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“You,” she hissed.
I raised my eyebrow in a gesture that I knew from experience had always pissed her off.
“I do live here,” I said mildly. “For now, at least. Care to join me?”
She looked at the pool as if she was tempted, but then she took a step back.
“No, thank you. I’ll use the community pool tomorrow morning,” she said, turning away.
“Come on! Don’t be a chicken,” I called.
I didn’t know why I was trying to provoke her. Okay, I knew why. It was because my anger and anxiety about her safety needed some sort of release. But I knew I was playing with fire. Tasha and I in such close proximity, with no one to keep the peace between us, and no one to make sure we kept our hands off each other.
A heady madness swept over me as I stared at her challengingly.
“Don’t call me that,” she snapped.
“It’s only a swim. I won’t bite, I promise,” I said, resisting the urge to cross my fingers behind my back because, of course, I’d love to nibble my way down those delectable curves.
Tasha took a deep breath and walked back to the edge of the pool. Without looking at me, she tossed her towel over the back of a lounge chair and jumped in.
I was lucky I was standing at the deep end of the pool because the single glimpse of her body in that swimsuit was enough to give me a raging erection. I turned away from her and resumed my lap.
She kept up a lazy breaststroke, ignoring me as I passed her. I kept my eyes resolutely away from her until I had my body under control again. When it was safe for me to get out of the pool, I turned around for one last look before I hoisted myself out.
Tasha stood at the opposite end of the pool with her back to me, reaching out to the phone that she’d left on the lounger.
“Do you mind if I play some music?” she asked without looking at me.
I wanted to reply, but the words froze on my lips because I could see Tasha clearly in the moonlight. Her swimsuit was cut very low in the back, revealing gleaming soft skin that could bring a man to his knees. It also revealed the scars that dotted her back.
For a minute, shock froze me in place, until the fury racing through me finally made me move. I swam over to her and just stood there, staring at her back.
“How did you get these?” I asked hoarsely, breathing slowly so I didn’t spook her.
Tasha whirled around in surprise and backed away a step when she saw me standing close to her.
“You were at the other end of the pool. How did you…?” she stammered.
I ignored her question.
“Those are burn marks,” I said, recognising the scarring. “Why the hell do you have burn marks on your back, Tasha?”
“They are very old,” she said, not looking at me.
I didn’t want to touch her against her will, but I needed answers. And I needed them now.
I put my hands on the edge of the pool, on either side of her, fencing her in. Then I leaned forward and waited until she looked up at me angrily.
“Step away, DV,” she snapped.
I shook my head slowly.
“Not until you tell me how it happened, Tasha. Not until you tell me the name of the bastard who did this to you,” I said gently.
“Why?” she demanded.
“Because I will find whoever did this and rip them apart limb to limb,” I replied.
