A Matter of Heart Read Free Page B

face, though, because I’ve been watching him for two years now.
    I love that now he’s watching me too.
    A year ago, Connor was unattainable. I was a freshman and he was a junior. A talented, smart, gorgeous junior. Even Jen—who is usually immune to guys—was impressed. We didn’t see much of him because Connor swims for the Aqua Athletes club team, so he practices with them most mornings. During the high school season, from August to November, he competes for Horizon High, so he shows for one workout a week and comes to all the meets.
    Still. I couldn’t take my eyes off him right from the beginning. The guy is always laughing, always loose and relaxed. And when he swims—oh man. Watching him slide through the water with his muscles stretching and pulling is a beautiful sight. Connor was the fastest swimmer at Horizon last year, and I have a thing for speed. It turns out so does he.
    This year, at our opening meet in August, I finished first in the 100-yard free, and I anchored the 4 × 100 relay team that also took first. My points helped grab our school the win. Afterward, Connor came over to congratulate me. “Nice race,” he said.
    I managed a shrug. “Just getting warmed up for the season.”
    And then he smiled at me. A completely sexy smile thatknocked me flat. SS#1—that’s what Jen called it. Sexy Smile #1. From then on, it was a joke between us, and she started keeping count.
    After SS#7 (and another meet with two first places), he said I cut through the water like a shark. When I passed him in the hall at school the next Monday, he called me Fins for the first time. Then about a month ago, in combination with SS#22, he asked if I wanted to grab some pizza after swim practice. I ended up in his backseat that night.
    And here I am again.
    He gives me a slanted look. “It’s all good.” But then his shoulder lifts in a slight shrug. “Maybe it feels like I’m rushing things, but I’ve liked you for a long time.”
    “Liar.”
    He gives me a heavy-lidded look. “You swam at the club championships this past March up in Scottsdale.”
    “Yeah,” I say. “So?”
    “So you were wearing a purple and blue suit and you laid out your towel near the edge of a tree. I watched you braid your hair.”
    Heat floods through me. “You were watching? I didn’t see you.”
    “Your eyes were closed.”
    And I can picture it suddenly, the tree, my legs stretched out and thrumming with pre-race adrenaline. My eyes closed tight, visualizing the race while I braided my hair.
    Connor watching
.
    I turn liquid at the thought of it. My breath hitches and his gaze drops to my chest.
    Oh jeez
. I pull in air, but it feels like I’m underwater. Like I’ve gone deeper than I realized. I may not say yes, but Jen is right. It would be easy to
not
say no.
    “You have to stop looking at me that way,” I say.
    “What way?”
    “You know what way.”
    “Can’t help it.” He grins. “It’s biological.”
    I raise my eyebrows.
    “It’s true,” he says. “It’s the whole Darwin thing. Survival of the fittest.”
    “And we’re the fittest?”
    “Hell, yeah,” he says. “Who won the hundred free today?”
    “We did.”
    The grin widens. “You didn’t just win. You killed it.”
    Tingles race along my back at the memory of it. “You were amazing too. I can’t believe your time. Your lungs didn’t burn?”
    “Not even pneumonia can slow
me
down.” He trails a finger down my arm. “This is my senior year. It’s gotta be perfect, you know? Like we’re perfect together.” He slides back toward me. “You wouldn’t want to dis Darwin, would you?”
    “Darwin is biology,” I say. “I think what you’re talking about is chemistry.”
    He laughs. “I like chemistry. All that experimenting.” He kisses me again, and I feel his arms lift me onto his lap. He’s so strong. I want to thread my arms around his neck and just hold on.
    Instead, I push away. “I have to get home.” I glance at the dash