Page 38 of Reluctant Heir

That’s all this is.

That’s all this can be.

It won’t go anywhere. Neither of us can afford that. I have another life to get back to once Ruby is found, and Connor has his life here, vastly different than anything I want to be involved in.

I find myself looking back over at him though, and this time, he’s turned away from me. I study him—his strong shoulders glistening in the sunlight, the water droplets clinging to his wet hair. He grabs on to the side of the pool and turns himself, resting both elbows behind him, and I quickly look away.

I finally stand, my body half out of the water as I rise out of the shallow end.

We find each other again.

We don’t know each other, and we don’t trust each other, but maybe that’s where the strong tension is coming from. Maybe I’m mistaking mistrust for sexual desire. Maybe I’m so lust-starved that I can’t tell the difference.

It’s been a long time since I was with anyone. That’s what this is. He’s a virile man in my close vicinity. Of course I’m reacting. Who wouldn’t?

It’s not him specifically. It’s the pull of his male body to my female one.

He starts toward me, and I don’t go anywhere. I don’t attempt to back up or get out of the pool. I just sink down into the water and swim forward a little until it’s a bit deeper, hiding me, like armor around my bikini-clad body.

“How’s your swim?” he asks as soon as he stops in front of me.

“Good,” I say, and he nods.

His eyes dip slightly down to where the water level hides my breasts.

He opens his mouth to speak again but then closes it, saying nothing. I want to force him to tell me what he was going to say. He’s such an enigma. He found me murdering his father and then locked me in a room, threatening torture. It’s such a stark contrast to putting me up in a plush room and offering—no,demandingmarriage.

“Tell me something about yourself,” I say with no idea where the words came from. I must be experiencing heatstroke.

His brows furrow, and he glances away for a moment. “Like what? You know everything you need to know about me.”

“I know nothing about you, Connor. You are a virtual stranger to me.”

“We should keep it like that; it will be easier to cut ties in the end.” He finds purchase with his feet on the beginning of the slope into the deep end and rises slightly out of the water as he stands.

“Wait,” I say, reaching out and placing a hand on his shoulder, feeling it tense beneath my fingers. I want to run them down the length of his arm, but I don’t. “Shouldn’t we know things about each other? You know my former name. It would be weird to be married and not have basic knowledge of your likes and dislikes.”

“No one will quiz you on my favorite food or color,” Connor says. “Once we are married, you can disappear into the background until our debts to each other are fulfilled.”

“I know,” I say, pulling my hand back. The water feels cool on my palm after it was on his hot skin. “Maybe I would feel better, knowing your favorite food and color.”

Connor looks conflicted, shadows passing over his face as the sun slides behind a cloud.

I know he doesn’t want to go there with me. I didn’t want to until a few moments ago. But something possessed me and took over my voice, cajoling him, trying to get him to open up.

“Food: French fries. Color: black.”

I stare at him. “You eat French fries?”

“Not often, but I enjoy them when I do.”

It’s such a normal food to like. I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t that. Maybe some fancy steak or international food. French fries make him seem human.

“Okay,” I say with a nod and then nibble on my lip as I think.

“You?” he asks before I can think of another question.

“Sushi and yellow.”

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