Page 9 of Lethal Infatuation

"I like my women with a sense of humour and you've got that down to a tee." It's like he was purposely trying to get a rise out of me.

"And I like my men better when they go straight to Hell."

He laughed again, flashing his white teeth. My skin itched, I've never felt this irritated with somebody I just met. "If I go to Hell, I'll drag you with me."

I scoffed, opened my room door, and then slammed it shut in his face. Something told me he was probably laughing at the ordeal. Damn clown.

FOUR

Bang. Bang. Bang.

The vivid imagery of that night replayed in my mind like an endless loop. My body tensed, sending warning signals directly to my brain which in turn sparked feelings of anxiousness.

My heart rate increased, acting like a domino effect. One bodily function after the other felt like it was failing, slowly giving in, on the verge of collapsing altogether.

The ominous memory still haunted me every single day, and despite my attempt at blocking it out, I'd still wake up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat. Quite frankly, I hadn't slept properly ever since the incident.

I balled my hands into fists, blinking rapidly in an attempt to rid my mind of those volatile thoughts. This vacation was supposed to help clear my mind and ease the suddenappearance of anxiety I faced daily.

It worked, to a certain extent. Apart from those memories, something else gnawed at me or should I saysomeoneelse.

I leaned my head back against the edge of the pool with my arms outstretched on either side of me, resting on the ledge. I closed my eyes for a few seconds, trying to rid my mind of those captivating, hazel eyes.

They taunted me. I didn't understand why or how this stranger managed to sink her claws into me, now I couldn't stop thinking about her.

Was it her raw beauty? It must've been. However, it still didn't make sense to me. I've seen beautiful women before, and plenty of them at that, so what was different about her?

The water covered my entire body, reaching my neck because I ensured I swam towards the deep end. The sun began to set, casting an orange and light pink hue across the sky.

In my thirty years of existence, I've never taken a vacation, so this was new to me. Immediately after high school, I embarked on the journey of obtaining not one, but two degrees. Thereafter, I applied to work at the Federal Bureau.

After vigorous assessments and training, I started as a Special Agent. Ever since then, the concept of relaxation has been lost to me.

There were still three months left before I could return to work. Initially, I wasn't going to agree to this vacation, but then Kayden dropped a bomb on me. He said he already proposed to Kehlani a few months prior without telling anyone and that his wedding was taking place in Cabo.

That's how I wound up here. Not that I was complaining, though. I was surrounded by immaculate views and stunning women.

Not that I'd act on any of my desires. Unless it were her. I'd consume her whole if I got the opportunity. Zero hesitation.

The situation at hand was hilarious. For the first time, the woman I was interested in clearly wasn't interested in me. She wasn't even subtle when it came to her disdain.

I didn't know why she disliked me. I had to stop myself multiple times today from knocking on her fucking door and demanding an explanation.

No, scratch that. I'd bunch that pretty, curly hair of hers into my fist and make her drop that damn attitude. The cool air nipped at my exposed skin. I didn't know if I wanted to get out of the pool or just stay here until they closed off this section of the hotel for the night.

I swam towards the corner of the pool, resting my arms on the ledge, and glanced at the scenery. This was often how I got lost in my thoughts, which was an extremely bad habit I developed ever since I left the hospital.

Growing up without parents forced me to become independent, cautious, and street-smart. After becoming an agent, those traits progressively became more prominent because we had to be aware at all times.

We couldn't afford to get lost in our own heads. That's how you ended up dead. Water ripples caught my attention, indicating I was no longer alone.

At least I hadn't lost all sense of awareness. This time, my skin prickled and it wasn't caused by the cold. When I turned around, Gabriella was in the water, paying me no mind.

She leaned back, submerging her hair into the pool. When she stood upright, her curls fell flat and her hair was just slightly wavy, the water dripping from her mane.

With her eyes focused on the water, she spoke which completelycaught me off guard. "It's rude to stare." She looked up at me, a knowing smirk on her face.

"Yeah?" She nodded as I pushed myself off the ledge and swam in her direction. She floated backward, her eyes never leaving mine. "I'm just admiring the view."

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