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His eyelids were half-closed, little droplets of water on the tips of his eyelashes. His jaw clenched and unclenched. “Do that again, and I’ll make love to you right in the middle of this stream, Nova.” He lifted me higher and took another step forward.
And there it was. The giant elephant in the room—um, forest—I had been worried about bringing up, right in front of my face. There was no way to avoid the conversation now.
His body was warm against mine. It seemed as if we were melting into one as we crossed the waters slowly. My body felt electric, and with every step he took, I contemplated squeezing my thighs again.
After what seemed like an eternity, we made it to the other side, and he set me down gently. He pulled a handkerchief out of the backpack and wiped the muck and water from my legs. When his fingers trailed down my rose vine tattoo, I bit my bottom lip and closed my eyes.
Can you keep it together? Not everything has to be sexual.
OK, here goes nothing.
“Why didn’t you say anything?” My voice was barely a whisper, and I cleared my throat. “Cian, why did you act like you didn’t know me?”
He untied his shoes and put them back on. His back was tense, and I hoped that he would not play stupid. There was no need for these games, not with so much on the line. He gazed at me, a fire in his eyes. “Fucking your brains out until you orgasmed all over my cock doesn’t really classify as ‘knowing someone,’ little mouse.”
My face heated, and the air caught in my throat. Did he think he could embarrass me by being crass? Did he not know that I owned a shop full of sex toys? “You know what I mean. You could have said something, like at the dinner party in Chicago.” I stood up and grabbed the water jug from his hand. I took a swig and screwed the lid back on. “You know, the one where you called me a whore. I guess it’s fitting, right?” I chuckled, trying to keep the bitterness out of my voice. “Considering I did fuck you months ago.”
He ran his fingers through his hair, and if I hadn’t been paying attention, I would have missed the slight flush on his cheeks. Good. I hoped he felt like crap for saying that. Even if it was slightly true. OK, not true. Maybe I was the level right above a ho, but below a whore.
“I apologize for implying that,” he said. “It was—unexpected when I saw you at the party.”
“Why haven’t you said anything then?” I threw my hands up in the air.
His jaw clenched. “What you really want to know is why I haven’t told your little boyfriend about us. That’s what you’re asking, correct?”
“He’s myfiancée.” I emphasized the word.
“Bullshit.”
I stopped breathing for a moment, and based on the grin spreading across his face, he knew he had hit a nerve. There was no way he could know the truth. Ryzen wouldn’t have told him. Cian was fucking with me.
I scoffed and rolled my eyes. “You’re nuts. We’re engaged, and I’m assuming you are bitter about it.”
He laughed. He actually had the nerve to laugh in my face. “Where did you meet him?”
“In an elevator.”
“How long ago?”
“Nine months ago.”
“That’s convenient.”
“It’s the truth.”
“What’s his real name?”
Wait. What? This was a trap. Abort.
I held my hands up in front of me. “This is stupid. I’m not going to do this with you today. Let’s just forget it happened.”
Cian smirked, and I had the sudden urge to push him into the water. I turned my back to him and bent over, picking off invisible twigs from my shoes. Why the hell would he say something like that? Was he onto us? He couldn’t have been. As far as I—and, hell, almost all of Covington’s family—was concerned, we were a happy, loving couple. No, Cian was just trying to fuck with me, and I would have to keep my guard up the rest of the day.
Something shimmering against the fence caught my attention, and I walked over and found a bag tied to the fence post. “Cian, look.” I untied it and held it up as he approached. “You were right.”
Inside the bag was a folded piece of paper. I unfolded it and held it up so he could see.
I’m a bed not for sleeping and have no sheets.
