well with people when they’re drinking.”
She snorted at his admission, proving she had been ignoring him. “You’re a fucking idiot.” Oddly, her insult made him chuckle. This was the version of Riley he knew how to handle. He’d rather have her anger over whatever this was any day.
“You’re not the first to say so.”
She finally stirred, standing in the water and facing him. Unfortunately, her breasts still bobbed above the water, doing nothing to alleviate his lust. He sat down before she could catch sight of his erection. He might want her, even when she was like this, but he didn’t have to let her know it.
“It’s especially true tonight. You’re so damn determined to find fault in me that you didn’t even consider I might have a good reason for not being there today.” Droplets of water flew through the air, sparkling as they caught the moonlight when Riley raised her arms above her head. Even in the dark, Tristan couldn’t miss the large bruises marring her skin. They ran from elbow to wrist and looked painful. He had no idea how he’d missed them. Before he could ask how it happened, her breath shuddered, wiping his brain clean. She sounded like she was crying. With water running down her face from her hair, he couldn’t be certain. Since it was obvious she had his full attention, she dropped her arms.
“Maybe if you cared about me at all beyond your belief that I need a fucking keeper, you’d know that I’m allergic to pain medicine but that didn’t stop them from pumping me full of it at the ER this morning. That’s why I’m out of sorts. My brain is still trying to shake off the aftereffects.”
He felt sick, and furious. “Yet you’re splashing around in a pond, where you could drown. ” His voice rose with every word until Tristan was certain he was screaming at her. At some point in his rant, Tristan had come to his feet. The scariest part was that he didn’t remember doing so. Something warm pressed against his leg causing his heart to slam against his chest. His eyes shot to the ground. A groan rose in his throat. Hunter’s dog Brutus sniffed at his shoes. His owner wouldn’t be far behind. Sure enough, the glow of a flashlight moved across the grass before landing on him.
“Tristan?”
Damn. There was no way he could explain a nude Riley. He could kiss his job goodbye. “How’s it going, Hunter?”
As the man closed the distance between them, Tristan could see the frown marring his brow. “What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?”
“Just out for a stroll,” Tristan answered immediately, thankful it wasn’t a complete lie. “I didn’t realize how far off my own property I’d gone until I reached the pond. Guess I was lost in thought.” Tristan cast a nervous glance at the water while trying not to draw too much attention to the action. He wasn’t quick enough. Hunter shined the light across the water. Riley was gone. Keeping his features carefully blank, he searched the pond with his gaze, hoping she hadn’t drowned while his back had been turned.
“Couldn’t sleep, eh? Same here.” Tristan turned his attention back to Hunter at the man’s words. He obviously hadn’t spotted anything out of the ordinary. Tristan was trying not to panic. Where was Riley? Hunter shook his head. “It’s hard to believe Harmony’s been gone for years now, but I find myself out here more and more often at this time of night. Guess that night will always stick with me. Now, I find myself wandering out this way at the oddest hours.” Tristan couldn’t say a word. For the first time since Harmony died, Tristan hadn’t been thinking about her at all when he’d come here. Riley filled his head now. Even as she splashed in the same water that had claimed his wife and in-laws, he hadn’t spared a thought for them. Of course, now that Riley was missing and Hunter raised the topic, he couldn’t stop worrying about Riley’s safety.
“What you got there
She snorted at his admission, proving she had been ignoring him. “You’re a fucking idiot.” Oddly, her insult made him chuckle. This was the version of Riley he knew how to handle. He’d rather have her anger over whatever this was any day.
“You’re not the first to say so.”
She finally stirred, standing in the water and facing him. Unfortunately, her breasts still bobbed above the water, doing nothing to alleviate his lust. He sat down before she could catch sight of his erection. He might want her, even when she was like this, but he didn’t have to let her know it.
“It’s especially true tonight. You’re so damn determined to find fault in me that you didn’t even consider I might have a good reason for not being there today.” Droplets of water flew through the air, sparkling as they caught the moonlight when Riley raised her arms above her head. Even in the dark, Tristan couldn’t miss the large bruises marring her skin. They ran from elbow to wrist and looked painful. He had no idea how he’d missed them. Before he could ask how it happened, her breath shuddered, wiping his brain clean. She sounded like she was crying. With water running down her face from her hair, he couldn’t be certain. Since it was obvious she had his full attention, she dropped her arms.
“Maybe if you cared about me at all beyond your belief that I need a fucking keeper, you’d know that I’m allergic to pain medicine but that didn’t stop them from pumping me full of it at the ER this morning. That’s why I’m out of sorts. My brain is still trying to shake off the aftereffects.”
He felt sick, and furious. “Yet you’re splashing around in a pond, where you could drown. ” His voice rose with every word until Tristan was certain he was screaming at her. At some point in his rant, Tristan had come to his feet. The scariest part was that he didn’t remember doing so. Something warm pressed against his leg causing his heart to slam against his chest. His eyes shot to the ground. A groan rose in his throat. Hunter’s dog Brutus sniffed at his shoes. His owner wouldn’t be far behind. Sure enough, the glow of a flashlight moved across the grass before landing on him.
“Tristan?”
Damn. There was no way he could explain a nude Riley. He could kiss his job goodbye. “How’s it going, Hunter?”
As the man closed the distance between them, Tristan could see the frown marring his brow. “What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?”
“Just out for a stroll,” Tristan answered immediately, thankful it wasn’t a complete lie. “I didn’t realize how far off my own property I’d gone until I reached the pond. Guess I was lost in thought.” Tristan cast a nervous glance at the water while trying not to draw too much attention to the action. He wasn’t quick enough. Hunter shined the light across the water. Riley was gone. Keeping his features carefully blank, he searched the pond with his gaze, hoping she hadn’t drowned while his back had been turned.
“Couldn’t sleep, eh? Same here.” Tristan turned his attention back to Hunter at the man’s words. He obviously hadn’t spotted anything out of the ordinary. Tristan was trying not to panic. Where was Riley? Hunter shook his head. “It’s hard to believe Harmony’s been gone for years now, but I find myself out here more and more often at this time of night. Guess that night will always stick with me. Now, I find myself wandering out this way at the oddest hours.” Tristan couldn’t say a word. For the first time since Harmony died, Tristan hadn’t been thinking about her at all when he’d come here. Riley filled his head now. Even as she splashed in the same water that had claimed his wife and in-laws, he hadn’t spared a thought for them. Of course, now that Riley was missing and Hunter raised the topic, he couldn’t stop worrying about Riley’s safety.
“What you got there
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