She follows without arguing, which is exactly why I called her and not someone else, and by the time we’re inside, I’m alreadyheading straight for the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of prosecco and opening it without overthinking it.
“So,” she asks, tilting her head, “who pissed you off?”
I take another slow sip from the bottle before finally answering.
“Take a guess,” I say, setting it down on the counter.
She hesitates, staring off to the side like she’s weighing the answer carefully before finally saying, almost too casually, “Cain.”
I glance at her, one brow lifting at how quickly that answer comes out, because something about it feels off, like she already had it prepared, but I don’t bother looking too deeply into it. Tess’s personal life has never exactly been my area of interest, mostly because it’s usually predictable… and, if I’m being honest, a little boring.
“Cain?” I repeat, leaning back against the counter. “Why would it be Cain?”
She shrugs, brushing it off like it doesn’t matter.
“I don’t know,” she admits, her tone leveling out again.“You stayed with him, didn’t you?”
I let out a quiet breath through my nose, my head tipping back and forth faintly.
“Not him,” I correct her, my voice flat. “The other one.”
“Dominic?” A small smile plays on her lips as she leans back against the counter, clearly entertained. “How could a guy built like that—with dark hair falling into his eyes and a face that should honestly be illegal—possibly piss anyone off?” she adds, her tone light, almost teasing. “He seriously looks like he wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
“You’re kidding, right?” I ask, unimpressed.
She only smirks, still amused, and that’s enough to set me off.
“When you and Cain disappeared to God knows where,” I start, my tone sharpening as I push myself off the counter, “your ridiculously attractive version of Shrek decided to keep me company.”
Her smile fades just a little.
“He started flirting with me while we were still in the pool, acting like I should be impressed,” I continue, keeping my tone steady despite the irritation underneath it. “And when I made it very clear I wasn’t interested, he had the nerve to get closer anyway.” I let out a short breath, shaking my head. “He grabbed me, pulled me against him like I didn’t have a say in it, like it was completely normal,” I add, my jaw tightening. “Way too close… so fucking close that I could feel how hard he was against my stomach.”
Tess straightens now, the amusement gone.
“And then he has the audacity to turn it around and act like I’m not his type,” I finish, letting out a dry laugh. “Like he wasn’t the one crossing every line five seconds earlier.”
I take another sip of wine, slower this time, letting it settle before I continue.
“And that wasn’t even the worst part,” I add, glancing at her. “After that, I got out of the pool, because I was done with his bullshit, and of course he followed me like he had nothing better to do.”
My fingers clamp tighter around the bottle.
“He actually slapped my ass on the way out, like it was some kind of joke, and before I could even react, he shoved me straight back into the pool.”
Tess’s expression shifts completely now.
“And not just anywhere,” I go on, my tone flattening, “the deep end.”
I exhale through my nose, more annoyed than anything.
“If Cain hadn’t been there, I would’ve been in serious trouble,” I add, not making it sound dramatic, just stating it like it is while taking another sip.
“So yeah,” I finish, turning my attention back to her. “Your innocent little puppy? Not so innocent.”
Tess doesn’t say anything right away, but the shift in her expression tells me she’s finally paying attention.
“Okay… that’s not great,” she mutters, the amusement gone from her voice now.
