"I can't believe our baby is all grown up!"

"Dad, stop!" Lexi swept her long, straightened, dark brown hair to the side and adjusted the collar of her new pink summer dress. The lines of gray, black, and other earth tones in her closet would likely expel the garment as soon as it made its way in later.

"Sweetie, how are you feeling? Are you sure you're ready? You know we would never push you into something you're not comfortable with." Lexi's mom Scarlett turned to face her from the front passenger's seat. The car was nearing Sky Residences and the closer they got to the tower lit starkly against the night sky, the more Lexi's stomach churned.

"She's going to crack. I just know it!"

"Aww, thanks, Cole. I must say giving up your Saturday night to sit in a car waiting for your little sister is definitely not loser status. I'm sure your friends would be so jealous." Lexi smiled playfully toward her older brother at the other passenger window.

"What can I say? I don't want to miss all the drama!" Cole smirked and Lexi smacked his arm. "Hey! That's very mature, Lex. Did you just turn twenty-one or twelve?"

Lexi rolled her eyes and turned to Scarlett. "Mom, to answer your question, I'm good. I'm excited, but also just want to get it over with." She turned back to face the window, hoping the passing pristine sidewalks and manicured lawns would give her some sense of ease with what she was about to do. Taking in a deep breath, she reached behind her neck to undo and retie the strands of her black string bikini and adjusted it underneath her dress.

"Who would've thought La Cienega would be quicker than Fairfax? These streets tonight make no sense." Her dad Jason, who seemed to believe he was smarter than Google Maps, pulled over to the curb about a block from the apartment building and turned to face her. "Do you have everything you need, Lex?"

"Yes, I think so."

"Camera?"

"Yes."

"Cell phone?"

"Yes, I have everything. We went over all this back at the house."

"Okay just making sure, hun." Jason beamed back at her with his round eyes and bared his pearly whites. He still looked young for his age despite his salt-and-pepper hair. "One last question, do you remember what to do if you get stuck?"

Lexi sucked in a breath, held it for about two seconds, and then released. "Send a text. And if I can't send a text, just come back to the car."

Jason continued to glow at his only daughter while Lexi wondered if she'd even make it to the rooftop. Scarlett reached out and clasped Lexi's hand. "Take all the time you need, Lex Bex." She paused and her glossy lips moved to the side before continuing. "But, not too long because we have church in the morning and need to go to bed at a somewhat reasonable hour."

"Mom, it's already almost midnight."

"Yes, and we all need our beauty sleep! Anyways, just remember to stick out the assets God has blessed us with as much as possible when talking to him." She placed her hand over the middle of her chest. "Oh, especially the chest area. Men love the chest area."

"Your mother does have a great chest area, so I can confirm this."

"Oh my God!" and something to the effect of "My ears are bleeding," were spoken over each other by Lexi and Cole.

"Okay kids, settle down. Sex between your father and I is a beautiful, natural, and wonderful thing."

"Oh, my God! Please, please stop. You don't have to go there! Can I please go now?"

"Not yet! Everyone put your hands in the middle. Let's say a quick prayer for Lexi girl before we send her off!" Scarlett flipped back her light brown hair before pointing her French nails over the center console.

Lexi nodded and took her French-tipped fingers next to her mothers. She needed all the prayers she could get. Scarlett turned to her husband. "Jason? Would you do the honors?"

Jason clasped his large hand over the three other hands resting on the center console. "God, please be with Lexi tonight. Give her wisdom and confidence for her first time. Amen!"

"Amen!" Scarlett flung her hand up as if they were just doing a team chant and the ending was, "Goooo Lexi!"

"Thanks, guys for coming along and cheering me on. I'll hopefully see you back here very soon."

"We have no doubt!" Jason said as Lexi opened the car door and the warm summer night breeze swept past her.

"I mean, maybe a little doubt," was all Lexi could hear from her brother in the back seat as she quickly shut the door behind her and slung her purse over her shoulder. She stuck out her tongue at him before giving her parents a quick wave.

I can do this. I want this. I have to start somewhere.

It took about two minutes to make it to the base of the building. While the air in Chicago was slightly hot and humid that evening, chills still erupted along her skin at the sight of the large glass doors and the key card entry right next to it. She straightened her back and shuffled through her purse for the key card she had programmed earlier that day.

Grazing the card against the black box forced a small red light to turn on. Her stomach dropped. She tried the door. No luck. God, please let this work.

She tried again. Nothing. Oh no, oh no! I thought for sure it would work. She pressed her forehead against the glass and the marbled, beige lobby was void of any life this late in the evening. She had hoped to at least see the building's security guard. Perhaps she could have convinced him to let her in. She slid her hands down the glass. "Whyyyyy?" she lamented aloud. "I didn't even get a chance to start!"

"Here, let me help you."

"Ahh!" Lexi involuntarily let out, while turning and spotting a man behind her. She gasped as soon as she recognized him under the dim spotlights of the entrance. Oh, my God. It's him!

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," the man said in a deep voice. He lifted his arms slightly as if to indicate he meant no harm.

Lexi's mouth stayed open as she took in the medium-built man before her. His dark blonde, short hair was slightly disheveled and his dark green workout shirt clung to noticeably muscular arms. Wow. He is way hotter than his photo. This can't be him. She glanced down at the gym duffel bag he was carrying and "Miller" was stitched along the side. Greg Miller. You're going to fall in love with me tonight. She bit her bottom lip and accidentally dropped her key card while staring at his arms. Well, let's hope so if I can pull this off. "Um, sorry, no you're all good. My keycard just decided to stop working for some reason."

"Here, I got it," Greg said as he skimmed his key card against the terminal. A small lime green light illuminated and a clicking sound indicated the doors were ready to be pushed open.

Lexi giggled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Um, thanks so much. I would've been stuck out here all night if it wasn't for you."

"No problem," he said before clearing his throat and opening the door for her. They both made their way to the elevators, with Lexi swaying her hips a little extra in the process and waited in silence for the carriage to arrive.

As soon as the doors slid open, the deep voice that seemed to be sending her nerves into overdrive reached her ears. "So, what floor should I hit?"

"Pool deck, please." She smiled and re-tucked the strand of hair that had shifted.

"Oh, okay. What a coincidence, I'm going there myself." He hit the top button for the rooftop and then selected level fourteen as well.

"Oh?" she asked sweetly and wondered why it was always the gorgeous ones that turned out to be douchebags.

"Yeah, but I have to stop to get changed into my swim trunks."

Lexi simply giggled in response and looked down. Am I doing it right? Is this flirting?

"I've never seen you around here before. Are you new to the building?"

"Yes." Lexi smiled and looked back down. The whir of the elevator was all that could be heard between them. Oh God, say something else, Lex. Anything! "The weather is pretty nice tonight for a swim, no?"

The man smiled and creases formed along his cheeks. The elevator dinged indicating they'd reached the fourteenth floor. "See you up there."

"Bye," was all Lexi managed to let out. As soon as the sliding doors shut she let out a long breath. "Oh my God, get it together, Lex. Okay, he's hot. What else did you expect?" She began pacing the space and as soon as the doors opened to the pool deck, she took in a deep breath. "Focus, girl! You got this."

She strode under the Edison bulbs that lined the entrance canopy and past the lounge chairs beside the slightly steaming pool. A young couple was swimming but she knew this would be a potential variable. She settled her purse on the far end next to the hot tub and got to work. Along the bushes facing the hot tub, she subtly tucked in her camera and hit record, adjusting it so that some leaves would cover the red light. She quickly sent a text to her family's group chat.

Lexi: Made it in and made initial contact with target.

Streams of celebratory emojis made their way into the chat. While her parents had texted that the hardest part was done, Lexi knew that was far from true. Of course the most sociable people on the planet would think flirting with a complete stranger was a walk in the park.

Lexi quickly stripped off her pink dress and adjusted the small triangles holding in her ample breasts. As soon as she dipped her toe into the hot tub, her peripherals alerted her that Greg had made his way up. She casually walked back to the lounge chair and brought out a book from her purse. As she was turning around she heard a small splashing sound coming from the hot tub. Greg had settled himself within the water and his tan, muscular back was silhouetted against the rising mist. Oh, shit, shit, shit. His back is to the camera.

Without even thinking, Lexi set the book down, made her way to the hot tub, and cleared her throat. "Um, sorry, you took my spot."

Greg tilted his head up at her, and she instantly regretted what she just let out of her mouth. He smirked and slid to the other side. She shifted on her feet and mentally scolded herself. Great way to win him over, Lex! "Sorry, I know that's weird of me to say. I just really like that spot."

"No, all good. I didn't like that spot anyway." He ran his hand through his hair, wetting it down in the process, and it took everything in Lexi not to just stand there staring at him. She smiled and used the railing to lower herself very slowly into the hot water, leaning slightly forward in the process.

As she was settling into her seat, Greg stole a glance at her chest and Lexi tried to hold in her smile. Wait, is this actually working?

"So, do you have a habit of sneaking into apartment buildings you don't live in?"

Lexi laughed. "Damn. I thought I was being so cool about it. I will say this is the best pool in the area. How'd you know I don't live here?"

Greg smiled and shrugged. "I figured with the lost look on your face. Also, your key card is a different color. You could start by finding one that at least looked similar."

Lexi laughed. "Are you going to turn me in?" she asked in her most seductive voice possible and the smile on Greg's cheeks widened. Okay, this really isn't as hard as I thought it would be.

"Maybe." The uncontrollable smiles were mirrored between them.

This is kind of fun actually. "I'm Hannah, by the way."

"Tom. Nice to meet you." He brought up his hand to shake hers.

Ahh, I see we're both using fake names tonight. Classic cheater. Yet her thoughts instantly dropped as soon as she slipped her hand into his and a surge of heat zipped through her. They shook for a moment and she was the first to break contact settling her arm back down beside her.

"So, what I can't figure out is how you thought you would get in. It's pretty late to be waiting for someone to let you in," Greg (aka Tom) said before crossing an arm over his chest and running some water on his shoulder.

Lexi giggled and shrugged. "Well, I guess I was lucky then, to have you come when you did. But I must say, I'm a bit concerned about the building's security. I hear tenants just let strangers in willy-nilly." Did I just say willy-nilly out loud?

Greg gave a deep, reverberating laugh. For some odd reason, it gave Lexi a brief wave of satisfaction. He shook his head and his blue eyes pierced her brown ones. "I guess we're both guilty then." He looked down before meeting Lexi's gaze again. "And I guess I couldn't help myself when a beautiful woman requires assistance."

There it is. The lying, cheating, scumbag. Such a shame. A part of her hoped it wasn't true. She had hoped she could be someone else for a night and find out this gorgeous man before her was a decent human being. But alas, the world didn't work like that. If her family's private practice taught her anything, it was that things weren't always what they seemed to be and people would always disappoint you. Now I just need to prove it.

Lexi placed a hand over her mouth, pretending his words had just evoked a pink sweep over her cheeks. "Well, I'm glad you were the one that helped me out." She shifted and placed a hand behind her neck. "Do you think you can help me with my bikini top? It somehow keeps coming undone."

Greg sucked in his firm lips and nodded. He took in a deep breath through his nostrils and shifted in his seat as she approached him through the rising steam. She held on to the two straps she had just undone and turned her back to him.

Waves of electricity shot through her as soon as he grabbed the straps and his fingers began grazing the nape of her neck. Stop it, Lex. He's a cheater. Don't go there. He took his time tying the knot, which only intensified the feeling in the pit of her stomach. Yet nothing could have prepared her for the strikes of heat that emerged when Greg ran a hand slowly down her back to the tie that was around her rib cage. She unintentionally shifted herself back into him.

"I hope this isn't too forward," he started in a whisper, his warm breath touching her ear before continuing, "but I have to say, you're so damn beautiful." She quietly gasped and turned to face him as his hands moved lower down her waist. He wordlessly pressed her forward to be in a straddled position over him and she complied by wrapping her legs around his waist.

Her heart was now clanging against her chest and she hoped her rapid breaths didn't showcase her inexperience. She knew she had captured all the content she needed, but something about this man's lips was begging to be tasted. It was like they were complex codes that Lexi needed to figure out. And staying late at work was just the price to pay for solving the case.

Up close, his brilliant blue eyes were even more enchanting than Lexi had thought. They briefly glanced down at her lips before meeting her eyes again. "Can I kiss you?" Greg whispered softly.

The question took her breath away. All she managed to do was nod in reply. Before she knew it, his soft lips met hers and his hands fiddled with the knot on her back. Their mouths moved in unison as she placed her hands on the sides of his face, water splashing in the process.

They kissed in between rapid breaths and the heat from the water only deepened the humming that ran through her. His large hands moved up and down her back and for a moment, Lexi silently pleaded for him to undo the black strands. His hands continued to slide up and down her skin gently, in and out of the water, and hardness formed under her.

She leaned in and let out a nearly inaudible moan as his hands traveled down and grasped onto her bottom cheeks. He gave them a firm squeeze, igniting more nerve endings, and continued to rampage her lips with his mouth. Yet as quickly as it happened, Greg removed his hands and placed them down beside him, breaking contact from her lips in the process. "We should slow down. We don't even know each other," he said breathlessly.

"I don't care," Lexi responded and landed her lips back on his. He reciprocated the movements of her mouth, but with slightly more urgency, which forced Lexi to let out another moan. She tightened her legs around him, desperate to get even closer.

"No, sorry. Stop. We shouldn't be doing this. There are people here and we really don't know each other." The words hung in the air and they slowly tore away the cloak that was hanging over Lexi's mind. She gulped and quickly pushed herself back to the other side of the hot tub.

Oh my God. Why did I let it go so far? It was just supposed to be getting his number, not a full-on make-out session! She forced her breathing back to a level of normalcy and tried looking anywhere but at the man before her who was now standing up and moving towards her.

"Sorry, I-" he started but was cut off by an unfamiliar voice coming from beside the hot tub.

"Hey, bro! Looks like you started the party without me."

Lexi jumped and turned to the source of the stranger's voice. Her mouth fell open upon seeing a replica of the man she had just kissed senselessly.

"Are you going to introduce me to your new friend, Tom?" The replica man's greasy, gelled-back hair reflected the blue of the water beside him as he glanced down at them with a skin-crawling smile.

It took a moment for the words to register, but once they did, Lexi knew she wouldn't ever be able to live this one down. "Yeah, um, Greg this is Hannah. Hannah this is my twin brother, Greg."

***

Eek! The first chapter is out! What do we think? Are we into it? Let me know all the thoughts. Thanks for reading, voting, and commenting!