Page 79 of Unravel Me

Of course, I keep the leaf necklace around my neck. My constant companion. A few years ago, I replaced the original thin gold chain with a special gold-plated one, but underneath the plating, it's made of fine braided titanium cable, because I don't want the chain to accidentally snap and send my necklace flying.

Gianni and I leave the room together, and he leads me downstairs to the ground floor, where the indoor pool occupies a spacious glass-walled area.

It's actually a pretty impressive pool, about twenty-six by sixteen feet, more than enough for private use. The room itself is beautiful. The walls are covered in patterned green and turquoise tiles, while underwater lights cast shimmering emerald and azure reflections across the water. One entire side is made of floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the garden. Even this late in the year it's filled with evergreen shrubs and lush plantings, creating a peaceful wall of greenery beyond the glass.

It's the kind of place I could easily get used to swimming in every day.

In the corner of the room, there's a small kiddie pool, though it's empty at the moment.

Of course, Silvio is already in the big pool, leisurely swimming a slow breaststroke from one end to the other. The moment he spots me, he stops and smiles.

"Come on in, Jared! I got you a float."

Under normal circumstances, I'd laugh at the idea because I'm an excellent swimmer, but considering how weak I still feel, simply floating on the water might actually be exactly what I need.

I stop at the steps, looking down at the water and wondering whether the pool is heated. Right then, the side door opens, and Mauro walks in.

Wow.

I have to admit, that's one hell of a view.

His hair is still damp from the shower, so the burgundy red sheen it takes on in the sunlight has disappeared. The seemingly black locks curl softly against the nape of his neck. Droplets of water shimmer across his beautifully sculpted chest, which is covered in tattoos. They're all botanical in style, twisting vines, branches, stylized flowers… but apart from my name, there isn't a single word inked anywhere else. What catches my attention even more is that the tattoos are dark green rather than black.

An interesting choice.

He's wearing a pair of tiny, skin-tight black swim trunks, sitting somewhere between trunks and Speedos. They leave very little to the imagination, emphasizing the impressive bulge at his crotch. His waist is narrow, his eight-pack flawless, and his long, muscular legs look almost unfair.

A fleeting thought crosses my mind. Now, that I see him without clothes, he actually looks even more muscular than I thought, bringing him pretty damn close to the size of the forest fae. Hmm. If I put a glow on him, wouldn't that golden-green light outlining his body make Mauro look like that forest entity after all?

But I quickly forget about those thoughts when I catch Mauro's gaze, his eyes boring into me with incredible intensity.

Heat instantly floods my cheeks as he takes in every inch of my body, with no intention whatsoever of hiding his interest. He stops a couple of steps away from me, and I can clearly trace the line of his gaze as it lingers on my nipples before sliding down to my crotch.

A low sound escapes his throat.

It’s a so-called ‘Appreciation’.

One of the basic AO vocalizations, used to express admiration and a sexual interest.

It still amazes me that, despite being mute, Mauro can produce AO sounds. I'd already noticed it during his interactions with Veyron, when he'd managed those deep warning growls jealous alphas use around omegas.

"Mauro, I don't think it's possible to be any more obvious," Silvio says with an amused chuckle as he swims over to the edge and watches us closely. "I'm pretty sure Jared has already figured out you're interested."

For an eighty-year-old, he's surprisingly fit. His skin bears the wrinkles of age, but there's still plenty of strength and vitality left in his body.

"So? Are you two going to join me, or are you planning to stand there staring at each other all day?"

I give him an apologetic smile.

"Yeah… of course."

I slowly step into the water. Damn. It's fairly cool. Not freezing, but I'd guess somewhere around seventy-seven degrees. Maybe that's a good thing, though. It helps bring my excitement down, which is definitely needed, since I started to feel blood pumping down my abdomen.

I take a moment to get used to the temperature before stretching out on my float and letting myself drift across the surface.

Mauro slips into the pool as well, except he doesn't bother adjusting to the temperature. He dives straight under, disappearing beneath the surface for what feels like an awfully long time.

Is he looking at my legs kicking gently through the water? Or my ass?