Page 66 of Tore Up

I stared at her, my mouth going dry. Her dark bronze hair was piled up on top of her head in a messy bun. She had on a pink bikini, and that sight was one I had never needed to see. I’d had glimpses of her lying out on a lounger, but it had been from a distance. Not like this.

Her tits looked like they were going to pop free from the top struggling to contain them. Smooth, golden skin from her afternoons outside by the pool. Long, shapely legs. Bare feet that I didn’t need to see up close to know they were perfect. The barely there bump of her stomach snapped me out of whatever trance I’d been in.

My eyes lifted to hers, and I realized she had stopped walking and was looking at me. The trepidatious expression, as if she wasn’t sure she should stay or go running back upstairs, only verified what Than had said. I made her nervous. She feared me. That was my fault, and I’d been allowing it because it was for the best.

I had demanded that it be me who stayed here. It was time I did the job I hadn’t been willing to let anyone else do.

Opening the door wide, I held her gaze. “Coming for a swim?”

She licked her lips, and that only reminded me of how sweet they’d tasted when I ran my tongue over them in a moment of weakness last night and the night before. It was becoming something that I had to do. If she didn’t have such enticing pink Cupid bow’s lips, then I’d be able to leave them alone.

“I, uh, thought everyone was gone,” she said.

I shook my head. “Not me. But please, come swim. Don’t let me stop you.”

She’d been here alone since lunch. It was almost six. If I wentinside, then she’d be isolated again. I needed a drink if I was going to get through this. Just not too much because I didn’t trust my actions.

“Okay.” Her reply was a soft smile before she dropped her gaze to the ground and began to walk in my direction.

I held the door, not moving.

When she reached it, she whispered, “Thank you,” as her cheeks flushed, then continued outside.

The smell of strawberries made my dick twitch.

Down, boy. She’s not asleep, and this isn’t the time to get fucking hard.

My eyes fell to her ass, and I bit back a groan. I would make small talk. Then go inside and jerk one out before we had dinner. That small, round bottom of hers had the perfect amount of jiggle to it. I could have gone without seeing that, too, because now, it was going to star in my damn spank bank.

Following her, I tore my gaze off her ass and tried to look at anything else. Think about anything else. Something that didn’t involve a part of Halo’s body.

She dropped her towel on the lounger, then glanced at me with a startled look. I was sure she hadn’t expected me to stay with her. Based on her wide-eyed expression, she would rather swim with a rabid animal than have me out here. That irked me even though it was my fault. I still didn’t like it. The girl I held at night wasn’t scared of me. She clung to me. Buried her face in my chest. Even fucking moaned at times.

“Looks like you’ve been enjoying the pool. You’ve gotten a deeper tan,” I said, walking over to the bar.

“Oh, uh, yes. Swimming is good for pregnancy,” she replied. Her tone was a touch defensive, as if I had been accusing her of something.

Taking a glass down, I tried not to get pissed about it. She’d think I was mad at her and likely run inside.

“I’m sure it is. Once the temps drop, I’ll make sure the heater stays on for you. We don’t use it enough, so normally, we just keep it off unless we are having guests over,” I told her while I poured myself a drink.

When I lifted my gaze to look at her, she was frowning. What had I said wrong?

“What heater? In the house?” she asked.

I grinned and took my glass as I walked back over to the lounger beside the one where she had placed her towel. “The pool. It’s a heated pool. You can continue to swim during the fall and winter months.”

Her mouth made a perfect O shape as she turned to look at the water, as if she could see the heater in it. “How … nice,” she replied. “Very convenient.”

If we were going to make it three days with just us, she was going to have to lighten up around me. Right now, she was strung so tight that she looked rigid.

“Halo,” I said, and she swung her eyes back to me. “Relax. I’m not going to hurt you. Just thought since we are here alone, we’d keep each other company. Swim. Do what you would normally do.”

Her alluring eyes went from anxious to bewildered as she blinked. “Okay,” she replied hesitantly.

I took a drink and watched as she turned to walk toward the water. The ass view again. Yep, that was going to fuck with me. It would be best if I didn’t keep her company while she was dressed like that the rest of the time we had together.

She shivered as she stepped into the water, then moved down slowly until it covered her smooth, round cheeks. Thank God. I hadn’t been able to look away. At least I couldn’t see it now. While her back was to me, I adjusted my boner the best I could so that it wasn’t obvious.

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