Page 86 of Pistols & Peonies

It’s the one place I can let my guard down and take the mask off.

And how she’s here, dismantling my peace one reckless act at a time.

“Well?” Violet asks, splashing me to get my attention.

Water slaps against my thighs, instantly soaking through the front of my slacks. I jerk back on instinct, cursing under my breath while she grins up at me in smug victory. The reflection of the sunlight off the water catches in her eyes, turning them an impossible shade of blue.

“Join me,” she coaxes, a smirk tugging at her lips.

I scowl down at her.

I haven’t gone swimming in… I don’t know how long. Not for leisure, at least.

“Or don’t,” she laughs, rolling her eyes as she flips onto her back. She spreads her arms wide, floating effortlessly, the lake cradling her body. The waterline shifts lazily around her, the swell of her breasts breaking the surface before dipping under again.

My jaw tightens, cock thickening behind my zipper.

Swimming suddenly feels like an excellent idea.

She rolls upright and dives under again, disappearing beneath the surface of the lake. My wolf stirs, immediately tracking her. Even though I can’t see her, I feel her movement– the displacement in the water, the faint shift in current. Instinct hums low in my chest with the primal urge to give chase.

She resurfaces several yards away, slicking her wet hair back. A little too carefree for someone who just challenged a predator.

“It’s weird if you just stand there and stare,” she calls. “You’re either getting in or going back inside. Pick one. Don’t be a creep.”

I huff out a breath. “You’re acting like a child.”

“And you’re acting like an old man,” she fires back, smirking.

That does it.

She’s deliberately provoking me, trying to pry at the edges of my control, seeing how far she can push before I snap. It’s fucking working, and the little menace is enjoying every second of it.

I hook my fingers into the hem of my t-shirt and yank it over my head in one sharp motion, tossing it onto the dock without breaking eye contact.

Her gaze drags down my chest.

“Careful,” I warn, voice low.

Her grin widens.

I pop the button on my slacks. “Now you’re gonna get it.”

She squeals and kicks her legs, splashing me as she swims for deeper water.

I strip the rest of the way out of my boots and pants, kicking them aside. Then I step to the edge of the dock and dive in after her.

The lake closes over my head in a rush, my body sinking beneath the surface, then rising to break it. I level out and drive forward, long, powerful strokes eating up the distance between us.

She’s fast.

But I’m faster.

I close the gap in seconds, hooking an arm around her waist and hauling her back against me. She gasps, twisting and splashing wildly as we tumble together.

Water churns around us in sharp, chaotic waves as she fights to wriggle free. Her laugh is bright and breathless, the sound vibrating straight through me as her bare skin slides against mine beneath the surface.

I’m fully hard now.