Chapter 1: Sparks in the Summer Air
The summer heat clung to Amelie’s skin as she lounged by the backyard pool, her toned legs glistening with a sheen of sunscreen. At fifteen, she was a firecracker—sharp-tongued, confident, and sweet when it suited her. Her brother Victor, seventeen and perpetually annoying, was inside gaming, leaving the backyard blissfully quiet. That is, until Matthew strode through the gate.
Tall, muscular, and unfairly handsome, Matthew was Victor’s best friend and the boy who’d haunted Amelie’s dreams since she could remember. At seventeen, he towered over most, his broad shoulders and easy grin making her heart race. He’d grown up with her, always kind, always patient, and always teasing her just enough to make her cheeks flush.
'Hey, trouble,' Matthew called, his voice a low rumble as he dropped his towel on a chair. 'Thought I’d find you out here, soaking up all the attention.'
Amelie rolled her eyes, pushing her sunglasses up to glare at him. 'If by attention you mean peace and quiet, then yeah, until you showed up. What, Victor finally kick you out of his nerd cave?'
Matthew laughed, a sound that sent a shiver down her spine despite the heat. 'Nah, I just wanted to see if you’d grown out of that attitude yet. Guess not.' He peeled off his shirt, revealing a chest that could’ve been carved from stone, and Amelie had to fight to keep her jaw from dropping.
'Keep staring, Am, and I might start charging,' he teased, catching her gaze as he dove into the pool with a perfect splash.
She scoffed, crossing her arms over her bikini top. 'As if I’d pay for a show that’s all splash and no substance.' But her words lacked bite, and the way her eyes tracked every ripple of muscle as he surfaced told a different story.
Matthew swam to the edge, resting his arms on the side, water dripping from his dark hair. 'Come in, then. Prove you’re not just all talk.'
Amelie smirked, standing with a sway of her hips. 'Fine, but don’t cry when I outswim you.' She dove in, the cool water a shock against her heated skin, and swam toward him, stopping just close enough to feel the warmth radiating from his body.
'Always gotta challenge me, huh?' Matthew’s voice dropped, his green eyes locking with hers. 'You’ve been doing that since we were kids.'
'Maybe I just like seeing if you can keep up,' she shot back, her breath hitching as his hand brushed her arm under the water, a fleeting touch that felt like fire.
His grin turned wicked. 'Oh, I can keep up, Am. Question is, can you handle it?'
The air between them crackled, charged with years of unspoken tension. Amelie’s heart pounded as she floated closer, her voice a whisper. 'Try me.'
Matthew’s gaze darkened, and before she could sass him again, he closed the distance, his lips crashing into hers. The kiss was hungry, desperate, tasting of chlorine and summer, and Amelie melted into it, her hands gripping his wet shoulders. His body pressed against hers, hard and unyielding, and she felt a rush of heat between her thighs, a need she’d never fully understood until now.
'We shouldn’t,' he murmured against her mouth, but his hands were already sliding down her back, pulling her closer. 'Victor’s just inside.'
'Then you’d better be quick,' Amelie challenged, her voice husky, her fingers tangling in his hair. 'Unless you’re scared.'
Matthew groaned, a low, primal sound, and lifted her effortlessly, her legs wrapping around his waist as he backed her against the pool wall. 'You’re gonna be the death of me, Am,' he growled, his lips trailing down her neck, igniting every nerve in her body. She could feel him, hard against her through the thin fabric of their swimsuits, and the ache inside her grew, wet and insistent.
Her breath came in short, panting gasps as his hand slipped beneath her bikini bottom, fingers teasing her dripping heat. 'God, Matthew,' she moaned, her head tipping back, horny and aching for more. His touch was electric, and she knew they were teetering on the edge of something explosive, something neither of them could stop.
And as the summer sun burned above, they were about to cross a line they’d never come back from.
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