Page 50 of Too Hostile

“And aren’t you glad I did?” I ask as I race inside, and he follows me. We quickly strip out of our clothes, and okay, I get pretty damn distracted by his body, but he doesn’t let me explore.

He pulls on his trunks and shoots me an incredulous look. “Come on. This was your idea.”

I’m still totally naked, just hanging onto my trunks, but not hiding my dick—which is up and ready to play after that quick strip show he just gave me. “That was a stupid idea. Let’s stay in.”

He laughs and makes his way over to me, his hands going to my hips, but he’s not looking at my dick. Nope. He’s looking right into my eyes. Damn it. “Let’s go swimming. We need to get the whole experience.”

“Fine,” I groan, but I’m teasing him. I don’t need sex right now. I just need him. Which is scary as hell, but I’m trying to convince myself to live in the moment.

I pull on my trunks, and we head out to the swim beach. There are a lot of people around, but there might as well not be because I don’t see them. All I see is Ronan as we splash around in the warm water.

“Damn, this is weird. Muddy,” he says, and I can’t help but laugh.

“Have you never been swimming in a lake before?”

He looks grossed out, but he’s trying. I can appreciate that. “No. I’m a city boy, through and through.” I smile. “I prefer to see the bottom of what I’m swimming in.”

I laugh. “Well we’ll have to use the pool at my apartment sometime.”

He grins and shakes his head. “Of course you have a pool.” But he’s not disapproving when he says it. It’s more like he’s amused. I think about how hard he’s worked to get to where he is.

How he likely had to watch so many rich students come through who didn’t have to work. How he thought that’s how I was too.

“How do you do it?”

“Do what?” he asks, still pretty focused on the sandy, muddy bottom of the lake we’re walking on as we wade into the water.

“Be around all those rich spoiled kids at college? I hated high school. It seemed like everyone had money and attitude.”

He seems to think about that now, instead of focusing on the mud. “Some students drive me crazier than others,” he says with a grin.

I cackle at that. “Yeah. I’m glad you didn’t kick me out of your class. I’d have deserved it.”

“No, you wouldn’t have,” he says very matter-of-factly. “You made me realize how judgmental I’ve been over the years. There was more to your story, and I should have given you some grace.”

“I can’t imagine what you’ve been through.”

He gives me a shy smile. “Yes, you can. You lived through it too.”

That same guilt I always feel comes creeping up again. “Was it bad?”

The water is up to our chests now, and we stop, just kind of letting it take us, soft waves all around. “Not really. Most of the time, I was just invisible and lonely. I used to think my mom would come back.”

I move a little closer to him, my hand on his side, needing the physical contact. “I would have saved you.”

He leans closer to me, his mouth close and his eyes on mine. “I think you did.”

I’m surprised by his words, but he doesn’t give me the chance to argue with him. His lips press against mine in a firm kiss that’s somehow so full of passion, even though it only lasts a second.

I’m so far gone for this man.

And I’m in deep, deep trouble.

RONAN

Ireally don’t want to go back tomorrow.

What the hell is happening to me? I know I ask this a lot, but I can’t figure out the answer. I mean, I know it’s Fletcher, but I never saw this coming. I promised myself a long time ago I wouldn’t ever rely on another person for my own happiness.

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