“Mmm… these?” he taunts, scooping them up by the waistband and dangling them from his index finger.
Blushing, I reach out, but he snaps them back with that signature wise-ass smirk. Those playful eyes slide over to Elijah, who’s casually leaning back, sipping his cocktail like he’s on a family fucking vacation at an island resort.
I’ve had enough!
Abruptly, I stand in all of my naked glory. I don’t even bother grabbing my shorts because that would entail moving closer to Gabriel, and at the moment, I seem to be having a goddamn problem communicating with my dick.
“Alex, baby. Where are you going?” Elijah removes the straw from his lips before hoisting himself out of the tub, splashing a ton of water over the sides. He wraps his arms around my waist, and I scowl.
“Ask him to leave, Elijah.”
“I thought we were all okay?”
“Ask. Him. To. Leave,” I hiss, and thankfully, he does as I ask.
Spanish jargon rips from his mouth, causing Gabriel to immediately lose his smirk. He barks back at equally rapid speed, popping out of the hot tub, forgoing his shorts, andstomping back out through the bedroom wearing only his eye-catching red swimsuit.
I wipe the extra layer of sweat from my face.
“I’m terribly sorry, baby. He has no filter for that playful mouth of his. I should have asked him to leave sooner.”
“You’re missing the point, Elijah. He shouldn’t have joined us in the hot tub to begin with. I don’t enjoy taking a bath with your husband.”
“Ex-husband,” he corrects, reaching for his fucking margarita.
I ignore him.
GABRIEL
“Damn media!”
Startled, I trip over the throw rug upon hearing Alex’s voice. From the sound of it, he just saw the article fromBoxed Out.
I pick up my pace, shuffling through the bedroom and back out onto the balcony to retrieve my shorts.
“Can’t stay out of my goddamn business!”
Oh boy.
The bathroom door flies open, and he emerges, half naked, distressed jeans hanging loosely from his hips. Angrily, he stomps over to the bed and flings his cell onto the mattress. It bounces onto a pillow.
My eyes land on his tattoos as he runs his hands over his head. They stand out like 3D images against his lightly tanned skin. Andfuck. I’ve never wanted to play with a puzzle as much as I do right now.
I swipe up my shorts and watch from the other side of the glass partition as he flings himself across the mattress. As if those tattoos weren’t sexy enough, his perfectly plump ass is fucking mouthwatering. I literally have to hold my breath to keep from letting out a groan. Elijah would chew my head off if he knew I was looking at him in this way.
With guilty steps, I slip back into the bedroom and observe what should otherwise be a private moment. This is where I would fail miserably in a relationship. Elijah has always been the caregiver in our marriage. He’s more adept at handling the tough stuff. Thicker skin, I guess.
I push my hand through my hair. “Alex?” I nervously whisper while moving through the room. He lifts his head, lending an ear to the silence.
So I try again, with a little more umph in my voice. “Alex…”
His body spirals in the air like a ninja before landing perfectly on his backside. It’s such a flawless maneuver; I find myself wondering if he really is an actual ninja.
“Jesus!What the fuck are you doing in here?”
“Retrieving my shorts,” I explain, leaning a hip on the corner of the bed, making sure to leave enough distance between us. “I’m sorry if I scared you.”
Tears glaze over his beautiful hazel eyes. They sparkle, like the sun shining through church windows. Just hands-down breathtaking.
