“Cole is never without a beautiful woman in his bed,” Richard says.
“Is that right?” I grip Cole’s immovable arm, trembling against the curl of the fingers inside me.
While I don’t like hearing about all his conquests, I know it’s in the past. I’m over it.
I keep my head turned away from those dark brown eyes, but I feel them burning the side of my face. I bet he’s wearing a sexy, shit-eating smile, too, and damn if my nipples don’t harden beneath the bikini top.
“You’re the prettiest one, though.” Richard cocks his head. “If he’s smart, he’ll hang onto you.”
Oh, he has me, exactly where he wants me—squirming and at his mercy.
“Thanks for letting me use the shop tonight.” Cole sinks his finger deeper, thrusting a whimper past my lips. “I’ll take it from here.”
“Let me show you how to lock up.” Richard gives me a chin lift. “Nice to finally meet you, Danni.”
“You, too.” I gasp as Cole removes his hand and follows the other man out.
When he returns a few minutes later, I’m still flushed and trembling.
“That was cruel.” I cross my arms and jut my chin.
“I’m going to fuck the shit out of that sassy little attitude.”
“You think so?” My pussy clenches.
“I know so.” He grabs a BCD vest and holds it out. “This controls your buoyancy in the water.”
He spends the next thirty minutes walking me through Scuba 101. Each instruction adds another piece of equipment on my body. By the time he’s finished, I can barely stand up beneath the weight.
“You expect me to walk to the pool like this?” I lean against him for support.
“It’s like ten yards away.” He adjusts the tank on his back and grins. “I’ve jumped out of airplanes wearing more than that.”
“Good for you, you smug shit. You’re also twice my size.”
“Alright. Gimme a second.” He hooks more gear onto my body, grabs two sets of fins, and bends to wrap an arm around the backs of my legs. “Hold on.”
My hands fly to his shoulders as he lifts me off the floor. I must weight five-hundred pounds with all the equipment, and he’s carrying me with one arm. I’m impressed. And a little turned-on.
“Someone’s been working out.” I kiss his cheek.
“Thanks for noticing.” He strides into the pool area and sets me on a large rubber mat beside the water’s edge. “Your phone’s in the bag there, if you want some music. We’ll have our heads above water for a while, until you get comfortable.”
Moving at the speed of a snail, I remove my phone and swipe through the playlist while he messes with his equipment.
I select This Town by Niall Horan. The song reminds me of us—the yearning for an old flame, the lost love, and nostalgia of home.
“Ready, baby?” He tilts his head, grinning.
I’m ready to relieve some of this weight. “Throw me in or lose me forever.”
He does just that, a scoop and a toss that shoots me a couple feet beneath the surface. The heated water swirls around me, and when I come up for air, I have the best view.
Standing on the pool ledge above me, he moves his fingers over the scuba computer on his wrist, with his eye mask dangling from the strap between the bite of his teeth. I can’t take my eyes off him—the ridged terrace of his abs, the long outline of his cock in the spandex shorts, and the wide stance of a man comfortable in his own skin.
“You’re fucking hot, you know that?” I lick my lips.
His brown eyes flash to mine, and the entire world sighs as the greatest smile ever born illuminates his gorgeous face.
Then he pushes off the edge with his legs and darts feet first into the water, piercing the surface like a soundless arrow.
“I think I have the hang of it.” I swim over to Cole, smiling hugely.
Granted, I haven’t actually dived to the bottom of the fifteen-foot pool, but I know how to adjust my buoyancy and clear my mask underwater.
While I practiced, he tried to put the fins on my feet, but they felt bulky and cumbersome, so I made him toss them out.
He checks my valves and adjusts the mask on my face. Then he turns to his own, his hands moving efficiently, mindlessly, like he’s done this a million times.
“Did you dive on missions?” I touch the sharp angle of his jawline.
His eyes lift to mine. “The ocean is usually the best path of escape, especially for someone trained in combat dives.” His gaze turns cloudy behind the fog-less mask, and he blinks it clear. “Go slow on the descent. Steady your breathing. I’ll do the rest.”