“Okay,” I murmur, more focused on the hard dick digging against my naval.
“Ready for your next step?” he asks, my gaze falling to his delicious lips.
“I don’t know… I mean… If I’m ready.”
“I’ll hold your hand through it,” he whispers.
“I thought you didn’t make love?” I mutter.
Chris stops moving. “What?”
Shit. He was talking about swimming.
“Whatever goes on in that brain of yours?” he says, playfully flicking my forehead. “Come on, I want you to get used to being underwater.”
“I…I can try. But please don’t let me go.”
“You have my word,” he says, sliding his feet from under mine. “And I don’t break promises.”
Now standing at arm’s length away and still holding my hand, Chris senses my hesitation.
“You start by starting, Harper. And remember what I said. Nothing is ever as bad as we imagine it will be. Just do it.”
Using my free hand to pinch my nose, I draw in a deep breath and bend my knees.
A second later, I’m immersed in water for the first time in twelve years.
Chris squeezes my hand, and as I stare at the bulge in his groin, I feel so alive and free.
The sun penetrates the surface, rippling streams of lights around his swim shorts.
It’s actually okay. It’s beautiful down here.
As my shoulders relax, my mind suddenly flies back in time.
“Mom!” my inner ten-year-old screams. “Mom! Wake up!”
Trapped inside a sinking car, repressed memories overpower me and my heart races.
Panic rushes up from my feet.
My legs give way.
My world falls black…
TWENTY-THREE
Harper
“Harper!” someone yells, a hand squeezing my cheeks. “Harper! Wake up!”
My eyes roll as I open them, and the sunlight blinds me.
I try to breathe, but jets of water fly from my mouth.
“Thank God you’re okay,” Chris gasps, pulling me close to his chest.
“W-what happened?” I pant, resting my chin against his rock-hard shoulder.
“You blacked out.”
With his biceps pressed under my armpits, Chris walks me to the shallow end of the pool and lowers my feet to the tiles. He steps back and stares down at me.
“Are you okay?” he asks.
Squinting up at him, it’s hard to tell if it’s just pool water dripping from his bloodshot eyes. “I think so. But I’m so sorry.”
“For what?” he asks, reaching a hand to my cheek. “You did nothing wrong. You were amazing. I shouldn’t have pushed you to do that. It was too much, too soon.”
“Stop,” I whisper, my breath calming as I roll my face into his palm.
“You’re only going to get better and better from he?-“
“Stop,” I repeat, pressing a shaky finger to his lips. “Just stop. I can’t do this anymore.”
He nods. “Okay. I get that. Maybe we can try again tomorrow?”
“I’m not talking about swimming,” I say, lowering my hand. I roll my finger across his chin, and his chest heaves as I trace down the deep line of his abs. “I can’t pretend like this isn’t happening anymore. We both feel it, Chris. There’s no point denying it.”
His jaw pulses. “Harper, let’s just take a mome?-“
“Kiss me,” I purr, clutching his wrist. Snaking his warm fingers down my neck, his lips part when I rest his hand on my chest. “Just. Kiss. Me.”
His sculpted body tenses so hard the water ripples around him. Fighting the lust that glistens in his eyes, he can’t resist squeezing my left breast, and my legs almost give way again.
“What’s stopping you?” I mime up at him.
He grits his teeth. “Your dad’s not going to like this.”
I’m so lost in the heat of the moment, I’ve forgotten all about the water.
“Really not a great time to be thinking about my dad, Chris.” I shudder as he rolls his thumb over my nipple. “Forget him. Just kiss me.”
He growls when I run my nail over his shorts, snaking down his stiff shaft.
Using his free hand to grip the back of my neck, he presses his forehead into mine. Dark blue veins pulse in his throat and forearm as he grits his teeth.
“You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into with me,” he whispers.
Leaving my breast, he groans when he lowers his hand to my ass.
“I’m dangerous, Harper. Look at the things that have happened since I showed up. Shit like this just follows me around like a bad smell.”
Sliding my lips close to his ear, I roll my fingers over his shorts and squeeze his stone-hard cock. “Just say you don’t want me and we’ll stop.”
“Does itfeel like I don’t want you?” he pants as I slowly lift my hand up and down.
“Good,” I whisper. “Because I want you.”
“Fuck!” he snarls, sliding his hand inside my swimsuit to grab my ass. “You need to stop this, Harper. Now. There’s no going back after this.”
“Maybe I don’t want to go back…”
Chris slides his hand under my swimsuit and presses the tip of his finger against my clit. Squirming under his expert touch, I widen my legs as his cock twitches in my hand.
“You’re going to get hurt,” he moans.
Grabbing his wrist, I lower his hand until his finger parts my labia.
“Maybe I like pain.”
A rush of ecstasy blasts through my core as he slides inside me.
“Oh, God,” I pant, rocking against his hand as he dives deeper. Chris slides his wet lips across my cheek. “Fuck. Kiss me.”
I close my eyes when his mouth grazes mine.
“I made a promise,” he whispers, his breath tickling my tongue.
Like someone pulling away a blanket on a cold winter’s morning, Chris withdraws his finger and I open my eyes.
“What’s wrong now?” I shout in frustration. “Just forget about my fucking dad for ten minutes! We both want this!”
Chris runs his hand through his hair and grabs the metal steps. Now I’m watching him climbing out of the pool.
“Hey!” I shout, running through the water.
I climb the steps up to the decking and grab his arm.
“Hey! You can’t just do that and walk away from me like some big tease. It’s not fair.”
Chris half turns to me. “I’m not a tease, Harper. I just care about you. And like I said, I’m bad news.”
“Bad news and promises!” I snap. “That’s all you talk about. You need to stop thinking about my dad and realize I’m not some dumb little kid.”
He turns and tucks a lock of damp hair behind my cheek. “I know you’re not. Let’s just go back inside and pretend this didn’t happen. I’ll make us some lunch.”
Feeling stupid, I step backward and stare at the water running into the grooves of his eight-pack. Then my eyes fall to the pipe running down the left leg of his shorts. I can still feel it throbbing in my palm.
“You go,” I tell him. “I need a moment to…cool off.”
Chris smirks. “Yeah. Good idea. I’ll go grab a cold shower. You did great today.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.