I couldn’t believe how powerful his Sway was. All Elves had it, but it was almost as if Pharis had Compelling glamour on top of it.
He grinned wickedly. “How do you know it wasn’t your own idea to come closer? Your thoughts are still pretty loud there, little Wyn. Might need a few more lessons in control.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “My only thoughts concerning you are that you’re a pig.”
Pharis laughed out loud.
“A very warm, very comfortable pig. You look cold. Why don’t you come in and join me?”
I was overwhelmed by the urge to do just that. Nothing seemed more enticing than the idea of stripping off my dress and sliding into that glistening, rainbow-hued water with Pharis.
Gritting my teeth, I fought the impulse, beginning to sweat.
“You promised me you’d never use your Sway on me,” I said. “You also said you alwayskeepyour promises. You must bereallydesperate for attention.”
Pharis’ eyes flared in offense, then he shook his head, turning away.
An invisible string between us snapped, and I fell back a step, released from his magnetic pull.
His back to me, he said, “I don’t need to compel women to get attention. Most of them anyway.”
He sounded sullen, keeping his back to me. “Go on then. Run back to the house… before I come out of this pool in my ‘full glory’ and drag you in here with me.”
Perhaps I should have been frightened by his threat. No doubt it would have been the wisest thing to run away.
But I didn’t.
Instead, I stood there a moment, frozen in indecision. Then I began unbuttoning my dress.
This was the perfect opportunity to make Pharis put up or shut up. To end this whole maddening come-closer-now-go-away dynamic between us and force him to admit his feelings for me.
Slipping out of the last of my clothing, I quietly waded into the water, my heart pounding so hard my chest vibrated.
The heat was delicious on my bare skin, and I sank into the water to my shoulders, waving my arms out to either side of me to stay afloat as the pool got deeper.
The small waves I created flowed across the pool, reaching Pharis.
He whirled around, his eyes going wide in surprise.
“Raewyn. What are you doing?”
“Accepting your invitation to come in and get warm,” I said.
His brows pulled together sharply. “But I dropped the glamour.”
“I guess it was my own idea after all.”
Now that he’d gotten what he wanted, Pharis looked almost frightened. He must not have actually expected me to take him up on his cheeky proposition.
His eyes dipped to take in my bare shoulders and chest, and the shock on his face was replaced by something else. His lids closed halfway, his nostrils flaring as he stared at me.
“You’re playing with fire here, Wildcat,” he said in a warning tone. “You should go back inside.”
But there was also hunger in his voice. Yearning.
And I realized I wanted nothing more in this moment than to give him what he yearned for.
“I’m not afraid of a little fire—I like to be warm,” I said, shocking myself with my own audacity.
