Page 39 of Touch in the Night

The water was just the right temperature—not too warm, not too cool. He did three lengths sidestroke before pausing to catch his breath. He pushed his wet hair from his eyes and hooked his elbow on side, letting the water sway him. His pulse calmed, his breathing slowed and he found his mind was quieter. Sleepiness settled heavy behind his eyes, and for a fleeting moment, he wished he’d asked Tom to join him. He shook the thought away and was just turning to swim back to the steps when he floundered. He spluttered and grabbed the side again to keep his head above the surface.

The baron sat in a chair at the side of the pool, watching him.

“Christ,” Jesse cursed. “You scared the shit outta me.”

Magnusson didn’t move. His long legs were crossed. His alabaster hands were curled around the arms of the chair. His face was masked in shadow, but even from the other end of the pool, Jesse could see the glint of his unblinking eyes.

Jesse’s stomach plunged. “Shit. Tom said you were away. I’ll bugger off. Sorry.” Jesse hauled himself out of the pool and hurried toward his clothes.

“Stay.”

Jesse paused in the process of bending for his towel. The tone had thrummed his nerves like plucked wire.

“It’s a bit late, boss…”

“I want to ask you a question.”

“Can I get dressed first?” Jesse said, aware of his wet shorts sticking to his skin.

“No.”

A thrill went up Jesse’s back. He crushed his eyes shut until he had control. When he opened them, Magnusson still hadn’t moved.

“A question?”

“You didn’t read the files.”

Jesse swallowed. The water dripping from his body onto the tiled floor was loud in the warm silence. “That’s not a question.”

He didn’t speak.

“How do you know I didn’t read them?” Jesse prompted, clenching his hands at his sides to stop himself reaching for the towel. The heat of the eyes burning into him from the shadows was scorching his exposed skin, even from meters away.

“You would have a lot more curse words for me if you had.”

Jesse blinked water from his eyes. His blood was burning, and he was becoming accurately aware of the way it had started to pool in his groin.

“Sorry, boss. Do you have a question or not?”

The only sound was the lapping of the water in the pool and the pounding of Jesse’s heart. Then, eventually,

“It was a paper file, wasn’t it?”

Jesse nodded.

“Which made it harder to get a copy, yes?”

“Impossible, from the outside,” Jesse said, resisting the urge to shift from one foot to the other.

“Could anyone else get a copy?”

“Not unless they did what I did, and I don’t think anyone else would be that daft.”

“Good. That’s good.”

“Okay then,” Jesses said, bending for the towel. “Can I go?”

“Leave it.”

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