“What?” she asks, voice shy as her pink toes curl over the stone lip.
“Look at you…” I manage. “I mean…fuck.” My voice comes out low, raw, and borderline animalistic.
I want to tell her to waltz her ass back inside so no one sees her like this. I want to lock her up in our suite and fuck her until she’s screaming my name so that the entire resort knows that she’smine.
Her gaze flicks down her own body, uncertainty flitting across her face as she folds an arm across her stomach and the other across her chest. I hate that she’s hiding herself when she’s the most beautiful creature I’ve ever laid eyes on.
“Is it too much?” she asks hesitantly. “I didn’t know what to buy. I never shop for swimsuits, and I just—”
“Meadow, stop,” I interrupt, my voice rougher than I intended. “Don’t cover yourself. Not around me. You look… I don’t even have words.” I pause before continuing. “You’re perfect.”
Her blush deepens, blooming across her cheekbones.
“Owen… don’t make things weird.”
I think ‘weird’ flew out the window the second we saw each other half naked tonight.
“Weird?” I huff a breath. “Is it so strange for me to tell you you’re beautiful?”
Her eyes bounce between mine as she loosens her hold on herself, feeling more confident and comfortable.
She hesitates, her gaze darting away. “I’m just… I guess I’m not used to compliments.”
If she were mine, I’d spend every waking minute telling her exactly how breathtaking she is. I’d spend my days rewriting every insecure thought she’s ever had until she sees herself through my eyes.
“Well, get used to it.” My stare drags down her body unapologetically. “Because I’m not stopping.”
She swallows thickly, clearly flustered by my boldness. She looks toward the water as if it might cool the roaring fire between us.
“Is the water warm?” she finally asks.
“Yeah,” I rasp. “It feels great. Get in already.”
She thinks for a second before inhaling a deep breath and stepping down onto the first step. I can’t help but watch howthe water laps at her ankles, then her shins as she descends the stairs. It’s like a work of art watching the pool come alive around her luminous body.
When the water hits just above her hips, she stops and lifts her arms to smooth her fingertips over the surface. I watch every ripple, jealous that the pool is holding her instead of me.
“Ah, you were right,” she exhales. “This feels amazing.”
Her head tips back, exposing the soft skin gleaming down the column of her throat. She closes her eyes and takes a deep, relaxing breath before bending back and slipping under the water.
She disappears for two heartbeats before slowly rising back into the night air.
It’s impossible to take my eyes off of her.
Water streams down her cheeks, over her mouth, and along her collarbones before dropping like tiny jewels between the valley of her breasts. Her hair slicks down her back, disappearing behind her delicate shoulders.
She looks ethereal. Otherworldly.
Soft, yet wild. Tame, yet begging to be corrupted.
Meadow wipes water from her lashes before flashing me a smile. She swims closer, but far enough to keep a few feet of distance between us.
“I have a question for you, Brooks,” she says, mischief swirling in her voice.
“Oh God,” I mutter, bracing myself. “What now?”
“Be honest,” she smirks, arching a brow. “Between the two of us, who do you think would survive if we were stranded on an abandoned island?”
