**Arena

I laid on a chaise lounge out on the patio, next to an oblong pool. I’d opened up Mateo’s shirt to get some sun on my skin, and was now laying topless, in my panties, on top of his shirt. It smelled like him, and that just made me more sad. I thought of tossing it in the water.

The sliding of the glass door caught my attention. “Miriam?” I asked, starting to tug Mateo’s shirt back over me.

“No.” Mateo’s familiar, velvet voice carried ...