Then my gaze drops.
The tattoo.
Completely black, stretching from his neck down across his chest and arms, flowing lower toward his abdomen like ink spilled and left to take over. I’ve never seen anything like it. It looks almost solid, like a sheet of black wrapped around him, and somehow it only makes everything underneath stand out more—every vein, every line of muscle, every movement. It’s distracting. Annoyingly so.
He looks… unreal. Like someone you don’t usually see in places like this. No wonder Tess is obsessed with him.
The guy is—Yeah.
Perfect.
Tess nudges me with her elbow, pulling me out of it.
“Sierra… Cain’s talking to you. Are you okay?” she asks with obvious satisfaction. “You okay over there?”
I blink once, forcing myself back, dragging my attention away from him like pulling out of a mirage in the middle of a desert.
I can’t believe I just got stuck like that.
“Hey, Cain,” I say, smoothing it over quickly, my tone steady. “Sorry, my mind was somewhere else for a second.”
I give him a small smile, casual enough, like nothing just happened, like I didn’t just stand there staring at him like he was the only drop of water in miles. Hopefully… it wasn’t that obvious.
“It’s alright. I hope you’re feeling better… you know… after what happened at the party,” His voice stays steady, softer than I expected from him.
I exhale quietly, tipping my head to the side.
“Oh, I’m fine. I’m sure dear Vince had the kind of funeral he would’ve wanted,” I say, a faint smile touching my lips. “Lifemoves on. I’m not the type to stay stuck over something like that.” I pause, then let out a light laugh. “Besides… Vince and I are old history. That was… what? Ten years ago? I’ve had plenty of time to get used to the idea of a life without him.” My eyes remain on him a second longer than they should.
“Anyway,” I continue, shifting the tone a little, “I wanted to thank you for what you did at the party. I’m sorry I was so… out of it. I don’t even remember when you left.”
A playful note slips into it before I can stop myself, and Tess reacts instantly beside me, visibly annoyed.
Not my problem. It’s obvious, really. Cain fits next to me, not her. If he wanted her, he would’ve made a move already. From what I’ve seen… he barely notices her.
“I just did what anyone would’ve done, Sierra.” Silence settles between us while his gaze slowly drops away. “I just wish I’d gotten to him sooner,” he adds, softer now. “Maybe things would’ve turned out differently.”
I move closer without drawing attention to it, lifting my hand to rest it lightly against his chest, right over his heart.
“For me, you’re a hero, Cain,” I say softly. “Don’t forget that.”
Our eyes remain locked a beat longer before I pull away and head toward the entrance. Behind me, I hear Tess’s voice, low and irritated.
“She really doesn’t know when to stop…”
Cain lets out a quiet chuckle, and just like that… I take it as a clear sign that I’ve got a pretty good shot at getting under his skin.
Game on.
Chapter 7
Cain
Today is an easy day, mostly because I don’t have many students to deal with. Just Sierra, Tess, and Dominic—my older brother—which makes it easier to keep things organized and actually focus on each of them without having to split my attention too much.
I stay near the edge of the pool, keeping an eye on all three while I explain the basics, adjusting things depending on how each of them reacts to the water, since it’s obvious from the start that they’re all at different levels, not that Dom actually needs swimming lessons—the asshole is just here because he couldn’t wait to see Sierra again.
“Stay on this side for now,” I tell Sierra, gesturing lightly toward the shallower half of the pool. “The other side gets deeper pretty quickly.”
