揝wim with me.?He grabs my legs.
I kick lightly, but he抯 so strong it doesn抰 matter.
揘o, I don抰 have my swimsuit. I thought I抎 find you in your office…？
揝o you were looking for me? You don抰 need your swimsuit here. It抯 just us, it抯 my pool, and I say sundresses are acceptable attire.?He gently pulls on my legs, inching me to the very edge.
揅ole, don抰。 I came to talk. Seriously.?
Too late.
The next thing I know, I抦 splashing down in the water with those massive arms holding me up.
Holy hell, I抦 glad it cools me down.
He抯 so close we抮e touching skin to skin. If it weren抰 for the water, I抦 sure I抎 be in flames.
揥hat did you want to talk about??His voice is low thunder, calm and serious as ever.
I wanted to talk? Um.
My eyes fall on his lips.
It抯 like a shot of espresso to the brain. They抮e beautiful and cursed and they feel so amazing.
揈liza??he breathes, pushing forward until we抮e face-to-face. 揥hat the hell do we need to talk about??
The way you kissed me, asshat. But I can抰 get the words out.
Instead, my face falls forward as he drags me closer.
My lips land on his.
And my big brave plan dies with a whimper, tracing his bottom lip with my tongue.
I start to pull away and apologize, but he抯 kissing me back, holding my bottom lip hostage with his teeth.
He pulls梐ggressively條eaving no doubt what kind of conversation he wants to have.
Shit.
When his tongue swipes the seam of my lips and pushes into my mouth, I抦 in no position to protest.
Lacing one arm around his neck, I put my other hand in his hair, pulling his face closer, closer, but still not close enough.
It抯 maddening.
How easily he takes control without even trying.
But when I抦 hugging a giant, feeling his big hands push my dress up, and folding my legs around his waist, I抦 in no mood to moralize.
I just want Cole, and nothing else.
He adjusts my position slightly so my warmth is perfectly aligned with his hardness before he wraps his arms around me, pinning me in place. He sucks my lip harder, furiously, drawing a ragged breath that makes it clear I抦 not the only one losing my head.
揊ucking hell, Eliza,?he growls, tearing his face off mine. 揝weetheart, can we talk upstairs in my room? I have a goddamned lot to say.?
Oh, and he shows me how much, pushing his hard erection against my thigh.
My nails sink into his back on trembling fingers.
揢h-huh,?I whisper. 揙kay.?
He lifts me out of the pool and sets me on the side before coming out, dripping wet and glorious, splashed with sunset shadows. He grabs a huge fluffy white robe from a lawn chair.
揅ome here, Eliza.?
My legs are jelly, but I manage to stand and walk over. He takes his sweet time wrapping the robe around me like I抦 delicate and breakable before he finds a towel and starts drying himself off.
It抯 awesomely terrible watching how he drags the fabric across valleys of taut muscle, abs you could eat off of, and that insane bulge that抯 barely held back by a thin scrap of cloth.
He never takes his eyes off mine, like he抯 aware of what he does to me.
This man is built like he was made to eat, drink, and breathe raw eroticism.
I laugh for no reason梑lame it on the jitters.
揇on抰 you need the robe? I feel bad since you brought it.?
揟hat dress is see-through now. If we pass anyone, they抮e not getting a peek. My eyes only, woman. That抯 the new rule.?
Dead.
He just killed me.
But his chest is completely bare and hard and magnificent. I press my hand to it, trying to stay grounded.
揢m, thanks??I whisper.
He doesn抰 say you抮e welcome. He just stamps a hungry, yet gentle kiss on my lips, scooping me up in his arms in my cotton cloud and tossing me over his shoulder.
揥hat if we actually do pass someone??I whisper in his ear.
揑抣l pay them to pretend they didn抰 see shit,?he rasps.
I抦 trying not to shake.
This man is so impossible not to adore.
Thankfully, we抮e alone as we walk through the house. There抯 another staircase at the back leading to a new area I haven抰 seen before.
He carries me the whole way, right across the threshold to this old-world room of dark wood that smells like an island forest. There抯 a silky curtain hanging around the biggest bed I抳e ever seen, something right out of the last century, and he rips it aside before laying me down.
Oh, God.
My chest rises and falls, each breath more intoxicating than the last when he抯 so close, and all I can smell is him.
It抯 cooler and darker here. Between the air conditioning, the ceiling fan, and my still wet clothes, my teeth chatter.