JULIETI drag in a deep lungful of fresh air as Shay leads me out the tall sliding glass door and onto the terrace, chattering away about the packhouse and all its amenities. The air smells different here in Denver. It smells like sweet, sweet freedom.“I mean, you grew up in a packhouse, so all of this is probably normal to you,” Shay tosses over her shoulder as she treads a path to the edge of the terrace. “But it was a huge change for me when I came here. It took some getting used to. And hey, if you-”“Holy shit,” I interrupt, pushing past Shay as a huge pool area comes into view. “There’s a pool?!”Her lips pull into a grin, her chin-length hair bouncing as she nods. “Yeah, girl. There’s a pool.”She starts to say something else, but her words are lost to me as I rush forward to get a closer look at the large swimming pool, the crystal-clear water beckoning me in the sweltering summer heat. I might’ve grown up in a packhouse, but the one in Westfield pales in comparison to this p

JULIET I could feel the shift in the atmosphere when I woke up this morning; the sense of liberation buzzing through my veins. I hadn’t stopped thinking about the pool since I laid eyes on it yesterday, so I started my day with a swim, immediately concluding that it’s the way I’ll start every day here until the weather turns. It was infinitely more relaxing than my usual morning runs- I must’ve been a mermaid in another life because I love being in the water. I’m pretty sure I left a lasting impression when I wandered into the kitchen for coffee afterwards. Cole’s jaw was clenched so tightly that it looked like he was about to blow a gasket, but I didn’t miss the way he looked at me. And yeah, I might’ve goaded him a little bit to gauge his interest. It’s there. He clearly likes to play his cards close to his chest, though, so if I have to push his buttons more to bring out that side of him, I’m more than up for the task. He disappeared afterwards, but Shay came by my room while I w

JULIETThe smell of chlorine clings to my little sky-blue bikini as I pull it on, and I make a mental note to ask Shay if she’s up for a shopping trip soon so I can pick up some more swimsuits. I only tossed one into my suitcase while I was packing for Denver on the off chance that there was a swimming hole nearby; it never occurred to me that there’d be a whole ass swimming pool right outside my door. It’s late in the season so my pool days are probably numbered, but with the chance to swim every day until the weather turns, one suit just isn’t going to cut it.As I’m reaching behind my back to tie the strings of my bikini, my cell phone vibrates on the nightstand, my brother’s name flashing on the screen with an incoming video call. My gut twists and my heart plummets. What are the chances that word of my little excursion to the nightclub has already gotten back to my overbearing big bro?I snatch my phone up and flop forward on my bed, landing on my tummy and positioning the phone

JULIETI’ve been learning something new with every day spent at the Denver packhouse. Like how if you arrive too late for meals, most of the good stuff will already be gone. And how there’s an entire dresser full of swimsuits of all sizes in one of the guest rooms for visitors, which explains why the one Tayla wore the other morning was so ill-fitting. And that most nights, the young, single guys that live at the packhouse congregate in the game room, shooting pool and watching sports highlights on TV to unwind from their day. Tobias told me about it at breakfast, so of course that’s where I head the following evening when boredom strikes, curious to check it out.It's a huge space on the upper floor of the packhouse that’s basically a bachelor’s paradise, chock full of all kinds of stuff that guys go crazy for. There’s a full-sized glass-front refrigerator stocked with beer, a massive flatscreen TV mounted on one wall, floor to ceiling windows that overlook the terrace lining another

JULIET “Hey Jules,” Eddie greets from the foyer of the packhouse as I’m crossing it to head to my room in the guest wing. The pack warriors have had a busy schedule this week, so I haven’t seen much of them around here. Thankfully, Shay has been keeping me company, but since she’s off on a date with Sam tonight I figured my Friday evening would be woefully low-key.Or maybe it’s about to turn around.I slow to a stop and glance over to see Eddie loitering near the front door with Tobias and Mike, all of them dressed in jeans instead of their usual gym shorts and nice t-shirts rather than the ratty cut-offs they typically sport when they’re hanging around the house. I smile in their direction as I clock their attire. “Hey, where are you guys off to?”“A party,” Tobias provides, flashing me a handsome grin and carding his fingers through his auburn hair. “Wanna come?”I glance down at my cropped tank and jean shorts combo with a frown. “Eh, I’m not sure if I’m really dressed for that…”