Page 55 of Prey

“You want me to climb out with you watching?” I exclaimed, horrified. This venture had moved our relationship to a whole new level. Not that there was a relationship in the first place.

“I’ll close my eyes. I promise,” he crooned.

“I’m naked,” I asserted in case he missed the bulletin.

“I had noticed,” he sniggered.

“You saw everything?”

“Pretty much.”

“Oh no, kill me now.”

His smile was wide and warm. “I think you’re far more interesting alive.”

“Great to hear.”

“So, are you going to tell me who Rourke is?”

“He’s just a guy. I thought he was you for a sec.”

“You’re dating this Rourke character?” he questioned as his magnificent jaw started pulsating in angry beats.

“That’s a very personal question,” I stated hotly.

“Petra, you’re naked in the water, and I can see everything, so I kinda think we’re already at a personal level.” He jiggled the towel. “C’mon.”

“I’m not ready to get out. This is my solace. The place I come to get away from stress,” I explained, hoping he’d understand and leave.

“Fair enough,” he said, dropping the towel. He then gently placed my glasses on top, and I breathed a sigh of relief because it looked as if he was about to go. “I’ll come in,” he said.

“What? Will you come in? Here?” I asked to clarify as he threw his baseball cap off, telling me everything I needed to know.

Then, I pulled his sweatshirt over his head, and a moan escaped my lips at the sight of his bare body of rippling muscles in all the right places, flat stomach with a line of hair from his belly button disappearing under his jeans.

“Yeah,” he replied casually. “This pool is one of my regular spots, but usually, there’s nobody else here. So, I’ll continue as I normally would and pretend you’re not here. Deal?”

“Um…I’m unsure how that would work,” I considered as he dropped his jeans, and I turned away so it didn’t look as though I was perving at him when I wanted to perv at him. “Besides, you might get shrinkage because it’s quite cold in here.”

“It feels good to me,” he said. I could hear him wading through the water, and I wanted to turn around, but I kept to my corner, hugging my bare body.

“Okay…” looking everywhere but at him.

“So, this Rourke,” he persisted as the water sounded like he was making change. I glanced back to find he was submerged up to his flat stomach and walking toward me. I hope he treats you well.”

“He treats me okay, I suppose,” that was a tricky question to answer, considering that Rourke wore a mask when we had sex, never let me see his face, and is my personal stalker. I enjoyed the sex, though. I enjoyed it a lot. I wouldn’t mind another jaunt soon. But he was rough and angry and needed to punish me for something.

I swore I heard his Mustang’s engine. Oh my god, how would Rourke react if he walked in on me now? With him. Ronan. Beautiful Ronan. Naked.

“Okay? Just okay?” he questioned as his voice loomed closer. I glanced back again to find that he was making waves with the movement of his body, and his body happened to be moving closer to me—very close.

“It’s a lovely waterfall, isn’t it,” I tried to distract myself from him.

“Not as nice as the view I saw earlier,” he hinted

“You said you’re going to pretend I’m not here,” I reminded him.

“Sure,” he answered, appearing right before me with that gorgeous face covered in droplets, wet hair swept back, broad shoulders peeking above the water line. Oh god. “I’m pretending you’re not here.”

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