Crossing the Line(27)

The second I submerged I felt some of the tension ease. Yeah, this would help dissipate the blackness that threatened to consume me when I saw Mia pressing against Pete.

I hadn't expected to feel anything, let alone the all-consuming jealousy that made me want to drag Pete away from the bar and beat him to a pulp.

It should've been okay, seeing Mia flirt with him. It's what I wanted, for her to leave me alone. But seeing her smile at that dufus, and giggle, and talk about going wild … Fuck, I sluiced through the water like a madman was on my tail at the thought of her doing anything with Pete, let alone going wild.

I lost count of how many laps I swam. I didn't care, as long as the blackness receded, worked out of my system by repetitive exercise before I did something monumentally stupid: like head back to the bar and ensure Pete couldn't leave with Mia if both his legs were broken.

When my muscles screamed with fatigue, I stopped and rolled onto my back, floating in what was finally a sea of calm.

Until I heard a splash and opened my eyes to see Mia less than two feet away. In her underwear.



* * *



MIA



I know what prompted me to strip down to my underwear and hop into the pool with Kye.

The sheer, unadulterated urge to drown him.

I wanted to duck his head under the water and hold it there until he saw sense. Instead, all I succeeded in doing was startling him enough to have him go under for a few seconds before he bobbed up, coughing and spluttering and looking mad as hell.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

"Same thing as you." I smirked, knowing it'd annoy him. "Taking a midnight dip."

"Go away." He shook his head, water droplets spraying. "You can't be here right now."

"I can be anywhere I goddamn like." I folded my arms, belatedly realizing the affect it would have when his gaze riveted to my chest. And secretly pleased when I glimpsed the instant flare of heat in his eyes. "And for the record? You're done telling me what I can and can't do."

I half expected him to haul himself out of the water and leave without looking back. Instead, he took a step closer, causing ripples to lap at my waist.

"While I've given you no reason to trust me, I need you to listen when I say I really need to be alone right now."

His grim tone scattered goosebumps across my skin and for the first time since I'd dived in, I questioned the logic of my impulsive action in following him here.

"Why? What are you going to do? Dunk me—"

His mouth slammed on mine, stealing my breath, stealing my sanity, stealing my heart.

I couldn't breathe as he devoured my mouth and I let him, making embarrassing moaning sounds that echoed down to my soul.

He didn't let up the pressure as he backed me against the side of the pool, his pelvis grinding against mine, making me wish our underwear would disappear.

I knew Kye wasn't a guy to be pushed. Hell, his whole demeanor at times scared me. He was too intense, too closed off. But I'd fallen for him faster than was good for either one of us and I wanted him, for however long I could have him.

He palmed my breasts, sending slivers of heat shooting lower where I yearned for him to touch me. I grabbed his ass, pulled him tighter against me if that were possible. And all the while his tongue worked magic on mine, his long, hot, open-mouthed kisses making me melt. I was weightless, floating, and it had nothing to do with the buoyancy of the water.

I knew he was kissing me to prove a point, out of retribution for defying him. I didn't care. Because this crazy, unstoppable passion between us? I would never get enough.

All too soon he wrenched his mouth from mine. "You shouldn't be here," he said, sounding tortured.

"So you keep saying." I looped my arms around his neck. "But I'm not going anywhere."

He stared at me, admiration warring with anger in his expressive blue eyes. "Why are you doing this?"

A simple enough question, one I had no hope of answering. At least, not with the truth.

So I settled for a response as close to total honesty as I could get. "Because when we're together, you make me feel good. Happy. In a way I've never been."

He blinked. Once. Twice. But not before I'd glimpsed a tenderness that made my throat clog with unshed tears.

"You're not going to give up, are you?"

I shook my head, relieved his tone had lost the underlying chill and he sounded more resigned than anything else.

"I'm not worth it," he said so softly I barely heard him. "Please, just leave me alone."

His words may have been harsh but his body didn't lie, and for a guy who was doing his best to push me away, his hands spanned my waist and held on tight, like he never wanted to let me go.

I shook my head. "I can't."

Cupping his face between my hands, I looked him straight in the eye. "You are so worth it. Please come back to my villa. Stay with me tonight."