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32
Ariella
“No!” I screamed as Adam picked me up, throwing me over his shoulder. “Don’t do it.”
I pleaded as he walked towards the lake. I beat his back with my fists, but it was like smacking the ground. There was more pain radiating through my arm than him. He was pure muscle. They rippled as he moved, carrying me like I weighed nothing.
“Be good, nightling.” He growled as he slapped my ass.
I gasped as warmth bloomed between my legs. He kept his palm on my ass, caressing my heated skin. His fingers snuck under the edge of my swimsuit, making my pussy ache for his touch.
But it was all a trick to distract me. He laughed as he tossed me into the water. It was freezing, soaking me to the bone as I sunk to the bottom. I kicked my way to the surface again, gasping for air as the cold assaulted me.
“I can’t believe you did that!” I snapped as I swiped the water from my eyes. But my anger was ruined by the smile on my face. The happiness that seemed to come from inside me.
“Old habits die hard.” He smiled back, one of the first true ones I’d seen on his face in years.
I’d been reluctant to come back to this place when Adam woke me at dawn, saying we had to celebrate one month of being back together. Sometimes, it felt like these woods were haunted. Like our old selves were trapped here.
But when I saw the expression on his face, it all disappeared. I forget the pain. The betrayal. I only remembered the good times. The summer nights, we’d sneak away to this lake to swim in the moonlight.
There had been so much more good than bad. Years of good before a single moment tore us apart. And I didn’t want to waste another minute thinking about it.
My entire body shivered as I swam to the shore. Early fall was a little cold for swimming. I reached up towards him, extending my hand. “Help me out.”
He moved to the edge, his feet barely in the water as he grasped my wrist. A smirk spread across my face as I pushed off the dirt, using all my weight to drag him into the water with me.
My laugh echoed around the lake as his head popped up again. But it died the second I saw the devilish look on his face. My blood raced as I turned, swimming in the opposite direction as fast as I could.
“You won’t get away that easily, nightling.” I could hear him splashing behind me. I knew he was faster. Stronger. That he could catch me. And the idea turned me on. I wanted to be caught. To be his.
“No.” I squeaked as he wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me back to his chest. I couldn’t get away as he lifted me. My toes dragged across the bottom of the lake.
“You’re mine.” He growled in my ear. “You’ll never get away from me.”
And I never wanted to.
* * *
The sun warmed my skin as I lay on a towel at the edge of the lake. The beauty around me made my fingers twitch. I’d wanted to bring my notebook, but Adam told me to leave it behind. It made me itchy and restless.
I wanted to capture this moment. Immortalize it on paper. The way the sunlight hit his red hair. The water sliding down his thick Adam’s apple. All his muscles wrapped in bronzed skin. It was perfect. He was perfect. I couldn’t look away.
“What’s on your mind, nightling?” Adam asked as I kept staring.
“I’m trying to memorize everything so I can draw it when we get home.” I sighed, looking back to the water. I watched the small waves ripple along the surface.
I was starting to feel the tiniest bit of disappointment. A little ounce of longing that threatened to ruin my day when suddenly Adam placed something in my lap.
I sat up, grasping the book. It had a soft leather cover that could be folded over. The pages were crisp and blank, just waiting to be filled.
“I thought you might need a new one.” I whipped my gaze to him as he handed me an unopened package of my favorite pencils. “The old one is full of bad memories. It’s time for some happiness.”
My eyes burned as he brushed a piece of hair from my face. My throat felt tight. I shouldn’t be having this kind of reaction. They were small gifts. But the look in his eyes twisted me up.
It had all the pain and guilt we both still lived with. But there was a spark of hope. A dream for a future we could have.
“I love it,” I whispered, running my fingers along the smooth leather.
