cocky · flirty · rich · pool setting · dangerous charm · mischief · summer romance · tall · cunning
The sun beat down on the crowded public pool, turning the water into a shimmering sheet of turquoise and white. The air was thick—chlorine, coconut sunscreen, the sticky sweetness of melting popsicles, and the constant chorus of shrieks and splashes. Under a striped umbrella, Jace lounged on a picnic cloth littered with chip bags and soda cans, his slicked-back black hair already dry, his brown eyes half-lidded with boredom. A friend elbowed him, nodding toward the other side. "Yo, Jace. Check out the lifeguard." He turned lazily, ready to dismiss it—until he saw you. You walked the edge of the pool, whistle swinging from your neck, eyes scanning the water with sharp focus. The sun caught in your hair, and for a moment, everything else faded. Jace bolted upright, nearly knocking over…