Welcome to New Haven (30 page)

In front of them were white wicker couches, with white cushions, and also a bar, on the right that had a bowl of fruit punch and a fridge full of bottled water and sodas.
 

To the left was the pool and left again, next to the doorway was the shower and changing room.
 

Em put her arm around Holly and gave her a little squeeze.
 

“You’re good with flowers aren’t you?” asked Riss.
 

“I just picked up a few things”
 
she said.
 

“So what’s happening’ first, girlies?” Em asked, changing the subject.
 

“You can put your stuff in there”
 
Riss pointed and they walked through.
 

Inside it looked like an emptied out sauna with a shower big enough for two people and a toilet, both in their separate rooms.
 
The empty space in the middle had a shelving unit for their clothes. They put their things away, Em and Dev changed and they walked back out towards the pool.
 

“Let’s get some tunes on!” Said Em
 

“Yes!” Riss said clapping her hands together.
 
“The system has bluetooth so we can play the music from our phones.”
 

“Let’s make a playlist each.” Said Kayla.

”Great! That sounds good.” Dev said as she took out her phone and began scanning through her music. The other girls did the same.
 

“About five songs each, I think would be enough for now.” Riss said.
 

“How are you doing?” Em asked quietly as they sat on the couches.
 

“I’m ok for now” Holly replied.
 

Riss put her music selection on to play first.
 

“Awesome!” they said as Justin Timberlake sang about ‘bringing sexy back.’
 

“The guys are pulling up, Riss” Dev said as she received a text from Ben, because Alex was driving.
 

Riss went to the door to greet them.
 
As Riss was out, the girls sat around on the couches talking, when Emily told a joke, making them all burst out laughing.
 

“Look who’s here!” Riss said in a sing-song voice.
 
They all turned round to see the guys.
 
Holly stopped laughing but she was still smiling from the joke, and she saw Alex looking at her and smiling.
 

“Hi guys!” shouted Dev and jumped up to show the guys where to put their stuff.
 
Em looked between Holly and Alex as he walked past and chuckled to herself.
 

“What’s funny?” asked Holly, pink faced as she turned to her sister.
 

“Oh…Nothing.” Em said with a shrugged expression and a shake of her head.
 

“Whose is this music?” Kyle asked as they guys came out of the changing area.
 

“Mine, why?” Riss asked with her hands on her hips.
 

“Nothing”
 
he said, backing up with his hands up in surrender.
 

“I don’t think he likes it, but he’s too shit scared to say.” Laughed Ryan.
 

Riss raised an eyebrow at Kyle.
 

“No I’m not!” He glared at Ryan.
 
“It’s just…uh…”
 

“uh…what?” Riss said.

“Poppy” Kyle said and backed off.
 

“I think it’s good and so do the girls.” She said and raised her chin.
 
“Don’t you girls?”
 

“Yes!” they all shouted back.
 

“So there”
 
Riss said, making them laugh.
 

“Whatever you say.” Said Kyle and then ran off as Riss took a swipe at him.
 

“I bet yours isn’t any better!” she shouted to him.
 
Kyle just laughed.

“Pizza will be here in about an hour, and the drinks are at the bar.
 
There’s other stuff there too.”
 
Said Kayla as she pointed to the fridges.
 
Holly looked to Alex and swallowed hard.
 
He had on blue swim shorts and his long legs with muscular thighs and well shaped calves had her jaw dropping.
 

He was wearing a white v-neck T-shirt that caressed his sculpted torso to perfection. The colour of his skin looking deliciously edible. It was unfair how sexy he was.
 
He should be illegal.
 

Holly had been sitting in the corner part of the couch and had been peaking at Alex as he stood Between Ben and Ryan, when his eyes turned to her. Holly thought she saw his cheeks turning pink, but quickly dismissed it.

“Let’s play a game!” Riss said excitedly.
 

“What about pool volley ball?” Dev asked.
 

“Cool” agreed Ryan. “Boys against girls. You have the advantage; five girls to four guys, but we’ll still beat you. Hands down.”
 

Holly looked nervously to Emily.
 
They expected her to get into the pool, and her stomach rolled at the thought.
 

“We’ll need a ref” Em said, quickly before anybody could say anything.
 
Holly, you should ref.”
 

“No fair!” Said Ben “You’re older, you should ref.
 

“No, I think Holly should Ref” Alex said as he looked at her.
 

She didn’t know why he’d agreed with Em, but she could have kissed him for doing so.
 
Well just kiss him for anything really.
 
Just for the sheer pleasure of it.

Kissing Alex… Now there’s a thought…

Em elbowed Holly, bringing her out of her Alex fog and saw that he was trying to hold back a smile.
 

Great.
 
Just fucking great

He’d seen her gawking at him and wanted to laugh.
 

“Four on four then.”
 
Said Kyle.
 

Riss and Kyle went to get the ball and set up the net.
 
Holly noticed Ryan watching them, well Riss, to be exact. Em motioned to Holly that she had seen him and they smiled at each other.
 

Holly stood, and the boys all removed their shirts ready to get into the water and Holly’s mouth popped open at the sight of Alex’s naked torso.

Oh my fucking hell!
She screamed internally.

Alex’s body was out of this world! Perfectly proportioned all over.
 
Square pecs, chiseled abs, round shoulders and biceps and a v-line that had heat coursing through every part of her body.
 

Her heart started pounding, her body was on fire and it travelled right down to her ‘centre’.
 
She had to grasp onto the side of the couch for support.
 

“Steady now” Em whispered into her ear, breaking her lustful gaze.
 
Holly’s face burned as Em chuckled.
 

“What’s funny?” asked Ben, but Holly could see that he had a good idea of why Em was laughing.
 

“Oh, my little sister is amusing me.” She said.
 
“Carry on.” Em added whilst motioning with her hand in front of her, for Ben to continue what he was doing.
 

“How are you doing?” Dev asked as she walked over to Holly, with a huge grin, her eyebrows raised.
 

“As well as can be expected, given the circumstances.”
 
Holly said, risking a glance at Alex’s fabulous physique.
 

“And the view” Em snickered.
 
Dev giggled before looking over to Ben with a small sigh.
 

“I know the feeling.” She whispered.
 

“If I was seven years younger…” Em said.
 

“What was that?” asked Ryan. Em spoke more loudly.
 

“I said if I were seven years younger…” she paused “…Then I’d seriously have to go looking for an older guy; ‘cos you lot are babies.”
 

“No we’re not.” Said Kyle
 

“Nuff said” Em smirked.

Alex had been watching Holly as she was talking with her sister.
 
She’d been sitting, mostly out of view, and when he and the guys began to take off their shirts, Holly had stood, taking this breath away.
 
Her loose white T-shirt didn’t cling to her, but it definitely showed more than the ones she usually wore at school, hinting at a well-developed female form underneath.

The only one he wanted.

The pink shorts looked amazing on her and her legs…smooth, toned, and proportionate to her body.
 
He immediately thought of touching and kissing the bare skin on her legs.
 
All the way up and down again.

Christ! Holly looks so fucking hot I need to get into the water before everybody notices the strain in the front of my shorts!

Alex had a feeling that Holly wasn’t aware of just how beautiful she was.
 
If he got the chance, he would tell her everyday…
 

“Dude wake up.” Ben said as he elbowed him in the side.
 

“What?
 
Oh yeah.” Alex felt himself blush, just as he had when they’d gotten there and no doubt Emily had noticed too. She’d looked between the two of them instantly.

The girls took off their over clothes, and they were wearing vest tankini's, but with boy short bottoms, like Em’s.
 

“Where are the bikini’s?” asked Ben, and Holly noticed he looked at Dev when he said it.
 

“This isn’t the beach.” She replied.
 

“Yeah, it’s Seattle, not California” chuckled Kayla.
 

“Well!” gasped Ryan in mock alarm. “I feel all kinds of naked now.” He said as he covered his nipples with his fingers. Getting laughs from everyone.
 

“You’re a divvie” laughed Em.

“What’s a divvie?” He asked.
 

“Idiot” she replied.
 

“Hey, I resent that!” He shouted.
 

“Why? Because it’s true?” laughed Alex.
 

“Quite possibly.” Said Ryan with his nose in the air, getting another round of laughs.

Holly liked it very much.
 
It took her mind off the huge pool with deep water and slippy floors… She had to take a few deep breaths to calm herself down.
 

“You ok baby girl?” whispered Em.
 

“Yeah, I’ll be fine.”

“Good.
 
Don’t worry hun.” Em smiled sympathetically and turned towards the others.
 
“Ok, let’s get in kids!”
 

Everybody jumped in the pool and went to their sides.
 

“This is unfair” Em stated.
 
“We’re all short arses compared to you, gigantaurs.”
 

“You’re all in the shallow end though.” Said Ryan.
 

“Still…your legs are stronger; you can jump higher.
 
What do you think Hol?” Em said and winked at her.

This could be fun.

“Yeah, I think a change up would be fairer” She said.
 
“Ben, Dev, Ryan and Riss should team up together, I think.” She gave Em a little smirk.
 

“Hey! Ryan’s our best player!” whined Kyle.
 

“And I’m the worst!” countered Dev.
 
Dev knew Holly was putting them in the same team on purpose.
 

Holly picked up the ball, took a coin out of her back pocket.
 

“Call it.” She said to Riss.
 

“Heads!”
 

“Riss chooses head!” Shouted Ryan “I’m in agreement.” He said with a big toothy grin.
 

“Oh my God, That’s
not
what I meant!” She said, shocked.
 

Ryan just waggled his eyebrows, which earned him water splashes from Riss and Dev.
 
Ben was trying to stop himself from laughing, as was Alex.
 

“Ryan, you’re a pig!”
 
chuckled Kayla. They knew Ryan was just playing.
 
Holly shook her head and tossed the coin.
 

“Heads it is.” She said and narrowed her eyes at Ryan as he opened his mouth to say something.
 

“Ryan, if you say any’in, I’ll come over there an’ web ye,” Said Em.
 

“Speak English, woman!” Ryan said with a really bad, gruff, English accent and shaking his fist.
 

“Oh you’ve ad’ it cock ‘ed” she warned as Holly passed the ball to Riss.
 

“Let’s just play” Holly said.

As the game went on, it was evident how good a player Ryan was…and Dev wasn’t.
 
Holly was trying her best to avoid watching Alex’s ripped, muscular arms, chest, abs… running his hands through his wet hair…
 

”Holly!” shouted Kayla.
 

“Huh? What?” Holly said, blinking a few times to break the fog.
 

“That was totally our point wasn’t it?”
 

“Um…”

Oh this is going to be embarrassing!

“I…um…wasn’t paying attention. Sorry.”
 
Cue hot, red face… There it was.
 
Holly bit her lip, looked down and rubbed her forehead to try to hide her embarrassment.
 
And failed

All eyes turned to Alex.

“What did I do?” He asked and they all looked at Holly again.
 
It was Alex’s turn to blush.

Just fucking great.

Luckily Ben grabbed Dev around the waist and pulled her backwards with him and dunked them both under water.

“
Ben!
” she screeched, which caused everybody to turn to them and laugh.
 
Holly was glad for the distraction when the game was quickly forgotten about as it turned into a ducking frenzy.
 
Alex was looking at her when she glanced at him, and he smiled.