The Trespasser's Tale (closed for seraph_nocturne)

[WatchingCloud]

Nolan Reyes repressed a scowl. The team of managers and lawyers sitting across the table had hired him in hopes of getting good news. His report, however, had been anything but. Understandably, no one liked paying for bad news, but they’d hired him because he was an honest consultant, not a cheerleader.

“You sure about these numbers?” One of the managers, a woman in her fifties who wore her business suit admirably, said. “Refurbishment of the plant’s power supply isn’t possible?”

Nolan shook his head. “Sorry, but the extent of the corrosion is too severe. Replacement would cost about the same and won’t have OSHA breathing down your neck in two years.”

Mr. Toppan, the senior manager in attendance, tossed his copy of the report on the table. “We’re going to have to get a second opinion. I just don’t see how we could act on your recommendations.”

And there it was, the message he’d read in their body language. They were looking for a cheap, quick fix, when that was the worst possible solution if they wanted to be in business in another five years. He’d hoped they would listen to reason. It would have meant his staying on in an advisory role for the next year. Instead, barring a sudden outbreak of sanity, they’d go fishing for a solution more to their liking and he would be moving on to the next job.

“I understand,” Nolan said, scooping up his copy of the report and laptop, then rising to shake the man’s hand. “Just remember, any engineer worth his salt will tell you the same thing. If they don’t, I’d turn and run.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” The guy could lie with a straight face.

Nolan kept a professional demeanor until back at his car, at which point he sighed. “Idiots.” Yes, he’d been paid for the initial assessment, but those fees rarely covered the time he invested in the work. It was the follow-up work that really paid the bills. Not that he was hurting financially, but he hated having too much time on his hands and things were slow at the moment. The ups and downs of being a one-man business.

He fired up his Jeep and pulled out of the parking garage into the Southern California sunshine. With the top down and warm sun on his face, his foul mood quickly began to fade. On the upside, he now had a gorgeous afternoon free. He could swing home, change, and maybe go for a run or hit the links. Or do nothing at all. When was the last time he did that?

 

[SeraphNocturne]

Elexiandra Monroe was like any other college student, she supposed. She tried her best to not have to rely on her parents too much, because getting them into one room alone to even ask for a little help with her books, tuition, or even food was a thing of nightmares. It was an absolute worst-case scenario, in her opinion... if she were to walk outside and get ran over by a bus, she didn't doubt for a second her mother and father would still be arguing at her funeral.

She supposed that was what happened when you met at work and fell in love over martinis, stocks, and bonds--it certainly didn't help when your family also comes from two very different sides of the world. Her mother, who she greatly favored, was brought up in a gritty Colombian slum. Her father in a posh English preparatory school. He certainly considered himself in high regard, and during their fights would often revert to poor upbringing as to the reason why her mother could be so easily dismissed and she would respond kindly with a slap to the face and flinging all the good china in the house at his head.

Ellie grew up getting herself out of the house as much as possible because her parents, when they were home, had such a turbulent relationship. At first it was ballet, gymnastics, or meeting with tutors for violin and piano. Eventually she began to escape the clutches of her parents dismissive extracurricular desires and simply slipped out of the house to the pool in their backyard so she didn't have to witness their explosive interactions... she began to swim almost every day, as soon as the sun warmed the water enough. It was rare you had to skip a day, living in ever-sunny San Diego.

Imagine her shock, disappointment and impending dread when she realized that student housing had royally screwed her this semester. She was quite literally informed she didn't have a dorm anymore because they had accidentally misplaced her on the list, and so she packed her things into her little Hyundai Veloster and set out to crash with a friend while she set up accommodations--her friend just so happened to know a group of girls, a few students themselves, renting a beautiful home together up toward La Jolla, not far from the beach itself. What drew her most especially was the mention of a lovely pool they had in the background. She met with the girls the following day for coffee, and found herself moving into a quaint little room already furnished and feeling like home.

Ah, but the disappointment wasn't far behind... she didn't even look in the backyard to check on the pool. After settling in and organizing her belongings for a few hours, she decided to dig out a little red bikini and hit the pool to take the edge off of the stress of narrowly evading homelessness while trying to finish up college. Stepping out into the backyard though, she found the pool was entirely empty. She asked Emily, the soft-spoken Asian girl who's room was right next to hers, if there was any way they could expect it to be serviced soon, and was informed that there was some sort of problem with the drain and that they simply hadn't had the time or funds to have it serviced. Cue an ever so frustrated pout.

Ellie paced the hall for a moment, glancing out the kitchen window to look out at the empty pool each time she passed before her eyes darted to the tall, coffee-colored fence back behind the pool. Curiosity crept into her mind. This was San Diego after all... just about ever house in these nice neighborhoods had a pool, she knew this from experience. She'd grown up in a similar neighborhood after all!

She slipped out into the backyard, and dragged one of the lounge chairs over to climb up so she could peer through the little slits in the top of the fence, grinning brightly when her eyes caught a flicker of the sun reflecting off of cool, blue water. Their neighbor had a pool! She tried not to get too excited--they might not be keep on sharing, after all, and she quickly went to talk to Emily about the neighbor who informed her he was a relatively friendly gentleman who lived alone, didn't bother them much at all, drove a Jeep, and was rarely home. It seemed the perfect opportunity.

Ellie slipped out the backdoor once again, and through their own gate, to the space between their homes. She could see the drive way from here, and noticed that as Emily had described there was no car parked out from. She quickly moved to the lovely dark wooden fence and testing the gate. What luck, it wasn't locked! She quietly slipped inside, and closed it behind her, feeling ever so foolish and a little giddy. Surely the neighbor wouldn't mind a pretty young thing taking a dip in the pool... or well, what he didn't know certainly wouldn't kill him.

She dipped a toe in the water to check it, admiring the hot-tub accent cradled by the rest of the pool, which was surprisingly well kept for a man who didn't seem to have time for it. She never understood why anyone would bother buying a big house with a pool, maintenance it, but never use it. Technically she was doing him a favor wasn't she? Someone should be using this glorious pool! She took a moment to acknowledge that high, dark-brown fence went the entire way around. He must certainly value his privacy, she found herself thinking... ah, but she couldn't complain of that either.

Instinct was to tug the string knot out of the back of her bikini and slip out of it, along with her bottoms, leaving her slender, toned and ample figure bare to the warm shining sun above. She swam in the nude as often as she could. It wasn't hard, back in the day, her parents kept a large back yard in an expensive neighborhood and she was an only child. No one noticed nor bothered her for going without a swim suit. She didn't hesitate to make her way to the stairs and slowly wade in, goosebumps erupting over that lovely pallet of smooth caramel colored skin. Once fully submerged, she turned around and slowly dropped down, motionless into the water, floating lazily toward the center of the pool with her lucid ocean-colored eyes focusing on the fluffy white clouds drifting lazily by. The day was beautiful, and she had not a thing more to do than celebrate her good fortune and enjoy the cool water cradling her naked body ever so gently.

 

[WatchingCloud]

Nolan slowed the Jeep as he approached his house. Reflexively, he took a look over at the neighbor's house, which had recently been taken over by a bunch of college girls. It was unusual for the neighborhood, but split a few ways it was probably cheaper to rent here than to live on campus as long as they didn't mind the commute. He, of course, didn't mind the view. Young, fit college coeds in tight apparel was always a welcome sight. Sadly, when they were around, it was usually inside. He had met a couple of the girls, but only just enough to exchange names and pleasantries in passing.

This afternoon, the girls' house looked quiet, and he passed on by and parked his Jeep in the driveway as was the norm when rain wasn't forecast. Inside, he tossed his bag on the kitchen counter and poked his head into the fridge, looking for something to drink. The fridge, like the rest of his house and, if he was being honest, his life, was clean and spartan. He liked to keep things simple and efficient - so much easier now in the two years since the divorce. Nolan selected a bottle of sparkling lemon water.

Crossing through the living room en route to his office, something caught his attention. He didn't know exactly what, but his subconscious had alerted him something was amiss. He took four steps backward until in the middle of the room and looked around. Television, furniture, bookshelves - all normal.

Then he caught a flash of movement through the window in his backyard. He looked out and was stunned to see a body floating in the middle of his pool. His thoughts ran something like this over the span of the next two seconds: It's a woman, a young woman, who's dead, maybe one of the neighbors, did she sneak in last night with a boyfriend and drown, this will look bad, how do I deal with this, do I call the cops first or check on her, and wait...she's naked!...yes, definitely something went bad, but she's moving her arms...

Nolan immediately chastised himself for letting his imagination go wild. Still, he hadn't seen another person in his pool since his daughter had come down to visit three months ago, and certainly never someone who hadn't been invited.

His brain circled back to the pertinent details. Girl, naked, in his pool. He looked closer. Change that - very attractive young woman, naked, in his pool. Why? Was she one of the neighbors? Carefully, afraid of being seen despite this being his own house and property, he moved closer to the window to get a better look. It was hard to tell with the woman being on her back, but he didn't think he recognized her as being one of the neighbors. None of his other neighbors looked anything like this woman, though. A friend of the neighbor girls, then? He gave the rest of his backyard - the outdoor kitchen and patio, the shower, the furnishings surrounding the pool and hot tub - a thorough review and saw no one else. All he found were the discarded pieces of a red bikini on the stones.

Nolan knew the neighbor girls' pool had been drained a few months ago, probably due to a leak or other mechanical issue. Had one of them gotten a wild hair and decided to borrow his while she thought he was out? He was only slightly annoyed at the notion. He'd prefer they ask. He'd probably even let them use it, if not for the fear they might bring friends or leave a mess.

One girl, alone. Why naked? Was she a thrill seeker? Maybe she'd seen him and was hoping to get caught, thinking it might lead to something. He worked hard to keep his forty-something figure in good shape, but that seemed like wishful thinking. The girls were half his age, similar to his own daughter.

What should he do now? He didn't want to startle her. Honestly, he preferred she not even know he was there. There was something to watching another person when they didn't know they were being watched. Something honest, true in the act of voyeurism. And a little dirty, he conceded. But, it was his pool she was swimming in. It wasn't like he was peeking over the fence into the neighbor's yard.

If she'd snuck in through the gate, then she would have seen an empty driveway now occupied. That would scare the hell out of her, and maybe keep her from ever coming back again. Without having decided how he wanted to handle this, he was certain he wanted this mystery girl to feel comfortable coming back again.

He took one more look at the beauty floating on her back, tits to the sky and serene like an angel, and then quietly slipped back out front. He quickly drove his Jeep into the garage and closed it up, confident that she wouldn't heard the garage door from the pool.

Nervous and giddy like a teenage boy seeing his first naked woman, Nolan hurried back to the rear window, hoping she was still there.

 

[SeraphNocturne]

She hadn't noticed in the slightest the sound of the Jeep pulling into the drive, with her ears submerged in the cool crystalline waters as she slowly drifted across the pool. Lost in her serenity, she let her arms lazily rise and fall at her sides to slowly propel her across the pool, and when she finally reached the end, she flipped over backwards and disappeared entirely, exploring the depths of the pool. She always sought to be mannerly, and thought that the next time she thought to take a dip, she would introduce herself to her neighbor when he was home and ask him formally if he minded her using his pool while she waited for her own to become available.

There was something about doing something you knew that you shouldn't that was ever so exciting. No, there wasn't really a threat of being spotted here. She put a substantial amount of faith in being told the owner of the pool wouldn't likely be home until the sun set, and with the high fences she surmised he enjoyed his privacy. The dark wooden structure was far too tall for any peeping-toms to get any sort of satisfaction at her swimming naked in broad daylight, but still, the feeling of being entirely nude and basking beneath the sun was a gloriously exciting one.

She didn't stay down for too long, despite being able to hold her breath for quite some time, resurfacing to bob center pool for a few moments, her dark hair seeming all the longer weighted down with water. She threaded with a smile to the edge of the pool, crossing her arms to rest her chin upon them and enjoy the warmth of the sun and the cool of the water. She gazed curiously toward the windows lining the back of the pretty house, not being able to see much inside of the home other than dark drapes and vague shapes of furniture and fixtures upon the wall. Ellie didn't keep her eyes there for long. It might have been inappropriate enough that she was borrowing her neighbors pool without permission, looking through his windows while he wasn't home was entirely rude. Deciding she'd best not waste her time, she pushed off from the edge of the pool, turning to begin to swim languid laps across the way in an elegant form of freestyle.

She swam perhaps for forty minutes or so, taking occasional breaks to twist onto her back once more, soft brown nipples hardened from the chill of cool air brushing over her bare body as she drifted. When she finally moved to the stairs near the small basketball net, she climbed from the pool and sat along the edge, admiring the landscaping and fountain accents adjacent to her, recycling and filtering the water in the pool. She felt thoroughly relaxed and ever so slightly drowsy, though quickly surveying the remainder of the area--the cute little bar and patio furniture, she realized that her neighbor did not have much in the way of lounge chairs and so opted it probably smart not to linger for too long.

With a coy smile upon her full, pink lips, she slowly stood and stretched her arms over her head, a tickle in the back of her mind inspiring her to glance over her shoulder back toward the dark windows in curiosity. There wasn't much shaking the feeling of being watched. She chuckled to herself softly and convinced herself that she was simply imagining things as she moved to fetch the skimpy red bikini, slipping it back on, and quietly moving back toward the gate to disappear into the space between their homes once again.

~ ~ ~​

Ellie had been warned, but she truly realized their neighbor was impossibly difficult to catch after being there almost two weeks. He left early, and sometimes his Jeep was not parked in his front drive but in his garage so he went directly from home, to car, not giving her much time to introduce herself at all. She had happened to be on her way back from a day at the beach with one of the other girls who she roomed with one afternoon when she caught him on his way out, perhaps having forgotten something or just swinging by to have lunch at home for once, and offered him a pleasant smile and sweet wave but didn't think it polite to stop him in backing out of his drive way.

He seemed busy. He looked to be a little older and she admitted to herself easily that he was rather handsome despite being so illusive. She found herself keeping an ample eye out for the Mrs. but realized no such a person seemed to exist... not even a girlfriend from her 'spying'. She knew women, and no woman dating a man would fail to show at his house after he came home for several days in a row. She sorely wished to ask him to use his pool, but finding no time to do so and seeing little harm done in borrowing it while he was away, she swam almost every other day her first week and a half there at the quaint little pool next door.

When she was finished, she tried to leave things things just as they had been, and tried to make sure she was gone with the sun still shining to dry the trail of wet footprints leading out to the alley between their homes. She often forgot to bring along a towel, and more often than not stripped out of her bikini to enjoy the cool water upon her naked body shamelessly. One on occasion she recalled leaving a pair of her sandals there to come back and find them exactly where they had been the next day. Ellie scolded herself for being so careless and made certain it didn't happen again.

She fantasized every now and then about the handsome neighbor coming home one day to find her drifting in the pool or lazing about his hot-tub, stark naked and deviously in the wrong, letting her imagination run away with those lascivious thoughts of what might happen afterwards. She wondered if he had a security camera, and had happened to notice her in here by now, though the fact that she had yet to be approached or even encounter him long enough to get his name suggested otherwise. In all honesty she'd never been much good dating men her own age, and she had a habit of being a little airy, dismissive and at times awkwardly unable to get past a first date. She dedicated most of her time to making sure she made it through college... paying back her student loans was going to be upon her sooner rather than later and she would have much rather been on her way to paying them back and settling into a career rather than still struggling through college because she'd spent too much time slacking off with boys.

When she didn't swim she lay out by their own covered pool to bask in the sun, and easier keep an ear out for her neighbor pulling into the drive, like she had been today. The small light blue crop-top was snug over her chest, the low cut neckline offering a glimpse of perky cleavage. It had only taken a few days in the sun for her skin to take on on a gorgeous burnt-sugar glow. She wore a set of navy blue and white bikini bottoms, with a small beach-cover wrapped at her waist, eyes lazily scanning the pages of Jane Eyre, a book she had read at least a dozen times since highschool.

 

[WatchingCloud]

Nolan was pleased to find his trespasser still there after he moved his Jeep. He was doubly pleased when she made another appearance two days later. And again after that.

While watching the young woman, he was able draw a few conclusions. For starters, she most definitely had moved in next door, which all but confirmed his suspicion that she was a college student. Second, beyond any shadow of a doubt, she was comfortable in the nude. No one could go skinny dipping in someone else's pool in broad daylight and look so relaxed without being utterly comfortable in her own skin. And, lastly, he found himself becoming consumed with her - not just for her appearance, but that undefinable character trait that was hinted at beneath.

Work had allowed him to stay at home for most of that first week, so Nolan was pretty certain he hadn't missed any of her appearances. She usually arrived in the early or mid afternoon and would stay for an hour or two - swimming, floating, or sunning. He especially enjoyed watching when she got out of the pool, for it afforded him the best view of her remarkable body - lean, elegant curves, firm breasts that swayed fetchingly when she walked. He couldn't quite peg her ethnicity, but there was a hint of something that gave her unique features between her dark hair and skin that tanned beautifully under the California sun. He thought she had a spray of freckles here and there, but that would require a closer inspection to be certain.

Several days later, he'd seen her out front when backing out of the driveway. Their eyes met and they shared a quick smile and wave. He desperately sought any recognition, a hint of secret admission to her motives, but at a distance and while driving, he couldn't tell anything beyond what a wonderful smile she had.

Watching became both a pleasure and a source of frustration for him. The pleasurable bit was obvious and his cock responded accordingly. The frustration was wondering what to do about her. The more he watched, the more his desire to connect with her grew. He considered dozens of ways to introduce himself, between just meeting her out front, safely clothed, to popping out back when she was naked and exposed. He didn't know if she would accept knowing he was watching or if she would vanish for good, mortified at the thought of being watched by an older guy.

Not that he was old. Just...older than her. He knew he still had his looks and even some girls her age gave him more than a once over at the gym. Then there was the fact she kept coming back. Was she hoping he'd catch her?

Then one day she left her sandals behind. He stared at those sandals long after she left, wondering if she would return to claim them. Had that been intentional, to let him know someone had been making secret visits during the day? Was she trying to get caught? The idea made his heart patter. Or had it been a simple oversight and he risked losing it all by acting on it? Should he move them subtly?

In the end, indecisive, he left them. They were gone the next day.

Work took him to Las Vegas for a couple days. Before leaving, he briefly toyed with the idea of installing a hidden camera. It was his property, but there might be legal issues if she found out and could prove he'd done it intentionally to film her. He had developed a sort of respect for her, ultimately, and didn't feel comfortable recording. He hadn't even taken any pictures. Those two days away, however, left him frequently lamenting his conscience, as he was obsessed with wondering if he was missing her visits.

On his first day back in San Diego, Nolan took a rare opportunity to sleep in. Late morning required a bit of email work, after which he was finally about to get out for his daily run. Usually, his routine included stretching and running at or before the crack of dawn, so running in the noon time sun was out of the norm.

With the sun beating down already, he left his shirt at home and hit the streets in just his black running shorts. He cast a glance at the neighbors' house both as he left and when he returned, but it was silent at this time of day. The girls were probably all at class, though he wondered about his trespasser. It was getting close to the time of afternoon when she occasionally appeared.

Was she in his backyard now? He was intrigued at the possibility. Was today the day he finally did something about it?

Before he could talk himself out of it, he went to the side gate and let himself into the backyard. He peered around the corner and was disappointed to find his backyard empty. Oh well. Maybe it was a sign.

Most mornings, after his run, he used the outdoor shower. It was open to the backyard, up against the house, and anyone back there could see him clearly. With the fence, however, and the early hour, he'd never been concerned with anyone seeing him naked. He didn't usually do it during the daylight hours, however, despite the privacy.

Perhaps inspired by the carefree attitude of his trespasser, he decided to stick with his morning routine. He kicked out of his shoes and shed his shorts, exposing his cock to the cool breeze and hot sun. It felt nice, liberating. Why had he avoided this during daylight for so long? Oh, right - the ex and her painful prudishness probably had a lot to do with that. He took joy in thumbing his nose at the lingering pall she'd cast over this place.

He turned on the water and stepped under the spray, washing the hard-earned sweat away. As he washed, his imagination wandered. What would the neighbor think if she walked in on him like this? He was amused at the range of possible reactions.

His cock, too, had some thoughts on the matter. He couldn't help reaching down to give himself a quick tug as his mind pictured the woman floating on her back in the middle of his pool, not twenty feet away.

 

[SeraphNocturne]

The sound of footsteps almost escaped her, and if she lay out in the sun for just a little while longer she would have wound up dozing off. Ellie closed the book gently upon her lap never the less, the quiet echo of footsteps dying down, the familiar shifting and swing of the next door neighbor's back door gate curling a wonderful smile upon her lips. She was up in a matter of moments, moving to the lounge chair she'd since moved aside their own gate, climbing atop to peer tentatively over the fence in the hopes of greeting her neighbor and perhaps introducing herself, at long last. She was met very suddenly with an eye-full of well toned, disrobing piece of man, very nearly falling off of the chair with how quickly she ducked back down.

His back had been to her, so he certainly hadn't seen her. She covered her mouth gently, eyes wide and smothering down a chortle at the fact that she'd very nearly peeped on her neighbor... well, it was certainly a fond thought in a sense that she wasn't the only person in the world today insane enough to strip down to bare flesh and roam in privacy in the nude. In a totally public place, that was something much different... though Nolan's assumptions had indeed been true, and she was more than comfortable with her naked body, from tip to toe and all the blemishes and imperfections in between. Oh Jesus, that was close! Wow--w-well... at least he's home! I should go ring the doorbell once he goes inside... I... ah.. I wonder what he's doing? Maybe he enjoys skinny dipping too? It is his pool after all.

She shouldn't look. Oh, she really shouldn't. She tugged that plump bottom lip between her teeth, removing a bit of the darker nude matte lipstick which contrast well with the bronzed glow her skin had taken from days in the warm spring sun. Pressing her lips together, she decided to look, just once more, and slowly rose to stand, moving to the tips of her toes to peer over the fence carefully knowing well she was risking being spotted at any moment. He'd stripped down, and moved to the shower she often forgot was there in her excitement to hop in the pool. She made certain to do so before she even came outside, in her own shower, as to not drag any perfumes, scents or unsavory things into the clear blue water of her neighbors pool.

And there he stood, naked in the sun, quite a fine specimen of the male race. She knew he was older, she could tell--maybe even old enough to be her father, but looking at him now, it certainly didn't stop her from realizing fully that the man saw smoking fucking hot in a way she felt only an older man could be. No, he wasn't "old"... just older than her. Her cheeks burned ever so slightly as she watched him rinse away the beads of sweat, taking in the items discarded to realize he'd been running. Did he run often, she wondered? She hadn't even thought about easing back into her workout routine, so uprooted and jostled around different rooms this semester.

She wondered very much so if he was going to go for a swim, and found herself wanting to keep watching--perhaps she'd be daring, and do something entirely spontaneous and interrupt him once he was in the pool, naked, just to see how he might respond. Perhaps he'd even ask her to join him, that would surely be an introduction. She tried not to let herself become too fond of the idea, knowing deep down the butterflies twisting and churning in her stomach would never allow her to be so bold... no. Part of her prayed he might dry himself off and head back inside, and once the coast was clear, she'd invite herself over once again and see where things went from there.

The longer she watched the more she realized where things were going, the way his hands swept downward--and just out of view from her angle too. How disappointing. She had certainly enjoyed admiring the great shape he kept himself in, and found herself curious as to what he was working with between those shapely thighs. Deciding she'd best quit before she was ahead, her heart thumping anxiously in her chest, Ellie slowly dropped down from her peeping position and sunk down to sit, unable to shake the giddy smile curled over her lips.

Why on earth was she contemplating doing something so naughty as to go skinny dipping in his pool knowing he was home? It sounded like the plot-line of a really bad adult movie, and this certainly drew a soft, school-girlish giggle from her lips. Ellie brushed the wavy length of dark brown hair away from her eyes and sat down aside the fence, listening out for Nolan to turn the water off and head inside. Just go knock on the door when he goes inside and introduce yourself, like a normal person... She made herself no promises.

 

[WatchingCloud]

Nolan hefted his cock, almost fully engorged, as he pictured the neighbor girl walking into his yard, stark naked. It didn't take much imagination, having seen it several times now. In his mind's eye, she walked in around from the side gate, each step smooth and confident, her bearing completely at ease. She caught him watching and merely smiled back, easing into the cool water step by step until her breasts disappeared and she dove under.

It was a silly fantasy, thinking a pretty young thing like her would ever do that in front of him. Wasn't it? He still couldn't get past the very fact she had been swimming and sunning nude with some regularity...in his yard.

Nolan was ready to give himself a bit of relief, lost in the fantasy, but he suddenly felt self-conscious, an overwhelming sense of being watched. He looked around the backyard for anything amiss, particularly from the direction of the neighbors' house, but saw nothing. Just his imagination. Probably nervous that she would pick this time, with him jerking off, to let herself into his yard. That would go over well.

Unable to completely shake the feeling, he lost his edge and let the moment pass. He rinsed his hair once more, shut off the water, and snagged a towel from the cabinet under the patio. Even while drying off, the pool tempted him. The girl certainly had the right idea about how to spend a nice afternoon.

Unfortunately, Nolan did have a few work things to finish before business hours ended. He let himself inside and went to the bedroom in search of fresh athletic shorts. At least his work this afternoon was business casual to the extreme. Maybe, if he was lucky, his trespasser would make another appearance and he could finish what he'd started.

Or something else? He'd been giving it some thought and an idea had formed in the back of his mind. Something he might do if and when she returned. There was some risk, but there was also some potential for reward. It was that reward that tempted him. After all the crap over the last few years, he increasingly felt due for things to fall his way for once.