It's dangerous... the rational side of my head knows he dragged us underwater for a heightened experience. It's common knowledge that depriving one sense heightens the others. Its an extreme form of breath play. That's all.
But Rich doesn't say anything else, even though he keeps shooting glances my way. I get the feeling he knows I liked it, maybe too much.
I'm only half paying attention when we get out, Rich approaching another man who grins at us. My eyes go to the eyesore of a storage unit, breaking up the otherwise gorgeous tranquility of the hot springs.
Turning, I stare out in the other direction. I know Rich is probably going to want to talk about earlier; he's that kind of person. He wants confirmation that I truly liked what we did and that I'm not just saying so.
Rich makes me feel alive even when we're tempting death, and that's never happened to me before.
My phone goes off as the two of them greet each other, and I see the Unknown Caller pop up and immediately press mute.
Not right now. I'm supposed to be having a good time not thinking about that.
"Kim," Rich says, and I glance up. The two of them are watching me, their smiles warm. "This is the owner, Jude."
I stare at him because good god, the family genes gave both of these siblings the kind of looks people would kill for.Jude is a heartthrob, I notice it in the way he flashes a bright smile, white teeth showing as he extends his hand. His forearms are strong, veins visible beneath tanned skin marked with a few scattered tattoos, a dark tan earned from long days working at the hot springs.
Looking back up, I meet his gaze. His eyes are bluer than mine, and when he chuckles he drags his tongue over his teeth.
He has a tongue piercing. And great muscles. Yeah, I’ll bet Jude and Georgie have no issues hooking up, especially in such an exotic place like this.
"Nice to meet you Kim," he says, but there's a knowing tone to his voice. I narrow my eyes but he moves on before I can question if Rich maybe said something about me. "Enjoy the cabin so far?"
I think about the hot spring and waking up with Rich fucking me. "It's spectacular."
"Good. If you need anything, phone Georgie at the front desk. I told her to be nice to Rich so he keeps bringing us the good shit."
"I always bring my top sellers to Euphoria," Rich says with a grin. "Maybe next time Kimber will help me with some designs."
That gets me out of my daydreaming headspace, and I do a double take as Rich winks at me. At S&S, one of the main things known about the shop owner is that he doesn't like assistance. He does all his work himself, sketching and toy design included. It's a skill, and he doesn't share his workspace. Tyson told me about a few times he interrupted Rich when he was working on things at his house.
My chest tightens at the possibility, the joy over being invited into his world overshadowed by worry. I'm not much of a creative person, I never have been, so I'm not exactly sure how I'd help.
Jude is still assessing me, and I try not to meet his dazzling gaze. Those eyes look a little too closely at me, and I keep my secrets close for a reason.
Then the owner clicks his tongue and turns away. "Morgan! Get up here and help Rich unload."
A guy appears, dressed like he might go swimming any minute, and he's not wearing a shirt. That distracts me enough to forget to acknowledge what he actually looks like.
Jude comes to stand beside me as the two start moving stuff, and my shoulders rise protectively. What is this guy's deal?
"Kimber," he says, and I glance his way. "Kimber... why does that sound familiar?"
Is he fucking with me? I cross my arms and pivot to look at him, offering a fake smile. Maybe those devilish good looks hide something darker. "It's kind of a common name, Jude."
He gives me a smile, but there's sharpness to the grin that makes it a little less friendly. "Is it Kimber... or Brynne?"
I blanch, taking a step back. Unless Rich told him my name we never said it as far as I know.
Clenching my teeth, I keep that fake smile in place. "You're mistaken. It's Kimber."
"Hmm." He reaches into his pocket, pulling out his phone, and taps on it for a few seconds before turning it to me. "Are you sure? Because this girl is Brynne."
He turns the phone towards me and I feel my stomach drop. It's a picture of me, and the face from my nightmares.
"Jonah died recently, didn't he?" Jude goes on, keeping his tone conversational. I can't tell what he's trying to do. "One of my friends in the lifestyle sent me that. You two look close, but you were absent from the funeral. Someone said he was killed during a DV altercation. The victim shot him twice in the stomach. Fatally, as it turns out."
I glare at him, keeping my voice level despite the way tension rolls through me. "Is that so?"
