Page 24 of His to Seduce
Chapter 9
Camden
David trudged up the stairs to the deck of his bungalow like he held the weight of the world on his shoulders. Head down, shoulders slumped, sandals in one hand, he leaned against the railing like he couldn’t hold up his own weight.
I sat in the private infinity pool, where I’d been for the last hour, waiting for him to return, and for the last thirty minutes had debated about whether or not I should at least put my swimsuit on. It was more like a hot tub, the water warmed and toasty. We had the option of turning on jets, but I’d liked the silence.
When he got close to the pool, still not looking up and noticing me, I could no longer stand the morose expression.
“Hey,” I said, grazing my hand slowly along the top of the water. The waves rippled quietly and he jerked his head up.
“Hey.” He looked around the pool, the deck, the beach, and back to me before he frowned. “What are you doing out here? It’s late.”
Nervousness fluttered inside my belly. When I came back from having a couple margaritas with the girls, I’d made one decision.
To expect nothing from David. We’d finish the weekend together, go back to Latham Hills, and for once, I would just see what happened.
The thought made my gut tighten unpleasantly, but I pushed it back. Earlier, I’d proclaimed I wanted to punch my fear in the face.
So there I was, naked…waiting for David.
I grabbed my beer that I’d set at the edge of the pool. “I was waiting for you.”
Did he hear how dry my voice sounded? How it shook while I tried to look brave and nonchalant? Did I look seductive or like a fool?
His head tilted, and he gave a small hint of a grin. “Yeah? What for?”
He took a few steps toward the pool, and me. I took a hefty swallow of my Red Stripe. Boldly, I went for honesty. “I missed you.”
I glanced away at the admission before I could see his expression. I had never made myself so obvious, so open for a guy.
His bare feet padded on the wood deck as he walked closer. “Camden?” he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.
“Yes?”
“Are you naked in there?” His tone lightened, and I hoped like hell the darkness would hide my eggplant coloring.
I turned to face him, twisting my neck and tilting my head back. I came face-to-face with beautiful dark-blue eyes and a smile of white teeth. He crouched down and ran his hand through my hair, stopping at the back of my neck before he held me immobile.
“You naked for me?”
“Thought I’d go skinny-dipping.” Everyone did it at least once, right? So what if it was a private deck and no one could see me, and I had been perfectly alone and hidden until David walked up. It still counted. Goosebumps popped on my arms and down to my stomach, making me shiver. Still…in for a penny, in for a pound. “Want to join me?”
His gaze fixated on mine, he dropped his smile. For a moment, when he didn’t speak, I thought he’d say no, but then he shook away whatever he was thinking about.
“Yeah. I’ll be right there. Give me a minute, okay?”
I pulled out of his gentle hold and lifted my beer. “Of course.”
He leaned forward and pressed his lips to the top of my head before standing. I watched him head into the bungalow.
His head up, his shoulders back, and his stroll confident and sure, all the weight he’d been carrying when I’d first seen him was gone. Had I done that? Just me?
I brushed away the crazy thought as he disappeared into his bedroom and the light turned on, his form illuminated through the window. Then I turned back around, faced the ocean, and thought of nothing.
For the first time since I could remember, I didn’t have lists and doubts and worries and plans clouding my mind. I simplyrelaxedin the warm water, drank a beer, and reveled in the moon as it lifted higher into the sky and the sound of the ocean waves rolling into the planks beneath our waterfront hideaway.
The soft whoosh of the sliding glass door opening pulled my attention off the water and I turned.
