Who was I kidding?I had been half hard from the moment I laid eyes on her in the bar.
She cast a slightly skeptical glance my way. “Now what?”
“Now…” I spun us around so she could enjoy the view, leaning against the pool wall. “We bask in tranquility.”
“Seriously?Bask in tranquility?”
“Kinda seems like you should probably do this a lot more often.” I covered her lips with mine just as she was about to retort indignantly.
“Shut up,” I said gently, as I pulled away from her again, trying to ignore the perfect angle I had to see down the neckline of her dress. “Just look at it. Just —look.”
Sierra gave a reluctant huff but finally shifted her gaze over my shoulder to take in the twinkling lights behind us.
“It’s not the real ocean, but a sea of lights ain’t half bad, right?”
We both fell silent for a long moment. The expression on her face changed almost imperceptibly, her features softening. Her blue eyes, as deep and as dark as the open sea, sparkled in the dim light.
The breeze skimmed across the surface of the water, cool against our skin. Her damp hair clung to her shoulders, a few strands drifting against my chest. That’s when her scent hit me — soft, floral, and delicate.
Not strong, but unmistakable. Like wildflowers after rain.
It curled in my lungs and took root somewhere low and primal.
It wasn’t just that she smelled good; it was thatshesmelled like that. Sweet and fresh and untouchable, and yet she was right here in my arms, trusting me to hold her. Her skin against mine. Her breath near my throat.
Mine.
The thought was immediate. Fierce.
I hadn’t earned that yet, but God, Iwantedto. Not just for tonight. Not just because of the way she looked in the water or the way her voice curled around a challenge.
Because whatever this was, it had already started to sink its teeth into me.
And I wasn’t sure I wanted it to let go.
“I have to agree with that.”
I gasped, holding up a hand dramatically. “Wait, wait … you’re doing what now?”
She rolled her eyes, and I tucked my tongue into my cheek to hold back my grin.
“You heard me. Maybe I should just sit back and enjoy the view more often,” Sierra admitted.
“You should seemyview.”
Her eyebrows furrowed briefly, then she pursed her lips in mock disapproval. “So corny.”
“Doesn’t make it any less true. You ain’t seen nothing yet, I’ll show you corny.”
The corner of Sierra’s mouth twitched. “Fire away. It can’t get much worse.”
“It’s a good thing I have my library card on me because I’m totally checking you out.”
She groaned, but the corner of her mouth twitched again. “That wasawful. Really, your library card?”
I jerked my head in the direction of my clothes, which I had left behind. “If you’re good, I’ll show it to you later.”
“Naughty.” She wagged her eyebrows, and a chuckle escaped her, one that surprised even her — it was hook, line, and sinker.
