Chapter 448: The Pool Was a Better Idea
Moving the couch cushions outside took longer than it should have because Lingyun kept trying to help.
Yuche had put him on one of the padded loungers beneath the umbrella, wrapped a towel around his shoulders, and told him not to move. Lingyun waited until Yuche turned toward the house before reaching for the nearest cushion.
His fingers barely touched it before a thin strip of metal wrapped around his wrist and attached itself to the arm of the chair.
Lingyun looked down at it.
Yuche kept walking.
I approved of his methods.
Chenghai carried two cushions under one arm and me under the other, which seemed unnecessary until my legs reminded me what we had done over the last few days. I let him place me on the wide outdoor sofa near the pool and stretch my legs across the cushions.
Zhenlan came out behind us with drinks, snacks, and his book tucked beneath one arm.
Of course he brought the book.
He set everything on the table, then stood over me until I moved my legs enough for him to sit. The moment he lowered himself beside me, I put them back across his lap.
His hand closed around my ankle.
Much better.
The afternoon heat had warmed the stone patio, but the section beneath the umbrella stayed comfortable. My plants crowded the edges of the yard, leaves turned away from the strongest sun while their roots drank whatever water remained from the storm.
The pool looked clean.
That was mostly because the plants had eaten every leaf, insect, and unlucky animal that fell too close to the edge.
I chose not to think about where the bones went.
Chenghai removed his shirt near the patio doors.
I thought about that instead.
He caught me looking as he folded it over the back of a chair. The scars across his chest were still visible, along with a faint red mark near his shoulder that I might have left on the porch.
He didn’t hide it.
Zhenlan’s thumb moved over my ankle. I looked toward him and found his eyes on the same mark.
Neither man said anything.
Chenghai walked to the pool and dove in.
Water splashed over the edge and darkened the stone around him. He surfaced near the middle, pushed his hair away from his face, then looked directly at me.
Apparently, that was an invitation.
I looked down at my clothes. "I’m not wearing a bathing suit."
"You weren’t wearing one in the creek," Lingyun pointed out from beneath the umbrella.
Yuche came back outside carrying another tray. He pressed one finger against the metal around Lingyun’s wrist, tightening it enough that Lingyun stopped helping.
I stood carefully.
Zhenlan’s hand moved to my waist before my legs finished deciding whether they worked. He helped me pull off my tank top and shorts, leaving me in a plain black bra and underwear.
Good enough.
I stepped toward the pool.
Chenghai moved closer to the edge.
"You’re not throwing me in."
He placed both hands on the stone. "I know."
I didn’t trust the calm look on his face.
Zhenlan stayed behind me with one hand at my back while I sat on the edge and lowered my feet into the water. It was warmer than the lake and considerably warmer than the creek, which raised the pool above both of Chenghai’s water choices.
I slid in slowly.
Chenghai caught me around the waist before my feet reached the bottom. The water only came to my chest where we stood, but he lifted me anyway and pulled my legs around his hips.
The man had developed a carrying problem.
I rested my arms over his shoulders and let him move us away from the edge.
Zhenlan removed his shirt, placed his book somewhere dry, and entered by the steps. He walked through the water toward us, then stopped close enough that his hand could settle against my back.
I ended up between them without planning it.
Chenghai held most of my weight while Zhenlan’s fingers moved along my spine. The sun warmed my shoulders, and cool water moved around the rest of me whenever Chenghai shifted.
This was much easier than swimming.
I let my head fall back against Zhenlan’s chest while my legs remained around Chenghai.
From the lounger, Lingyun made a long, miserable sound.
I lifted my head. "What?"
"You’re all in the pool without me."
"You have injured ribs."
"I can sit in the shallow end."
"You can sit where Yuche put you."
Lingyun looked toward Yuche.
Yuche had taken the chair beside him and was cutting fruit into a bowl. He didn’t appear moved by the suffering happening two feet away.
Lingyun tried a different approach. "I’m hot."
Yuche handed him iced tea.
"I meant my entire body."
Yuche adjusted the umbrella so more shade covered him.
Lingyun drank the tea and gave up for almost a minute.
The baby vine appeared near the patio doors before he found something else to complain about. Both leaf-heads lifted toward the pool, mouths opening when they saw us inside.
I pointed at them. "No."
One head closed its mouth.
The other moved toward the water.
"You sink," I reminded it.
The vine stopped at the edge.
Lingyun leaned as far as the metal restraint allowed and held out a piece of fruit. Both heads immediately turned toward him.
Yuche took the fruit from his fingers and ate it.
Lingyun stared at him.
I laughed hard enough that Chenghai had to tighten his arms around me.
Zhenlan’s chest moved against my back. His mouth brushed my shoulder before he pushed away from the bottom and carried both of us into deeper water with a small current of wind.
Chenghai followed.
For a while, they moved me between them like I weighed nothing. Chenghai pulled me across the pool, then Zhenlan took my waist and let the wind carry us back. I barely moved my arms.
This was the kind of exercise I supported.
Eventually, Chenghai settled against the wall near the deep end. I rested against him with my arms spread along the stone while Zhenlan stood between my legs.
His hands moved up my thighs beneath the water.
I looked toward the patio.
Yuche was feeding Lingyun pieces of fruit while pretending not to. The baby vine had curled beneath the lounger, waiting for something to fall. No one was paying attention to us.
Probably.
Zhenlan leaned closer and kissed me.
The water moved around his body when he pressed between my knees. Chenghai’s arm stayed across my stomach from behind, holding me against his chest while Zhenlan’s mouth moved slowly over mine.
I felt Chenghai’s lips against the side of my neck.
That was new.
My fingers tightened on Zhenlan’s shoulders while Chenghai’s hand spread over my stomach beneath the water. Neither man rushed. They stayed close, kissing and touching me until the heat had nothing to do with the sun.
Lingyun cleared his throat loudly from the patio.
Zhenlan lifted his head.
Yuche handed Lingyun another piece of fruit before he could say anything.
I smiled and pulled Zhenlan back down.
The pool had definitely been the better idea.