“I know you can,” he said, no humor in his voice. “I’ve seen you navigate this new world and do it better than most of us that grew up here. But I want you to know that you’re not alone. You don’t have to do it all on your own.”
I snorted. “You do realize that you’ve ignored me for over a month. Relying on you doesn’t sound like the best idea.” Alcohol made me honest, but I didn’t regret saying that.
His jaw tightened, eyes dark and intense. “It might have appeared I was ignoring you, but you were never alone, Maddison. I promise you that.”
What the hell did that mean?
“I did what I thought was the best thing for you. To keep you safe. But clearly it was a stupid decision.”
“The stupidest,” I agreed, still shaken by his previous statement.
Asher chuckled. “Come on, let’s go. I’m in need of that swim more now than ever.”
He wasn’t the only one.
25
Despite his house—aka the mansion—being on the other side of the Academy, it didn’t take us long to arrive. My shoes stayed in my hands, bare feet not bothering me. Asher left his jacket over my shoulders, and my favorite ocean scent kept me company.
It was only as he deactivated his locking system that I realized— “I have no swimsuit,” I said. I was wearing a strapless bra and thong, which I normally wouldn’t swim in, but did it really matter?
Asher paused. “You want to go and get them?”
“I’ll just swim in my underwear,” I decided. “Save us making another trip.”
For a brief second, his gaze dragged across the top of my cleavage, which was still plumped right up by my corset dress. He shook his head, like he was about to say something and then changed his mind. “Sounds good,” he finally said, turning to enter the house.
Trailing after him, I marveled at how pretty the front entrance was. It had a black-and-white patterned wallpaper on one side, and shoe-coat rack on the other. “Come on,” Asher said, “pool is through here.”
We crossed to the back of the house, stepping out onto a huge porch filled with plush outdoor lounges, the sort you could nap for hours on. Half a dozen stairs led down to an open, white pool house that sat beside a massive lap pool.
“How long is that?” I asked, my eyes running the full length.
“Just short of fifty meters,” he said, his eyes on the sparkling water. He shook his head and his mesmerized look disappeared. “I’ll throw on some shorts and be right back.”
I nodded, and when he was gone I realized this was the perfect opportunity for me to get undressed and into the pool before my bare ass flashed him. That brilliant plan went up in smoke, though, when I couldn’t reach the top of my zip. After a few minutes of struggling, I gave up.
“Need a hand?” Asher’s heat pressed into my back.
I nodded, crossing my arms to stop the dress from just falling off. Warm fingers gently dragged across my skin as he slowly slid the zip down, a trail of burning heat following his touch. We might not explode when we touched anymore, but the physical attraction and chemistry between us remained as strong as ever.
Just when I was about to lose my mind, he stepped back, moving around me to walk down the stairs. “See you in the water, Maddi.”
I almost collapsed against the railing, my skin burning, and I knew I’d be covered in a flush to match my hair. All I could see was his broad back, those thick muscles shifting as he walked. The ink I’d caught glimpses of before was now clearly on display. Covering his entire right side, it wrapped over his shoulder and down his back, disappearing into the waistband of his green shorts.
Did those symbols mean something to him? The tattoos looked new, shiny and dark, but maybe it was like my hair. Supernatural ink didn’t fade.
When he reached the edge of the pool, I let the gorgeous dress slip off, draping it carefully across a nearby chair. I was comfortable in my skin, so I didn’t stress as I followed his path down the stairs. Asher’s dark stare never left me; he waited in the pool, hair slicked back as water dripped across his flawless body. The water hid the silver in his hair, turning it pure black. He was rocking a very dark vibe, and I was into it.
When I reached the edge, I dived in smoothly. Most of my makeup was waterproof, but I’d still be a panda-eyed mess when I emerged. I really didn’t care.
Water was life.
I didn’t come up for a long time, swimming the entire length and then tumbling under water to come back again. When I surfaced, gasping in air, my gaze found him. He was in the deepest part of the pool, and he had to be treading water, but there was barely a ripple around him.
Water followed his command; his magic would help him stay afloat. Swimming closer to him, I kept a few feet between us.
“You can hold your breath for a long time,” he observed.
