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“I know, baby.” He holds up a metal key hanging from a plastic wrist coil. “Are you going to be a good girl, or do I need to use this?”
It isn’t enough that his hotel room key works to open the pool area, but whatever connection he has with the management also provided him a key for the deadbolt so he can lock us inside, ensuring that we won’t be interrupted.
Whatever urge I had to cooperate with this evaporated as soon as he asked if I was going to be a good girl. Drake should have figured out by now that if he has to ask, then the answer is no.
“What do you think?”
He lets out a dry chuckle. “At least you’re honest.”
The deadbolt slides home with the force of a gunshot, the sound echoing off the high glass walls of the pool enclosure. In the bluish glow of the lights, this smile looks practically demonic as he secures the key chain around his wrist and takes a step toward me.
I immediately take a matching step backward, hitting the back of my knees on a pool chair. The look in his eyes is one of dark anticipation, and I have a sudden urge to stay out of his reach. He wants to scare me a little, I remind myself. But I know Drake isn’t actually going to hurt me.
I just need to get that message across to my racing heart.
This is the first time that he has deliberately tried to intimidate me. I hate to admit how well it’s working.
Drake takes another step toward me and I take one back, nearly tripping over another deck chair because I refuse to take my eyes off of him. I’m concerned he plans to throw me down and ravish me, but equally concerned that he won’t.
“This isn’t funny,” I inform him, backing around a table to keep it between us.
“I’m not laughing,” he replies softly, circling the table slowly enough to give me time to hurry away. “There isn’t anywhere to run, you know.”
I hate how amused my reaction makes him. It makes me want to stop playing along just to be contrary. But I still slide a chair in his way as I skirt past the hot tub.
“This cat-and-mouse shit is getting a little tired.” I try to infuse as much boredom in my voice as I can manage. “If this is all you got, it’s a bit of a letdown.”
Drake surprising me by stopping the chase. He reclines on the deck chair that I put in between us, gaze heated as he gives me a lazy once-over. “I guess I’ll just have to wait for you to come to me.”
“That won’t happen. I’m still mad at you, remember?”
“It’ll happen if you don’t want to still be out here at dawn.” Drake leans back in the chair and lifts his arms in an exaggerated stretch before resting his hands behind his head. “If you’re angry, let’s talk about it.”
“I don’t want to talk about it. Pretty sure I made that clear.”
“Then we can do something else.” The gaze he levels at me is full of challenge. “How about another dip in the hot tub? We can finish our conversation from earlier.”
“No, thanks—” I cut myself off when Drake rises from the lounge chair and strips off his shirt. Pool lights cast a glow along his skin that highlights the rippling muscles of his chest and abs. I swear he flexes a bit as he tosses the shirt away, the move entirely for my benefit.
But I refuse to let myself get distracted by a mouthwatering display of skin. “That isn’t anything I haven’t seen before.”
“You have no idea what dirty things we’re up to in here. I’ve got plenty of memories to keep me company.” He taps the side of his head as he steps down into the sunken tub. “Care to join me and make a few more?”
“No.”
If I step foot inside of that hot tub, I’m going to forget everything but my own name. Including how mad I still am that he lied to me.
Drake has the nerve to sound hurt. “Would it help if I apologize?”
God, I’m a sucker. “That depends. Would you mean it?”
The look he gives me is so somber that I know whatever he says next will be absolute truth. “With one notable exception, I’ve honestly meant everything I ever said to you.”
The reminder of the night his friends played that video isn’t precisely welcome, but I still find myself weakening. Squaring my shoulders like I’m facing a genuine threat, I glare down at him. “I’m not sure that’s good enough.”
“Get in the water and I’ll show you sorry I am.”
A shiver of anticipation sets my knees quaking. I need to stay strong. “I’m not wearing a bathing suit.”
