Page 41 of Seeds of Malice

He wants to sleep with me.

I finish my glass of champagne, buzzing with happiness.

It's going to be hard to resist Dax.

Why should I?

This is the champagne talking.

I wonder again how Dax can be so into me, but I love it.

He gives me a lewd look, and I clench my thighs, forgetting his hand is between them.

He glances down, and heat annihilates every part of my body.

"Are you hot, or is it just me?" I ask breathlessly.

Dax opens another bottle of champagne and refills our flutes. "It can be time for a swim or time for you to get those clothes off." He tosses me a wicked grin.

I giggle and try to stand but almost fall.

He grabs me. "Whoa. Got to get your sea legs."

"Maybe I shouldn't drink any more champagne."

"Take a break. Drink some more if you want, or don't drink it at all," he directs. Then he grabs a bottle of water off the table. He puts it to my lips, ordering, "Take a few sips."

I obey him as he stares at me, and tingles race all over my cells. His scent flares in the breeze, swirling around me, intoxicating me further.

"You smell so good," I blurt out, then giggle again. "Sorry, I'm saying stupid stuff."

"No, you're not. You can talk all day about how good I smell if that's what you think," he says, then leans into my neck and deeply inhales. He gently bites down on my flesh, and I jump.

He chuckles, then in his deep voice, states, "Sorry, gorgeous. You smell so good, I want to eat you."

I laugh again. No one's ever said the things Dax says to me. But I've never been with anyone half as sophisticated as him, and I have to pinch myself. I still can't believe I'm on this boat with a man who's as sweet, nice, and beautiful as him. Plus, he says what's on his mind, which I like. He doesn't seem to be into playing games.

He lets his hand drop to my ass, and he gently squeezes, suggesting, "Let's go for a swim."

There's something in that suggestion that makes my butterflies flutter faster.

"Ivy?"

I come back from my wayward thoughts. "Okay. Is it deep?"

"Yeah. Why? I thought you could swim."

"I'm just feeling a little lightheaded," I admit, cursing myself for drinking. I shouldn't have, but then again, it was delicious. And I am eighteen. It's not like I'm in high school anymore.

Dax grins. "Don't worry, gorgeous. I'll make sure you don't drown. And I've got a floaty out there." He points to an oversized blue piece of foam.

I glance at it, then tease, "A floaty? Is that what you call it?"

He shrugs. "Some people call it a lily pad. I say floaty. The last one in is a rotten egg!" He tugs his shirt off, displaying his chiseled chest. Then, he dives over the side of the boat.

Water splashes in the air. He pops out of the water. "Are you coming in, Ivy?"

"Sure." I move my hands to the bottom of my tank top and slowly pull it off, suddenly feeling sexy and a bit naughty, which is something I've never felt before.

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