Total pages in book: 151
Estimated words: 139803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 699(@200wpm)___ 559(@250wpm)___ 466(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 139803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 699(@200wpm)___ 559(@250wpm)___ 466(@300wpm)
Somehow, I had a feeling this little late-night swim wouldn’t be uneventful.
Julian had something up his sleeve. That look in his eye before he left the room said it all.
Problem was, I just didn’t know what.
4
I clutched the towel around my body as I stepped outside. Almost every senior football player was out back, as were many of the cheerleaders and some hang-arounds. Desiree was already in the pool with her legs around Vince’s waist, and their arms were wrapped around each other.
I wanted something like that one day, but I was always too afraid to start something with anyone. Though I had healed so much in the past few years, intimacy was still something that was a bit terrifying for me.
What if I suddenly decided that I wasn’t ready, and he forced himself on me because he was tired of waiting?
I shuddered at the thought of going through something that traumatic again. I wasn’t sure if I’d survive it a second time.
“Are you going to stand here all night, or are you actually going to set that towel down and have some fun?” Julian asked quietly from behind me.
I quickly spun around to face him and shocked myself even further when I lost my footing and began falling backward. The towel dropped from my grip as Julian quickly reached out and snagged my waist in one hand and wrapped his other arm around me, hauling me up close to him.
My heart was thumping hard in my chest as I gripped his muscular biceps, my eyes wide with surprise.
“You good?” he asked me gruffly, not releasing his hold on me.
I dumbly nodded, too surprised by our position to manage to speak. He righted me up onto my feet, but he didn’t let me go. His eyes darkened as he ran his eyes over me—those baby blue eyes turning into the color of the ocean during a storm.
It sucked me right into his vortex, everyone else falling away from us.
“I hope you know this swimsuit you’re wearing just tempts me more, Meghan,” Julian said, his voice husky. I bit my lip. His eyes latched onto the movement, and he groaned softly. “I like to unwrap my women, babe.”
My breath hitched in my throat at his words, a raging conflict going on inside of me. I wanted him; Christ, I really, really wanted him. But was I ready to take that step yet? I knew it would be casual. We would probably never even talk to each other again, and that would be perfect, right?
But if I was questioning myself, then that obviously meant that I wasn’t ready.
Especially ready for someone as skilled in that department as Julian obviously was.
I forced myself out of his grip and kept my eyes trained away from his beautiful, half-naked body as I quickly snatched my towel up from the ground. I could feel his eyes on my every move, but I just walked over to the table with a calm I really wasn’t feeling and set my towel down.
“Meg, get in the damn water!” Desiree shouted.
I laughed softly as I threw my hair up into a messy bun on the top of my head before I walked over to the pool. I was halfway across the patio when I was suddenly lifted from the ground and thrown over someone’s shoulder.
I recognized the Strength tattoo instantly, considering I had a matching one on my ankle.
“Vincent Turner, set me down this instant!” I yelled as I beat on his back.
“Sorry, Meg. You were taking too long,” he teased, his voice filled with amusement.
I peered around his muscular back to see that we were nearing the pool. I slapped my hands on his back, making him flinch and curse. “Vincent, if throw me in that fucking pool, I swear you’ll fucking regret it!” I shouted as I slapped my hands on his back again in the exact same spots as I had before.
He flinched. “Fucking hell, woman!” he barked.
Then, he threw me over his shoulder and into the pool. My back slammed painfully into the water, and I quickly pushed myself back to the surface and glared at him, my back stinging.
“I’m going to kill you,” I snarled.
He just grinned at me. I saw Julian and Axel moving up behind Vincent who was laughing at the angry expression on my face. Julian lifted his finger to his lips and winked at me. My cheeks flushed as I quickly turned my attention back to Vincent.
“Payback is a bitch,” I told him with a smirk as Julian and Axel quickly grabbed him.
“Fuck!” Vincent roared, laughing as he squirmed in the guys’ grip. I grinned and moved out of the way as the two men quickly managed to maneuver Vincent so Julian had his feet and Axel had his arms. “You guys are assholes!” Vincent laughed.