universe dictated.
Or she could run away until she died. Really, that was the only smart thing to do. She just had to figure out the perfect time, and then she could solve all their problems.
Chapter Six
Z oe stayed under water long enough to ice down her burning skin and corral her crazy thoughts and…
Come on, be honest.
Long enough to give Oliver a chance to strip and swim.
For the love of everything that was hot or holy, Zoe was starved for this. Craving more kisses, more touching, more Oliver. She had to have him. Had to.
When her lungs nearly burst, she popped up to see him sitting on the side of the pool, pants rolled to the knee, feet in the water.
She had to laugh at her dumb fantasies and his blasted self-control. “That’s it? That’s as reckless as you get, doc?”
He leaned back on his hands, watching her. “This is what you do.”
Everything, every single thing, about that statement pissed her off, cooling her more than the water. “What the hell does that mean?”
“It means you do this.” He gestured toward the pool.
“Swim?”
“As soon as things get messy, you do something impetuous and wild. You can’t be trusted.”
Damn him. She dunked herself, coming up to spit water in a perfect arc. “Since when is making out in a doorway messy ?”
“Since you realized how much you wanted to make out in that doorway. Why jump in the water? Why not stand still and—”
“I can’t stand still. Don’t try and make me.” She punctuated the admission with another dive, sliding down to touch the bottom. She blew some air and kicked back to the surface.
“Why can’t you stand still, Zoe?”
She shrugged. “You know my history. Constant movement has been ingrained in me.”
“You call it constant movement. I call it trying to catch liquid mercury with your bare hands.”
“You’re not trying to catch anything or you’d be in here.” She slipped under the water, ready to count to thirty before she shot up again.
At fourteen, a splash rocked the whole pool, kicking her heart into high gear. He grabbed her from behind, the power of his arms so shocking that she sucked in water.
Instantly he pulled her up to the surface.
“It took you fourteen seconds to get your pants off,” she sputtered.
“I had to use twelve of them to think about it.”
She blinked water out of her eyes, vaguely aware that he still wore a pair of very wet boxer briefs. She snapped the elastic band. “Just think what you’d have done with two more seconds of thought.”
“You’re wearing something.”
“For the moment. What did you think about for twelve seconds?”
“This.” He pulled her into him and she automatically slid her legs around him while he got his footing in shoulder-deep water. “Oliver Bradbury, man in command of every situation, you got your underwear wet.”
His mouth kicked up in a half smile. “I live here now. I can toss them in the dryer or go commando.”
She took a deep breath, unable to keep from sighing it out as the image of him commando settled on her brain. “Would that be comfortable? You’re a pretty well endowed man, if memory serves me.”
“It serves you.” As if to prove it, he grew a little harder and bigger against her stomach. She couldn’t help it; she pushed against his erection, letting her bikini bottom swipe against its thickness, letting out an unintentional whimper of pleasure.
“You always loved riding me like that,” he said, caressing her bare back, dragging his hand to the rise of her backside, and slipping one finger in the very top of her bikini bottom.
“What’s not to love? It’s sexy as sin.”
He slid her up and down him again. “So are you.”
She closed her eyes and leaned her head back as though she were offering her throat, but the truth was she didn’t want to see the look on his face when she told him what she had to tell him.
He took the invitation and pressed his lips onto her skin, kicking up the pulse right
Or she could run away until she died. Really, that was the only smart thing to do. She just had to figure out the perfect time, and then she could solve all their problems.
Chapter Six
Z oe stayed under water long enough to ice down her burning skin and corral her crazy thoughts and…
Come on, be honest.
Long enough to give Oliver a chance to strip and swim.
For the love of everything that was hot or holy, Zoe was starved for this. Craving more kisses, more touching, more Oliver. She had to have him. Had to.
When her lungs nearly burst, she popped up to see him sitting on the side of the pool, pants rolled to the knee, feet in the water.
She had to laugh at her dumb fantasies and his blasted self-control. “That’s it? That’s as reckless as you get, doc?”
He leaned back on his hands, watching her. “This is what you do.”
Everything, every single thing, about that statement pissed her off, cooling her more than the water. “What the hell does that mean?”
“It means you do this.” He gestured toward the pool.
“Swim?”
“As soon as things get messy, you do something impetuous and wild. You can’t be trusted.”
Damn him. She dunked herself, coming up to spit water in a perfect arc. “Since when is making out in a doorway messy ?”
“Since you realized how much you wanted to make out in that doorway. Why jump in the water? Why not stand still and—”
“I can’t stand still. Don’t try and make me.” She punctuated the admission with another dive, sliding down to touch the bottom. She blew some air and kicked back to the surface.
“Why can’t you stand still, Zoe?”
She shrugged. “You know my history. Constant movement has been ingrained in me.”
“You call it constant movement. I call it trying to catch liquid mercury with your bare hands.”
“You’re not trying to catch anything or you’d be in here.” She slipped under the water, ready to count to thirty before she shot up again.
At fourteen, a splash rocked the whole pool, kicking her heart into high gear. He grabbed her from behind, the power of his arms so shocking that she sucked in water.
Instantly he pulled her up to the surface.
“It took you fourteen seconds to get your pants off,” she sputtered.
“I had to use twelve of them to think about it.”
She blinked water out of her eyes, vaguely aware that he still wore a pair of very wet boxer briefs. She snapped the elastic band. “Just think what you’d have done with two more seconds of thought.”
“You’re wearing something.”
“For the moment. What did you think about for twelve seconds?”
“This.” He pulled her into him and she automatically slid her legs around him while he got his footing in shoulder-deep water. “Oliver Bradbury, man in command of every situation, you got your underwear wet.”
His mouth kicked up in a half smile. “I live here now. I can toss them in the dryer or go commando.”
She took a deep breath, unable to keep from sighing it out as the image of him commando settled on her brain. “Would that be comfortable? You’re a pretty well endowed man, if memory serves me.”
“It serves you.” As if to prove it, he grew a little harder and bigger against her stomach. She couldn’t help it; she pushed against his erection, letting her bikini bottom swipe against its thickness, letting out an unintentional whimper of pleasure.
“You always loved riding me like that,” he said, caressing her bare back, dragging his hand to the rise of her backside, and slipping one finger in the very top of her bikini bottom.
“What’s not to love? It’s sexy as sin.”
He slid her up and down him again. “So are you.”
She closed her eyes and leaned her head back as though she were offering her throat, but the truth was she didn’t want to see the look on his face when she told him what she had to tell him.
He took the invitation and pressed his lips onto her skin, kicking up the pulse right
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