Take a dip by Lacey Wallace Page A

warned his exuberant daughter.
    “You have a cute sister,” a voice murmured from above him.
    Adam tilted his head back and his breath caught in his throat. Sitting in the lifeguard’s chair was a man with windblown chestnut hair that stopped right below his ears. The bangs didn’t quite hide his smoky gray eyes, and his plump lips were curved in a smile. The sleek swimsuit he wore displayed a muscled torso. It was obvious that he worked out.
    Adam shook his head. It wasn’t the first time he had found himself admiring a guy’s appearance, but like all of the previous times, he would ignore it. He focused instead on the lifeguard’s statement. “Thanks, but she’s my daughter.”
    The lifeguard’s eyebrows rose as he looked down. “Really? She must be close to eight, and you can’t be older than twenty-five.”
    Adam frowned in annoyance. “Not that it’s any of your business, but she’s seven and I’m twenty-three.”
    The guard held up his hand in a placating gesture. “I meant no offense, seriously. My friends always tell me that my curiosity is my worst trait. I’m Mark and, since you told me your age, I’m twenty-one.”
    Adam was still a bit annoyed, but he realized Mark truly hadn’t meant to be offensive. “I’m Adam.”
    “What’s your daughter’s name?”
    “Denise. Her mother named her.” Adam couldn’t help the distaste in his voice when he said the word “mother.” Cynthia wasn’t anything like a real mother—not that his own was a shining example. They had both abandoned their children.
    Mark smiled and Adam felt something flutter in his stomach, but did his best to squash it down. “Denise is a beautiful name. How is your relationship with her mother? You don’t sound like you’re fond of her.”
    Adam eyed him suspiciously, but Mark’s expression was innocent. Of course, it could have been an act. “Your friends were right; you’re too curious.”
    “I’ll take that as, ‘Mind your own business’.”
    Smart decision. Adam nodded. “That would be for the best.” Mark smiled again and Adam found it sexy as hell. He resolutely ignored that thought. “You must be a university student.”
    Mark nodded and said, “Yeah, going for English with a minor in Business.”
    Adam shrugged and decided turnabout was fair play. “Dating anyone?” Adam acted as if the question were no big deal, while wondering why it even mattered.
    Mark smirked as if he had heard Adam’s thoughts. “No, I haven’t found the right man to go steady with yet.”
    Adam’s eyes widened as they locked gazes. Mark’s eyes were hungry as they roamed appreciatively over Adam’s shirtless body, and Adam felt himself burn up. “Y-You’re g-gay?” he managed to stutter out.
    Mark chuckled. “Yes, I am. What about you?”
    Adam quickly stood up. “I’m straight.” It was blunt, but he didn’t want to give Mark any ideas.
    Mark opened his mouth to respond, but a female lifeguard, the same one who had glared at Adam when he and Denise first arrived, came to take Mark’s place. Adam backed away to give the two of them some room. As she watched the pool, Mark turned around to climb down the chair. Adam couldn’t help but notice Mark’s very nice ass.
    He felt himself harden slightly and squeezed his eyes shut, thinking of unpleasant things to make his arousal go down. It took a while, but he finally succeeded. When his eyes opened, he was standing nose-to-nose with Mark. Despite being two years older, Adam was slightly shorter and felt a bit intimidated. He gulped, trying to dissolve the lump that had appeared in his throat.
    Mark’s eyes hungrily raked down Adam’s chest to his tanned stomach. “Are you sure you’re straight?” With that, Mark left Adam standing still as a statue, the question resonating in his head. Are you sure you’re straight? Are you sure you’re straight? Are you sure you’re straight?
    A squeal of “Daddy!” brought him back to the present time and place. He