Page 109 of Pack Rivals, Part One

I laugh. "Good luck with that."

"Baby," he says with those dirty eyes of his that make me all hot and bothered, "I like a challenge."

"Can we see the bathroom next?" Courtney asks and I give her a quizzical look. "What? Rich people always have an incredible bathroom."

"Bathrooms," Nate corrects. "Later. Going to show you outside first."

"Outside?" I ask, but he just winks and takes my hand, leading us up a flight of stairs and then out onto the rooftop. I stand stunned for several moments until Nate nudges me forward.

It's more than just a roof-top garden. It's an oasis of flowers and plants and trees growing up pergolas and twining round trestles, draped over low walls, and spilling across the ground. There are several secret areas with chairs and loungers, tables and benches, some under the canopy of leaves and blooms, some allowing you to gaze up at the sky. Then at the very edge is an infinity pool, all lit up and glittering blue, the water disappearing off the edge of the building. It's been constructed to blend in with the rest of the garden, rocks forming its walls and water cascading down into the pool.

"Is the sky big enough up here for you, little bird?" Nate asks me and as I tip my head back I see how clear the heavens are away from all the city lights below. Stars litter the dark blanket above us and it reminds me of home.

"Yes," I gasp. "I think if I owned this place I'd spend all my time up here."

"We do spend most of our time up here. It isn't the countryside, but it's the closest you're gonna get in the middle of the city." He presses his lips to my shoulder. "You wanna go for a swim?"

"Is it warm?" I ask.

"Yeah."

I stare down at my dress. Then back at the pool, glittering and tempting. I want nothing more than to wash away the feel of our apartment from my skin; the stale scent of whoever entered our home lingers on my fingertips and in my nose.

I want to lie back in the water and stare up at the stars and forget about all the bad things in the world and relive my kiss with Angel and my kiss with Axel.

"I don't have a swimsuit," I say with a sigh.

Nate scoffs. Then before I know what's happening, he's tugging me along after him, stopping at the edge of the pool.

"You don't need a swimsuit," he tells me, those dirty eyes darting down my body and a smirk crawling across his mouth.

"I'm not skinny dipping."

"Fine." Nate shrugs, then pushes me towards the water.

For a moment, I hang suspended, arms flailing, eyes wide in shock and then I crash into the warm water, sinking right to the bottom before darting back to the top.

"The dress!" I yelp.

"It's only a dress," Nate says before diving in to join me, suit jacket, shirt, pants and all.

He bobs up a moment later, shaking his head, water droplets spraying into the air.

"You're crazy." I laugh. Then glance over to Courtney who's watching us both. "Are you coming in, Court?"

"I think I'll leave you to it," she says with another of those annoyingly knowing smiles of hers.

I turn back to Nate who grins at me. "This dress cost thousands and thousands of dollars."

"Can I take it off you?"

"No," I yelp.

"Okay." He keeps grinning, his eyes darting down to my chest. When I follow his gaze, I find the silky material is clinging to my breasts, my nipples two stiff bullets.

Oh lord.

His smile widens and then he's ducking under the water again, his hands coming to claim my ribs and his mouth my nipples.

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