Page 56 of Rude Boss 2

“Then what’s the hurry?” he asks, then catches my bottom lip between his teeth. He follows it with a kiss.

When he’s had enough, I respond, “I guess there is no hurry, then.”

“You’re nervous.”

“A little. Yes.”

Withholding a smile, he says, “Hold your breath.”

“Essex, don’t—”

“Hold your breath,” he says again and then he goes under, taking me with him.

I open my eyes, feeling the sting of the saltwater burn my eyes while looking at him. He lets go of me and gestures for me to swim behind him, so I do, trying to keep up with his long strides. After a few more seconds, we come up for air. I feel rejuvenated. I haven’t felt this way in a long time.

He says, “Now we can swim back to shore. Ready?”

“Yes. I’m ready.”

“If I get there before you, you’re spending the night with me,” he says.

“No, I’m not.”

“Then you better get to swimming.” He moves his body forward, taking off. There’s no way I’m spending the night with him, so I swim harder until I’m neck-in-neck with him, but I’m rusty when it comes to swimming. He, however, does this on a regular. I know my muscles will be stiff and sore tonight.

Walking up on the shore now, he takes my hand into his again and says, “I won, by the way. Looks like you’ll be spending the night.”

“I clearly won that race, Essex. Stop it.”

“I didn’t take you for a cheater.”

I release a soft chuckle. “I didn’t cheat. Besides, I wasn’t prepared to spend the night with you—not like I would, anyway.”

“What preparations do you think you need?”

“Seriously, Essex. I don’t have clothes, shoes, toiletries – nothing.”

“I can have all of that brought here.”

“Essex—”

“Stop talking before you talk yourself out of it.”

Tickled, I say, “I never talked myself into it.”

“Come on. Let’s get this salt rinsed off you,” he says.

He leads me to the outdoor shower – there are several of them, but we end up at the one by the heated pool. Streams of water are directly above us, raining down on our heads like we’re in the tropics. Stepping closer to me, Essex pulls me into his grasp and kisses me again, even more thoroughly than he had while we were in the ocean. Kisses me so deeply, my legs nearly come out from under me. My heart races. A shiver takes over my body. This water is colder than nature’s pool, but I know it’s not the water that has me shivering. It’s him. This kiss. This lazy, drugging toe-curling kiss that’s potent enough to bring me to my knees. He’s not ravenous. He’s controlled and gentle, taking his time, enjoying my lips. Savoring them.

He pulls away from me. There’s that stare again, but this time the expression on his face is one of adoration yet vexation. I’m not sure what’s troubling him, but it’s something. He closes his eyes. Water continuously drenches us. I watch beads of it form on his face, the tip of his nose. His lips. He grimaces at one point and before I can ask him what’s wrong, he opens his eyes again and says, “I love you, Tessie.”

I gasp and frown simultaneously. What does he mean helovesme? We’re not at love status. We just made it beyondlikestatus. I don’t know what we are, really, but love?

I say, “Essex, what are you—?”

“I love you,” he reiterates. “I always have.”

His words have me confused. I can’t wrap my mind around what he’s telling me. I just stand here, perplexed, looking at him in a state of shock while trying to understand him – attempting to reconcile what I’m hearing.

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