Page 100 of The Stalker

“That’s enough, Hayden,” she said in a stern voice. “Was this whole swimming idea just a way to get me half-naked and flirt with me?”

“Not entirely. I wanted to get some energy out, and swimming is good for that. You being half-naked was an added bonus.”

Tatiana heaved a heavy sigh. “I don’t think you understand what you’re doing to me. I’m currently unarmed, which is incredibly stressful for me. I have to watch every person who even comes near you. So if you wanted to tease me by making me bring you swimming, consider me teased. Mission accomplished, okay?”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to make fun of you in any way.”

“Wrong kind of teasing, Hayden,” Tatiana groaned.

Hayden flushed red and said, “I did think it was weird you thought I was making fun of you.”

Tatiana laughed and then said, “I can’t even have a shower until Jesse wakes up. So I have to be sweaty and gross all day because there’s no safe way for me to shower until then.” Hayden smirked, and she pointed a finger at him before saying in as stern a voice as she could manage without laughing, “Don’t even think about suggesting we shower together.”

“Hey, you’re the one that said it,” he grinned at her. “Sorry, again. I didn’t think about the logistics of it.”

He frowned at her and looked as though he felt guilty. Tatiana felt bad for bringing that look to his face and hated it as usual.

“It’s fine, Hayden. What’s done is done. Now you know, and I hope you enjoyed the show because I’d like to go back upstairs now.”

Hayden nodded. “Of course we can. Let’s go.”

They left the sauna, and at once, the people in the pool area looked at them. More people had arrived to swim now, and when they recognized Hayden, they turned to look at him as well. As she was walking, she took two steps and felt that Hayden was no longer behind her, so she spun to face him.

He pointed to a door next to him. “Did you want to take a shower?”

She looked at the door. It had a sign indicating that it was a unisex changing room intended for families to use.

“Pass. I’m not showering in front of you,” she laughed.

He grinned at her, “I wouldn’t complain if you did, but I’m not suggesting that. You could at least rinse off.”

Tatiana didn’t particularly feel like having dried sweat on her all day, and she was very aware of all the eyes on them, so she nodded. “Okay.”

She walked back over to Hayden, opened the door, and looked inside to make sure the room was empty before she let him walk inside. She locked the door and yanked on the handle to make sure it was locked before she turned to the room again.

The door was in the center of the room. There was a shower on the wall opposite her in the left corner. A toilet was in the right corner, with a bench running along the wall to her right, and there was a sink directly to her left.

“Sit in the corner of the room on that bench.” She pointed to the corner to her right.

“Why this corner specifically?” Hayden sat on the bench and looked at her with curiosity in his expression.

“If someone opens the door, you’ll be behind it. That gives me the best chance to deal with them before you ever enter the picture.”

He nodded and said, “That makes sense.”

Tatiana dropped her bathrobe on the bench, then turned on the shower and waited for the water to warm up before she stepped under the spray. She wished she could wash her hair, too, but that would have to wait.

She turned her body so that she could rinse her back and made the mistake of catching Hayden’s eye. Her breath caught in her throat, inaudible amidst the sound of the water spraying on her, but his gaze burned with desire, and arousal flooded through her body.

The email, Tatiana. The. Email.

She spun to face the wall again, taking another fifteen seconds that she counted slowly to calm herself down before turning the taps off.

“Okay, I’m done. Let’s go,” she told him as she turned back to him, trying her best to sound professional.

“Um. Give me a second?” he asked.

“Why do you—” Tatiana cut herself off and quickly looked away as she saw why.

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