The Swim
Part 1:
He was just pulling his clothes off. The jeans fell first, down below his
ankles, and as they dropped he kicked his Air Jordans off his large feet.
They clunked against the smooth wooden deck to either side of him. Next, he
grabbed his wife beater and lifted it above his head. Nikki was surprised,
she had always figured him to be the modest type, especially about his
chest, especially since he hardly ever removed his shirt in concert or in
front of a camera.
He had absolutely no problem now. His grin was playful as he pulled off one
white tube sock and then the next. The hair on his chin was growing
thicker, and above his upper lip was a thin line of blonde pricklies.
“Come on.” He said in that soft, lighthearted manner of his. “It’s the
perfect night for a swim.”
It was the perfect night.
The two of them had been at the same party, lost in a sea of people,
recognizing only one another. How odd it had been to see him there. Nikki
had spotted his broad shoulders and growing out blond hair and her pulse had
begun to quicken. Was it possible that they could run into one another this
way? Star and fan? And when he had turned around and seen her it was like
he had found an old friend in that stuffy crowd. He had bound up to her,
grabbing her hand first, then her back and taken her into a bear hug like
they had been friends for years.
“A familiar face.” He said in her ear. His hot breath with just a tinge of
Bacardi on it shed waves of delight through her entire body. He turned her
system on. What had been a dull obligatory work Christmas party had turned
into something completely different. She could feel her blood begin to flow
through her body. Nikki sipped at a glass of merlot which had already begun
to flush her cheeks. She looked up at him slightly with a sly smile. It
was nice that he was so tall, taller than her. And he was dressed good, a
pair of dark blue jeans and a black turtle neck sweater. His fashion sense
had somewhat repaired itself for the evening as well. And that smell? She
wasn’t sure what type of cologne it was, but it was magically wafting into
her nose and filling her brain with lovely endorphins.
And somehow, he had latched onto her. Speaking to her in hushed, shy tones
throughout the night. Pulling up a chair next to hers and sipping on the
same type of merlot she was. The conversation hadn’t been abundant at all,
but they seemed quite comfortable in their mutual silence. And he kept
smiling at her. That gorgeous, charming toothy grin that probably won over
every person he came into contact with.
Nikki had worked hard for the small house she now owned in a new development
in Hunter’s Creek. She had slowly but surely decorated it to her own
liking, finding rooms she emulated in magazines and had seen featured by
Christopher Lowell on TV. When the holidays had come around, she had worked
hours on her front yard, making the house perfectly festive, not tacky, but
still glowing with tiny sparkles of light that made her feel merry as she
pulled her new Honda painted her favorite color blue into the driveway.
Nikki was happy with her life, living on her own terms, succeeding.
The only thing that was missing was a man. She wanted so much. The mad
attraction and lust, but at the same time, the feeling that she was loved.
As of yet she hadn’t found him.
Yet there he was, Nick Carter, standing under the dim light of her bosses
Christmas Tree. He was licking his lips and staring across the room, out
the window, at something unknown. That far away look he was getting…it was
part of his attractiveness. That sad, lonely, distant look. Something
inside of Nikki wanted to save him. Something inside of her wanted to touch
him all over.
“I love the lights at Christmastime.” His lips were red with the wetness of
the wine he had been sipping. His tongue slid along the bottom one, licking
a bit of the sweet juice off. His accent was endearing, the way he seemed
to be just a little ghetto, just a little like a baby, just a little
southern. And his voice was raspy, lower than she ever remembered it being.
Nikki’s cheeks had been glowing. “Mmm..me too. My house looks great. I
had so much fun putting up my lights.” Her cheeks hurt from smiling so
much, but it felt good at the same time. She wasn’t even quote sure of the
reason.
“Can I see ‘em?” He asked, quite innocently, his blue eyes filling with a
type of wonder. “I love to look at Christmas lights.” His eye brows were
raised. The outline of his mouth showed perfectly as he pursed his lips,
pleading with her.
So here they were, at her house. The two had made their way to the screened
in porch, which was lit as well with tiny white lights that sprinkled the
entire screen, top and sides. It illuminated the entire porch with a white
glow.
“God, the weather is so perfect.” Nick had told her as he tilted his head
back looking beyond the screen to the stars above in the sky. It was so
clear. Nikki examined the perfect lines of his neck, the way the muscle
formed on either side of his Adam’s apple and then closed in around it at
the bottom. He rubbed a large hand at the nape of his neck, near the dark
blondeness at his hairline and swallowed, seemingly unaware of the way she
was looking at him. “I can’t remember a Christmas where its been this
warm…” He drew in a breath as he lowered his head and looked into her big
brown eyes that watched him. They stood near the edge of the pool.
“Warm enough to swim.” His eyes twinkled and a sly smile spread across his
face. And that’s when he started stripping.
So much for a slow and passionate seduction Nikki thought as he threw one
article of clothing after another from side to side. There was something so
endearing about his playfulness, though.
“At least lemme get a suit on.” Nikki told him as she turned for the door.
Nick’s hand reached out and gripped her forearm only a bit forcefully. “Don’t need a suit.
That’s half the fun of it.” At his comment she turned
around and saw his boxer briefs begin to drop. First the bone, then the
beginnings of his hair, then…good Lord, EVERYTHING. Semi-erect. Getting
ready. The back of his hand ran along the side of himself as he pulled his
under garments completely off, his upper body following his hands as he
pulled them down below his ankles and stepped out. He turned and Nikki got
a perfect view of his ample behind and then he quickly did a canon ball into
the water.
“Whoo.” He yelped. “S’ coooooooooooooold!” The smile on his face could
have lit the entire porch. Nikki had an inkling to turn off the lights and
see if she could see by his face alone. He began swimming around the water,
fanning his arms to his side. Nikki could see his wet body beneath the
waters surface. So nice to slide against.
And then he splashed her. Sopping her. Soaking her. As if she hadn’t been
wet already. Only, well…a different wet.
Her eyes widened. “Jerk.” She yelled. Yet she was laughing. She backed
up slightly.
“Come o-ahhhhn!” He commanded, whining.
Nikki just shook her head, still backing up. “No way.” She pouted.
“That’s it.” He said, and before she could do anything he had shot his long
body out of the pool, dripping with water, naked and in all his manly glory,
grabbed her around the waist and threw her into the cold water.
“Aarp.” Was all that came out of her mouth before she went under. He had
jumped in right after her and had grabbed onto her to ensure that she wasn’t
hurt and safe. Nick’s arms were strong, defining themselves with art on
each bicep. She had thought before that perhaps he was going overboard with
the tattoo thing. But now she thought better of it. They were hot. All of
him was hot. And here he was, very naked, getting quite excited, his eyes
scanning her up and down, undressing her with every movement.
And now his hands. They were on her stomach, weren’t they? Sliding up
under her top. “I’m not wearing any clothes, so you can’t.” He told her.
How childish a thought. But he was right, wasn’t he? So much in control,
already. Nikki liked that.
She shooed him away, though. Splashing backward away from him, pushing off
of his arms. “Uh-uh.” She told him, shaking her head. She was in the
shallow end and stood. And then she smiled and he went in reverse himself,
putting his back against the side of the pool, holding himself there with
his arms behind him to the side. He motioned upward with his head for her
to continue.
And she removed her clothes.
Part 2
The Swim
NinasFiction
