“Yes. You came over. You hugged me. I wanted the party to be over with so that the day would be over and then it would be morning. And I could take my coffee and go over and see you. I never felt lonely around you. Quite the opposite.” She shoved her hands into her pockets. “I have a lot of friends, Laura.” She shook her head. “But they’re not really friends. Not the way it should be. And it took this weekend for me to see that.” She shrugged. “So—I don’t have a lot of friends, I guess. But I don’t feel lonely anymore. I don’t feel…empty anymore.”

Laura held her gaze. “I’m kinda crazy about you too. I won’t break your heart.”

Cassidy nodded. “That would be really nice.”

Laura smiled. “You’re supposed to say that you won’t break mine either.”

Cassidy smiled then. “Oh, that’s what I’m supposed to say?”

“Uh-huh.”

Cassidy’s expression turned serious. “I wouldn’t dare break your heart.”

“That would be really nice,” Laura whispered. “And…I’m sorry about your friends. It’s because of me…”

“No. It’s them. It’s me. I’ve…I’ve changed. And it feels good. I feel good. You make me feel good. Happy.” She tapped her chest. “Inside. Deep inside…I feel happy.” Cassidy turned and motioned to the pool. “So…enough of that. They’re gone. Pool time now?”

“Pool time now.” Laura wiggled her eyebrows. “Naked pool time.”

But when Laura’s hand went to the button of her shorts, Cassidy stopped her. “I…I want to take them off.” Laura raised an eyebrow and Cassidy nearly blushed. “It’s been…kind of a…”

“Fantasy?” Laura teased. “My cutoff jeans?”

Instead of reaching for the shorts, though, Cassidy ran her fingers along the hem of Laura’s tank top. Their eyes held, then Cassidy pulled it up—slowly—revealing a surprisingly tan stomach. She paused only a second before lifting it higher and over her head. Her breath caught as Laura stood there, her breasts bare, the nipples rock hard. They, too, had been touched by the sun.

“You’ve been skinny dipping in my pool,” Cassidy accused in a whisper.

A small smile played on Laura’s mouth. “I have.”

Cassidy met her eyes again. “You’re so beautiful, Laura.” When she would have protested, Cassidy held a finger to her lips. “Beautiful. Natural. There’s nothing fake. There are no pretenses. I love that about you.”

Laura smiled. “Thank you. And now I would love it if you would take some clothes off.”

“As you wish.”

But Laura stopped her. “No. Let me.”

As was usually the case, Laura was now in control, not Cassidy. Laura gave her a flirty smile, then tugged the T-shirt over her head. Cassidy stood still as Laura’s eyes flitted across her black bra. Then Laura looked up, meeting her gaze.