“Or I will do this.” Victor lifted her up by the waist and dropped her into the pool.
Almost right away, I got splashed with droplets of warm water. I looked at both of them with envy. It has been so long since I went swimming, and I really wanted to join them. Involuntarily, I glanced at Tynan who sat on the edge of the pool. His hand was resting on his knee, every line of his body he appeared calm and in control.
I lowered my gaze, contemplating if I was bold enough to do it. Finally, my hand lifted up to the neckline of my leather suit and I started unbuttoning the top. I peeled off my pants, feeling a little too exposed in my black sleeveless top and matching underwear. When I straightened, I could not resist another glance at the man in black who sat on the edge of the pool. His head was still turned to the furthest corner of the room. I sighed, not quite sure if I felt relieved or disappointed.
“Come here, Aly,” Frid called.
“Aly?” I asked, lowering my body into the water.
“Yes. I've decided I’m going to call you Aly.” She grinned.
“I see. Did you come up with the names for everyone here?” I asked.
“How did you know?” Frid laughed.
“Just a hunch.” I grinned back, looking at her.
“Except for me. You never came up with a nickname for me,” Victor chimed in.
“You haven’t deserved one yet.” Frid laughed.
I smiled, lowering my body into the water up to my chin. I wanted to say something, but the soothing warmth of the water made me shiver with pleasure and I plunged all theway under. When I resurfaced, wiping my face and pushing back my hair, I felt so good that I nearly forgot all my discomfort about being half dressed in front of the others. That was something I never did. Even among my friends, there was always some unspoken rule, some reserve that I had with the others, even my fiance. He enjoyed my body, but I never paraded naked in front of him. That was probably because we were friends first and some things were too awkward to overcome. But the past week or so shifted many things about me, the constant threats and fear of being killed broke something in me. My outlook on life changed. I did not want to play safe any longer. Never again I would turn down any opportunity to do something I truly wanted.
“Ty, come join us!” Frid called.
“I’m good,” he responded.
“Come on. Sol is watching the room,” she continued.
Tynan gave her a side eye. In the light of the torches, he looked spectacular. His dark hair laid against the side of his cheek. His strong profile and long eyelashes were exaggerated by the sharp shadows dancing on his skin. It made my knees weak. My breathing halted and I caught myself blushing for no apparent reason.
While I was distracted, Frid drew closer to me, and grabbed my forearm.
“What?” I started saying when she pulled me with her toward the edge of the pool.
“Are you sure you don’t want to join us?” She stopped right in front of Tynan.
His dark eyes landed briefly on my face and my heart nearly stopped. His eyes wore the promise of something alluring and primal. It was frightening and fascinating at the same time.
“That’s what I thought.” Frid laughed.
Then she lifted her body and grabbed Tynan’s arm, pulling him toward us.
I could see the shocked expression in his eyes, but he was already falling, right toward me. The next moments were filled with splashes and confusion. My eyes opened wide, my body fully submerged under water. Tynan’s hands wrapped around my waist as he tried to steady himself. He stood up, still holding me in his arms, except his hands slid down my hips. Instinctively my arms wrapped around his neck and for a painfully long time I could not look away. His face was so alarmingly close, I could see the flicker of surprise in his dark eyes. His breathing, parted lips, the wet strands of his hair on his cheek. Tynan’s chest was moving up and down as if he just ran for miles. My traitorous body welcomed the new sensation, craving more than the beautiful and dangerous embrace. My fingers touched his neck, soaking up the heat of his skin. The feel of his strong, callous hands on my thighs, his hard muscular chest pressed against mine and suddenly I became uncomfortably aware of being only in my undergarments.
In this moment, we were the beginning and the end of something that could never be.
“Let me go,” I whispered, mesmerized by the sparkles of dancing flames in the irises of his eyes.
He pressed me harder against his torso for the briefest of moments before releasing me. Frid was saying something, but I stood paralyzed, watching Tynan’s wide back as he moved slowly to the edge before lifting himself up.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
TYNAN
Istared at the bonfire Sol and I built together. The heat from it soothed my skin, and all I wanted was to close my eyes for only a little bit, but I kept pushing myself to stay alert. The others stretched out on the ground to get some sleep. There was absolutely no way to know what time it was, but I felt it in my bones that I needed rest.
My gaze shifted to Alina, and new emotions I could not understand hit me all at once. Her bright red hair framed her porcelain skin in a way that every time I looked at her, I could hardly look away. She was lying on her side with her hand on her shoulder. The mere thought of her long legs wrapped around my body made me clench my jaw. Thesetypes of thoughts kept creeping up on me, making me want things I was not allowed to have.
