Page 45 of Unleashed

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he slowly twisted the corkscrew into the bottle, his eyes locking with mine as heturned it with deliberate slowness. The playful glint returned, and I could see he was trying to ease the tension, pretending to struggle with the cork.

The way he worked the corkscrew, the twist of his wrist, the teasing smile—it sent a dull ache between my legs, and I bit my lip, looking away before my thoughts wandered too far.

When I heard the pop of the cork, I muttered under my breath, "Fucking tease."

"What was that?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, amused.

"Nothing," I replied, suppressing a smirk.

Slade chuckled, and just like that, the weight in my chest lightened. Maybe we weren’t perfect, but in that moment, it didn’t matter.

Slade smiled lazilyas he swam back toward me, his hands gliding over the water's surface before gripping the pool's edge next to mine. He caged me between his strong arms, his body hovering close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from him even through the cool water.

“You know,” he murmured, his voice low and teasing, “I’ve been meaning to tell you how irresistible you look in that bikini.”

I smirked, my fingers tracing along his arm. “You've already told me... several times.”

His eyes darkened with mischief. “Well, I’m not done telling you.”

I laughed, feeling the familiar thrum of desire between my legs. “Oh? And what else do you want to do, Slade?”

He tilted his head, a slow smile curving his lips. “You think you know, don’t you?”

“I’ve got a pretty good idea,” I teased, my lips quirking as I leaned closer. “Let me guess. It probably concerns your?—”

“My mouth,” he cut in, his gaze locked on mine. “Not what you were expecting, huh?”

A shiver ran through me at the heat in his voice. “What... what do you want to do with it?”

He grinned, his eyes dropping to my chest before trailing back up to my face. “I want to kiss every single inch of your body. And I mean every inch.”

The promise in his words made me tremble. Slade's brow furrowed in concern. “Are you cold?” he asked softly, reaching up to brush a wet strand of hair from my cheek.

I shook my head, biting my lip to suppress a smile. “No, it’s not that.”

“Then why are you shivering?” His voice was laced with amusement as he trailed a finger down my spine.

I sucked in a breath, shuddering at his touch. “I think it’s more of a shudder... in response to your suggestion.”

His lips twitched. “Is that a yes?”

I giggled, wrapping my arms around his neck, pulling him closer. “Maybe. But you rarely ever take your time, Slade. You’re usually... how do I put this?” I leaned in, whispering against his ear, “inside me before we even know what’s happening.”

Slade’s laugh rumbled deep in his chest, vibrating against mine. “I wish I could deny that,” he said, his voice husky, “but you do something to me, something no one else ever has. I usually like taking my time with a woman, making sure her needs come first—but with you…” He shook his head, his lips brushing my temple. “With you, it’s like I lose control.”

“Well, I guess I should be flattered,” I teased, pressing my body against his as I felt his muscles tense beneath my touch.

“You should be,” he murmured, his lips grazing my shoulder. “So... what do you say we head upstairs? Take a long, hot shower?”

I arched a brow. “Hot as in heat, or hot as in... hot?”

His grin widened. “Why not both?”

I chuckled, shaking my head. “Or... we could get in the hot tub. I’ve been thinking about it all day.”

Slade's eyes sparked with interest. “Now that sounds tempting. But how about this—we still have wine left. Why don’t we take a walk on the beach, finish off the bottle, and when we come back…” He leaned in, his lips ghosting over my ear, “...we’ll get in the hot tub.”

I melted against him, unable to resist the seductive pull of his words. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”

---