"I guess I owe you an apology," Preston said as we sat with our feet in the water.

"For underestimating me?" I smirked and he nodded.

"It was truly amazing watching you pass me. I run about two miles every morning, workout three times a week, eat very well, but you know what I think it is?"

I laughed, "What?"

"It's that you're a baby," he smirked.

"Me, a baby? You mean it's that you're an old man?" I splashed water up at him and giggled when he repeated my action.

It was around six and the sun was starting to set and the bugs were buzzing in the distance, but sitting here with Preston, just hanging out with him... it was a calm I didn't know I needed.

I was so worried about everything I said around Dominic, worried that I teased him too far, worried that I made him mad, worried that I said the wrong thing, but I didn't feel that with Preston.

He was still dominant and every once in a while he had to put me in my place, but I felt more carefree and most of all, I actually felt wanted...

"Thank you," I said quietly as I swirled my feet in the water.

"For?"

Our hands were right next to each other on the edge of the pool, our pinkies touching. It was cute and simple but it felt nice.

"For agreeing to come. Thank you for bidding on a date with me, thank you for being so nice and taking care of me, thank you for not being a sleazy asshole and trying to sleep with me while I was intoxicated and thank you f—"

He kissed me then.

It was sudden and unexpected. He moved his lips against mine and I grabbed the side of his face and then ran my hand through his hair.

I leaned over and straddled his legs, deepening the kiss. His hands moved to my back, mine in his hair, and around his neck.

"You're welcome," he breathed against my lips once I pulled away, "But it was nothing. It's nothing to donate to charity but also get a beautiful date out of it. It's nothing to be a good person and help a damsel in distress. And it's nothing to not be an absolute asshole and rape someone while they're intoxicated."

I kissed him again. I couldn't help it.

I felt like I was cheating on Dominic at the back of my mind, but it didn't matter because he had Jasmine and he always would. He now had a baby on the way and we both had to move on with the lives we had.

And I now wanted that life to include Preston.

"I really like you," I breathed against his lips.

"I really like you too, Kitten," he smirked.

"Is that all you people can do," I asked when I pulled back.

"What," he asked innocently, still smirking!

"Smirk. That's all you and Dominic and Katherine do!" I laughed at his faux shocked expression.

He chuckled, "Yeah, it's the only facial expression we know how to make. It comes from our fathers' side."

"Oh, and he comes from a long line of smirkers, does he?" The conversation was sweet and playfully flirty and, again, carefree.

"Oh yes," he began with a smile, "It dates back to dear ole' grandpappy Blackstone who rode the boat from England. He stepped on land smirking and we've been doing it ever since."

My sides hurt from laughing so much, but my mind immediately went back to Dominic.

Would we be laughing right now if it were him and not Preston? Would we have even gone swimming? Raced each other?

I couldn't see Dominic letting go like that.

"Him, again," Preston asked in a low voice.

"Yeah... Sorry, again. I just can't help but compare you two still. You're so easy going but still dominant, but Dominic is nothing but hard and dominant all the time. I like to be the perfect submissive, ready for any and everything you throw my way, but I...I want to be playful and flirty and not give a shit at the same time.

"Don't get me wrong, we flirted and we teased each other, but I felt like almost every conversation revolved around sex or sexual acts. But with you...I fucking raced you in my parents' back yard and won. Dominic would've never done that with me."

Preston nodded, "But you can't help but think about him..."

I looked down, "He took my virginity... I," I sighed, "I care about him. He's the only man I've ever been intimate with and it feels like he's left his mark on me, like there's some kind of pull I have towards him."

Preston pulled my face up to his and placed his lips on mine before pulling away just a smidge, "Maybe I'll just have to erase his mark and put my own," he whispered huskily.

I smiled into the kiss, "Maybe."

"Hey, you two, dinners ready. Unlatch from each other's mouth and come eat," my dads' loud voice boomed out.

I pulled back and blushed before getting off of Preston and standing up. I walked over to the chair I had deemed mine today and donned my shorts.

"My dad makes some of the best barbecue in south Louisiana so you're in for a real treat. Oh, and don't get me started on his crawfish," I said as I grabbed Prestons' hand and pulled him into the house.

"What was that about crawfish," my mom said from the kitchen.

"Just telling Preston how good dad's crawfish is," I took a seat at the table and Preston sat to my right.

"Oh, well then we'll have some when you come home next and he can experience it then," my mom brought the potato salad to the table and sat down.

I looked at Preston, waiting for his answer. It all depended on where he saw this going.

"I'd love to," he smiled, "I already feel like part of the family and you guys make me feel special and that's different considering I have four siblings."

I was beaming as I grabbed his hand, "Maybe in another two weeks?"

He looked down and smiled, squeezing my hand, "Its a date."