Like something has shifted between us.
He cocks his head, eyes never leaving mine, and for a moment, I wonder if he’s going to do something that might push this quiet game into something real. But then he pushes off the wall and gives me a knowing look.
Stepping out of my boots, I set my handbag down and sit on the edge of the pool. The concrete is warm, and as I drop my feet into the cool water, I hum in pleasure.
“I forgot to tell you that Susie says hello,” I say, leaning back on my palms. It’s a distraction, and I know it.
Kai gives me a lopsided smile, treading water a few feet away. “Ah, so that’s who snuck you in. I was wondering how you got here. That lock is industrial strength.”
“She said you do this every Friday.”
He dips his chin. “I do. I find it relaxing. And since Fridays are half days, Inormallyhave the pool to myself.”
The weight of his words isn’t lost on me. He knows why I’m really here. Knows I’m not just making conversation.
But he doesn’t call me out on it. Not yet.
Pulling my lower lip between my teeth, I ignore the pull toward him that makes my chest ache. He seems so calm and collected, like always, and I’m already squirming.
Julian’s face flashes in my mind, and I almost pull away. But the heat in Kai’s gaze keeps me pinned, his fingers skating along the edge of my sanity. Julian trusts me. I trust him. And more importantly, we trust Kai. But this feels like… more.
It’s enough to pull me back from this all for a second, but only just. The tension between Kai and me is thick and raw, like it’s about to spill over.
Looking down, I allow myself one last thought of Julian.
We agreed this was fine. All of us. No secrets, no guilt. We talked, we set our boundaries, and we chose this together. Besides, Julian kissed Kai two days ago. This is fine.
My focus flicks back to Kai, and his eyes narrow slightly, as if he can sense my hesitation or read my thoughts, and I’m not sure which is worse in this instance.
“You seem distracted, too,” he murmurs. His tone is a low purr, almost teasing as he drinks me up with that familiar, dangerous hunger.
“I am,” I whisper, my breathing uneven.
He glides through the water and swims right up to me. “I can help with that.”
For a second, I think he’s going to pull me into the pool. Instead, he places wet hands on either side of my bare thighs.
“What do you need, little dove?”
God, that nickname…
The question lingers in the air between us, heavy with implications. And as I meet his gaze, I realize that even if I wanted to, I don’t think I could stop this now. I don’twantto stop it.
Water falls from his dark hair onto his face, and then he shakes his head, splashing me with tiny drops of water before slicking it back with his hands. His hair is usually hanging in front of his forehead, so it’s nice to see his full face.
“Hey!” I squeal, holding my hands up. “You got me wet.”
His gray eyes flick downward to the space between my thighs before coming back up to meet mine. He’s watching me with a mischievous expression, and he doesn’t even have to say it—I know exactly what he’s thinking.
“Are you going to get in, or do I have to pull you in?”
“You wouldn’t,” I tease, narrowing my eyes as I look down at him.
His hands come to the tops of my bare thighs, and his expression changes in a heartbeat from playful to serious and enigmatic.
I swallow. This wasnotwhat I thought would happen when I decided to accompany Stella to Saint Helena. I thought I’d poke my head into his office, say a quick hello, and then be on my merry way.
Instead, I’m sitting on the edge of an indoor pool while Kai eye fucks me, and he’s insinuating that he wants me in the water with him, all the while being an incorrigible flirt.
