He loses the battle against himself, his gaze dropping as he slowly scans down my body. I watch him as he does, hooking my thumbs beneath the waistband of my thong and sliding it down.
My tail whirls behind me as I step out of the underwear, leaving them on the ground. I turn, my heart racing as Ihead toward the water, fully exposing my backside to him. The vulnerability is terrifying, but at the same time…it feels right. I’m safe with him, even if it’s taken me a while to admit.
There isn’t a bad bone in his body.
Thereishowever, a bone of his I’d like to take intomybody.
As I enter the water, the waterfall’s mist cools some of my inner heat. Once I’m submerged to my hips, I turn around, facing where he stands at the water’s edge.
His jacket is already on the ground, his tight, paint-stained t-shirt clinging to him as the waterfall’s mist dots it. He’s clearly interested, but something’s holding him back.
“You don’t want to join me?” I tease, biting my bottom lip and bringing my wet hands to the upper portion of my body.
The water is cool against my skin, making my nipples perk up even more. Hopefully, the glow of the moonlight catches the wetness and makes me glimmer.
I want to entice him the way he entices me.
A smile darts onto his face, but it’s not his usual one. It’s less gentle, making it all the more sexy. “Just enjoying the view for a moment—I couldn’t paint something so beautiful.”
Instantly my cheeks warm, and I’m sure if I wasn’t in the water, I’d be dripping from my arousal. Gods, I need him to get into the water. I need him close to me.
I need him.
Gripping his t-shirt, he swiftly pulls it over his head, revealing a much more chiseled chest than I expected. Myeyes must widen as they travel over him because a deep chuckle leaves his lips.
“What?” he asks coyly as he undoes his belt. “An artist can’t also workout?”
They most certainly can, and I see that he does. His arms are bigger than I thought now that the t-shirt doesn’t conceal them. He has more rigid abs than I can count, though I’d like to get close and try, with a treasure trail leading down to the belt that he slides out of his belt loops.
Now it’s my turn to watch—and this time not while hidden in the shadows.
He undoes his pants, removing them in a much clumsier manner than his shirt.
I can’t help but let out a giggle. Even from this distance, I can see his cheeks flame up, painted red from blushing.
His fingertips hold the waistband of his boxers, but he doesn’t pull them off. He stands there, a blushing mess, staring at me.
“Don’t get shy on me now,” I purr, trying to seem in control even as my heart races.
That seems to be all the encouragement he needs. “I wouldn’t dare,” he says, sliding the boxers down his legs.
Once they’re off, he wades into the water, but my eyes are being drawn in too many places. His face. His chest. His abs. His bouncing cock.
The things I want to do to him…want to dowithhim.
And Gods, I might be ready to admit that I really, really do want him. Fated mates or not. I want him—body, soul, mind, and heart. I want all of him, all to myself.
The water bends around him as he gets closer to me, the moonlight dancing over the ripples he makes.Time feels slow as he approaches, and I’m glad it does. I could get used to this view of him, all wet and sexy in the middle of the night, in the middle of the woods.
He stops a few feet away, releasing quiet, shaky breaths as he takes in every visible inch of me until he reaches my eyes. I stare into his, this time not trying to hide any emotion that may show.
I don’t know how to explain to him how he makes me feel. The words are lost in my brain, the only things swirling about are all thedesireshe awakens.
“You can touch me…” I tell him as I take a step closer, loud enough that the waterfall doesn’t totally drown out my voice. “If you want.”
He wastes no time taking a step of his own forward, leaving mere inches separating us. “I want.”
Water drips from his hands as he raises them. Every part of me buzzes with anticipation as he reaches for me, cupping my face gently with one hand while the other cradles the back of my neck.
