Page 43 of Pucked Around and Found Out

He drives the rest of the way to the beach in tense silence.

The moment he parks, I don't wait for him to say anything. I climb out and stalk down to the water's edge.

I grit my teeth and fight not to shiver from the cold as I kick my shoes off and push my pants down. I feel his presence drawing closer behind me.

I leave my bra and thong on as I push forward into the ocean, hissing when the ice-cold water laps at my feet.

I clench my fists at my sides and force myself to keep moving. Once the water is just below my chin, I turn to face him, ready to give him a piece of my mind.

But the words die on my tongue when I watch him begin to strip.

My mouth waters when he removes his shirt and I see his glorious body on display. He's pure evil and sin wrapped in a delectable package, but I can't stop feeling the way I do.

He wove a web and caught me in it.

I'm trapped.

When he moves to remove his pants, my breath hitches. I suddenly don't feel the icy bite of the water anymore. I'm hot all over, filled with desperate need.

A pulse begins to beat between my thighs and I'm powerless to fight against it.

He stands there in his briefs with his gaze locked onto me, then he stalks forward without so much as a shudder when the cold water touches his skin.

I stand here immobile as the God of darkness makes his way toward me.

He's an enigma. A sinner through and through. Yet I see none of that when I look into his eyes.

All I see is the boy who was forced to change in order to seek the truth. Monsters aren't born, they're created. And Xaden is a product of that. His pain and grief shaped him into the man he is today.

He stops a couple steps away from me, towering over me, yet I don't feel small at this moment.

I feel strong. Powerful. Almost like some of his strength has seeped into me.

“I'm not wearing a wire, Xaden,” I say clearly.

His eyes narrow slightly. He reaches out and grips my waist, then pulls my flush against him, drawing a gasp from me.

The heat of his skin against mine is a drug. I want to melt into him and savor this moment of peace between us.

He runs his fingers through my hair, tugs on the strands and forces me beneath the surface of the water.

I fight against his hold, panic flooding through me.

When I break the surface, I gasp for air and strike out, slapping him across the face.

He retaliates by wrapping his hand around my throat and getting right in my face.

Before he can spew threats, I cut in. “I'm telling the fucking truth! I'm not here to frame you or hurt you. I'm trying to help both of us!”

He remains impassive and tense. The silence between us stretches like a rubber band about to snap.

I refuse to break it. He needs to see that I'm not here to betray him, I'm trying to help us both win.

I don't think as I reach up and cup his face between my hands. He jolts in surprise but doesn't pull away as I press forward and place a chaste kiss to his lips.

I draw back enough to look him in the eyes. “I'm not your enemy,” I whisper, stroking his face with my thumbs. “I'm trying to save us both. I don't want to fight you, but if I have to…”

I rest my forehead against his and close my eyes, breathing him in for a second before I finish.