“I used to swim here a lot as a child.” He’d dropped her hand and was already tugging his shirt over his head. She stood and stared. He was perfect, all long and lean, sleek muscle under golden skin, with a line of silky dark hair that disappeared into the waistband of his pants.
He’d stopped moving and she forced her gaze up to his face, to find him watching her through half-closed eyes. Heat stirred in her belly.
She blinked, breaking the contact, then took a step toward him.
“Take off your clothes, Kaitlin.”
His voice was like dark velvet, caressing her ears and sending shivers running down through her body. She stood for a moment, counting her breaths, then she took hold of the hem of her sweater and pulled it over her head. Kicking off her boots, she unfastened her jeans and wriggled out of them, leaving her in black panties and black bra, her bare toes digging into the soft sand.
Kane kept his eyes on her as he unfastened his pants and pushed them down revealing a truly impressive erection. He got them tangled as he tried to kick off his boots and swore, and she almost smiled. Then he was free, and he straightened up and faced her, and the smile was wiped from her face.
She’d never seen anything quite so perfect in her life.
Suddenly, she needed him to know her thoughts, to understand how he made her feel.
She took a step toward him and rested her hand on his chest. His skin was warm and silky. Raising her gaze to his face, she stared into his blue eyes. They were the same intense blue as the sky arching over their heads.
“I want you in my mind,” she murmured.
Shock flared on his face, and for a moment he was still. Then he gave her a slow smile. “I wasn’t going to hold out, you know.”
She flashed a glance at his dick, huge and long and almost vertical against his belly. “Yeah, I’d guessed that. But that’s not why I changed my mind. I want you in there. I’ve got nothing to hide from you. Though I do have to warn you, my mind can get pretty chaotic.”
He cupped her cheeks and stared down into her eyes. He made her feel small and protected. Then she felt the soft brush of his mind against hers. For a minute, they were silent as he searched her thoughts. A slow smile curled his lips, and she released her breath.
She’d been scared. Terrified he wouldn’t like what he found in there.
“Well, at least you’re not thinking of me as ‘that asshole Kane’ anymore.”
“No, not anymore.”
“I like your mind. Hell, I love your mind. It was what I first loved about you. What I’ll always love about you.” He frowned. “You think you don’t know what love is. I’ll show you, but for now, let’s swim.” He raised a brow. “You should lose the rest of your clothes. You don’t want the crocs to tear them.”
“Hah.” But she stepped back and unhooked her bra. She dropped it onto her jeans, then pushed her panties down her legs. Finally, she was as naked as he was.
For the first time in her life, she felt shy. She glanced away, until he took her chin and turned her to face him. “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
“I was just thinking the same about you.”
“I know.”
He moved suddenly, scooping her up in his arms. Striding to the pool, he waded in. Then he dropped her. The water was cold against her heated skin; it went up her nose and she surfaced snorting. She stood, hands on her hips, water lapping at her breasts. “That was not nice.”
“When have I ever been nice?” he asked.
That made her go still, and she frowned.
“Don’t think I’m any different,” he said when she remained silent. “That I’m not an asshole. I’ll have my asshole moments, just as you’ll no doubt be a pain in the ass at some point in the not-too-distant future. It’s who we are.”
She supposed he was right. And the truth was, she didn’t want him to change. She’d never been particularly fond of “nice” people.
“Just as well,” he muttered.
“And yeah, I’ll probably be a pain in the ass, but I’ll try and give you a little time first. And I do promise I won’t steal your time machine.”
“And I’ll promise not to blow up the world. And the time machine is not mine.”
“Hah. I’ve been in your head. You’re very possessive.”
