I froze, watching as he curved a strong arm over his head, the muscles on his shoulders screaming with a life of their own.
I stood transfixed, unable to look away, unable to move.
He reached the end of the pool and turned, finally spotting me. For a second, he just treaded water with his eyes on mine.
And even from a distance, I could see how beautiful his eyes were. Out here, in the pool, with the trees overcast, Dante looked feral.
Then he pulled himself out of the pool.
Holy mother of—
What business did he have looking so good? The water beaded down his body, drawing my sight to places it shouldn’t register: the nape of his neck, the cuts of his abs, the gleaming V leading into his trunks.
The tattoos looked darker against his skin, shining black in the sunlight. His perfect hair was slicked back, making his jaw look even sharper, his cheekbones more defined.
He grabbed a towel from a nearby chair and ran it over his face, giving me a moment to compose myself. I took that time to remind myself that I hated him, he’d broken my heart, and he was the prince of criminals.
Not to forget, I was currently trying to spy on him to make my father proud.
“Enjoying the view?” he asked, one lip curling over as he bit into it with amusement.
“I’ve seen better,” I lied, crossing my arms.
He laughed. “No, you haven’t.”
I hated that he was right.
“What are you doing at home?” I tried to act casual. “I thought you had work.”
“Meeting got canceled.” He wrapped the towel around his waist, and I swear I didn’t know a man could have edges like that. “Thought I’d catch a swim before heading back in.”
“Well, don’t let me interrupt your busy schedule of… whatever it is you do.” My voice came out all wrong. I turned away before he saw me turn red.
“Have dinner with me tonight,” he said, stopping me in my tracks.
I looked back at him over my shoulder. “What?”
“Dinner. You and me?” He pointed at us.
That same traitorous part from this morning wanted to say yes, but I shut her down then and there.
“Over my dead body.” I rolled my eyes and turned to walk away.
I heard him chuckle and frowned. How dare he be amused when I just turned him down?
That cocky bastard.
Chapter 5 - Dante
I rounded the corner too fast, my mind far away on whether I’d like a snack with my coffee, when I slammed straight into her.
Alisa gasped in surprise as her nose smacked right against my chest. “Jesus Christ. You don’t believe in personal space or what?”
I steadied her by the elbow before she tripped over herself. “You always come out of your room this angry, or is it just when you sense me nearby?”
Her face flushed with irritation. “Mostly when I hear your ego scraping against the walls.”
I bit back a laugh and leaned against the wall, crossing my arms and passing her that smirk I knew drove her crazy.
