..." he says, and there's a raw edge in his voice, like even he's surprised by how much he wants this.

He leans in, tentative and testing, his lips just brushing mine. It's the barest touch, but it's enough to send me spiraling. I press against him, all my restraint dissolving. The kiss deepens, hungry and demanding, and everything I've been thinking about since the first time we let ourselves go this far.

His arms wrap around me, pulling me close. I let out a soft moan, feeling his mouth on mine, feeling the thrill of finally giving in. Days of denial unravel as our bodies press against each other. His lips are warm and urgent, and my hands find his shoulders, gripping tight as we surrender to the thing that's been building between us all along.

The air between us is thick with tension, electric and raw. Jeffery's eyes lock onto mine, and I can see the hunger in them, the kind of hunger that makes my pussy clench in anticipation. He's already moving, his body pressing into mine, pinning me against the cold, hard tiles of the pool's edge. My bikini strings are tangled in his fingers, and he's fumbling with them, his breath hot and ragged against my neck.

"Fuck," he growls, his voice low and rough, and I can feel the vibration of it in my chest. His hands are everywhere, pulling at the fabric, yanking it down until my tits are free, my nipples hardening instantly in the cool night air. He doesn't waste a second—his mouth is on me, his tongue swirling around my nipple, sucking it into his mouth like he's starving for me. I gasp, my back arching, my hands tangling in his hair as I pull him closer, wanting more, needing more.

I can feel the chill of the tiles against my skin, but it's insignificant compared to the warmth of his body. He hoists me up, and I land on the solid concrete deck with a thud before he swiftly removes my bikini bottoms, sending a wave of electrifying sensation down my spine. My fingers tangle in his hair, pulling him closer as his mouth descends on me, his tongue hot and wet against my skin. He doesn't waste time teasing—he's on a mission, his lips and tongue working in tandem to drive me out of my mind.

I can feel his breath, warm and ragged, against my inner thigh, and then his tongue is there, licking a slow, torturous path up to my dripping pussy. I'm already so wet, my cunt throbbing with need, and when his tongue finally makes contact, I let out a moan that's half relief, half desperation. He doesn't just lick—he devours, his tongue plunging deep inside me, fucking me with it like he's trying to claim every inch of me.

My back arches off the cold concrete as I grind against his face, shameless and hungry. He growls against me, the vibration sending shockwaves through my body. My pussy is aching, clenching around nothing, and I can feel the slickness coating my thighs as he continues to eat me out like a man starved. His tongue flicks over my clit, sending jolts of pleasure shooting through me, and I'm already on the edge, teetering dangerously close to the brink.

 Please, I whimper, my voice breaking as I tug at his hair, urging him on. Please, don't stop.

He's not stopping. If anything, he's only intensifying his efforts, his tongue moving with a fierce determination. I can't control my body; I'm writhing beneath him, my hips moving on their own as the first wave of pleasure overtakes me. Oh my god, Jeffery! I'm cumming! I scream. My body shakes uncontrollably, and he's there, savoring every moment, every bit of my release like it's the most exquisite thing he's ever tasted.

His relentless grasp prevents any respite as he drags me back into the pool. My nipples, hard and eager, graze down his chiseled torso until I feel it—his cock, a thick, solid pole demanding attention, even concealed by his trunks. We both know there's no going back; I've reached the point of no return. A primal hunger claws at me, and my hands are on him, frantically tugging at the drawstrings of his trunks, desperate to free his beast. I wrench them down, and his cock springs out, thick, veiny, and pulsating. I wrap my fingers around his shaft, stroking him deliberately, feeling every throb and pulse of his need against my palm.

Fuck, Jeffrey, I moan, my voice thick with lust. He groans, his hips thrusting into my hand, and then he lifts me up, his strong hands gripping my waist as he aligns his cock with my dripping entrance. I can feel the scorching heat of him there, the way he's teasing me, rubbing the swollen head of his cock against my slick folds. I'm so fucking ready for him. I don't give a damn anymore that he's my stepbrother. My pussy is throbbing with need, and when he finally drives inside, it's like an explosion of pure ecstasy.

Oh God, I gasp, my nails digging into his shoulders as he fills me completely. He's so fucking big, stretching me in the best way possible, and I can't help but moan as he starts to move, his hips thrusting into me with a rhythm that's driving me wild. My legs wrap around his waist, pulling him deeper, and I can feel every inch of him as he fucks me, the water splashing around us as we move together.

His hands are on my tits again, squeezing and pinching my nipples as he fucks me harder, faster. I can feel the pressure building inside me, my orgasm so close I can almost taste it. Fuck, Jeffery, don't stop, I beg, my voice shaking with desperation. He groans, his hips slamming into mine, and I can feel him getting closer also, his cock throbbing inside me.

The water is everywhere, soaking us both as we move together, our bodies slick with sweat and desire. I can feel my orgasm building, the tension coiling tighter and tighter inside me until it finally snaps. I scream his name as I come, my pussy clenching around his cock as wave after wave of pleasure crashes over me. He's right there with me, his hips stuttering as he spills himself inside me, his cum filling me up as we both ride out the waves of our orgasms.

We stay like that for a moment, our bodies pressed together, our breathing ragged and uneven. I can feel his cock still inside me, still twitching with the aftershocks of his orgasm. I don't want to let go. I don't want this moment to end.

Again, I whisper into his ear, my pussy gripping his cock like a vice. Fuck me again. I crush my lips against his, my hips undulating in a slow, sensual rhythm, feeling his cock grow even harder inside me. I clench my walls around him. My body is on fire, and my breath is jagged and desperate.

His hands slide down to my ass, lifting me up and driving deeper, his lips never leaving mine. He's relentless, and I love it, love the way he's fucking me like he can't get enough, like he's addicted to the feel of me wrapped around him. My body is already spiraling out of control, already on the brink of another orgasm. I moan into his mouth, my nails raking down his back as we move together, the water splashing wildly around us.

Fucking hell, Ella, he groans, his voice rough and breathless, like he's barely holding it together. His cock pulses inside me, thick and unyielding, hitting that sweet spot with every thrust. I can feel the heat pooling in my core again, my body tightening around him like a vice, ready to explode. My clit is throbbing, begging for attention, and I reach down, rubbing it in frantic circles as he fucks me harder, pounding into me with a raw intensity that pushes me right to the fucking edge. My eyes squeeze shut, and I'm there, I'm cumming, my body shaking with the force of it as I cry out his name, my pussy clenching around him like it's trying to milk every last drop. I'm so lost in pleasure I barely register the way his hips stutter, the way he groans low in his throat as he spills into me again, filling me with his heat.

But this time, we don't let go. His lips find mine, and the kiss is softer, slower, but still full of the same urgency. I can feel him twitching inside me, feel the aftershocks of our orgasms rippling through our bodies as we float there, wrapped around each other in the water. His hands roam over my skin, tracing every curve like he's memorizing me, and I can't help but moan softly against his lips. His cock is still hard inside me, and I can feel him growing again, ready for more. More that I also want to feel.

Fuck, I whisper against his mouth, my breath mingling with his.

That's when I heard it. Footsteps. My mother's voice. Is someone out here?

Everything crashes to a halt, and panic bolts through me like a lightning strike. We break apart, both scrambling like we've been shocked, water splashing as we duck under.

I tug at my bikini, trying to get the stupid thing back on right, hiding at the side of the pool and pressing against the edge, trying to make myself invisible. I can barely see Jeffery on the other side, keeping low in the shadows. The seconds stretch, each one an eternity, as my heart pounds so loud I'm sure she'll hear it.

Loni's footsteps move closer, then stop. I hold my breath, knowing this is it, knowing if we're caught, we'll never live it down. There's a moment so tense and silent I want to scream.

Then, just like that, she turns and heads back inside, mumbling something about neighborhood kids. The door shuts behind her, and I let out the breath I was holding,...