Page 35 of Shark’s Pride

“Of course not,” I cut in. “You will have the freedom to come and go as you please.” I stared at her, pressuring her to respond. “It’s just until the danger is eradicated.”

And I get the information I need from you.

Thankfully, it only took her the space of a nod to respond. “All right.” She sighed. “I see the reasoning behind your call.”

I kicked up one side of my mouth. “Of course you do.”

“And if you’re sure I won’t be imposing…”

“I wouldn’t offer if you were.”

“Well, then.” She nodded again. “I gratefully accept. Thank you, Sebastian. I really didn’t expect it when I came here this morning. Or any of this.” She grimaced, glancing once again at the dead shark.

Her gratitude was making me uncomfortable. “Do you have belongings somewhere? I can send my assistant to retrieve them.”

“No,” she laughed. “I’m traveling pretty light these days. I just have the backpack I came in with. It’s in the kitchen.”

“Good enough. Why don’t I go ahead and show you the pool house now so you can get settled? There’s a full bathroom in there as well.”

The woman still cocooned against my chest stirred. “I think I’m going to go get a shower, okay?” Abbigail pushed away but looked over her shoulder, her gaze unreadable as she headed back inside.

“I’ll be up in a minute.”

I gave her a promising stare as she turned back once more to say goodbye to Tawny.

One abbreviated tour of the pool house later, I was sprinting up the curved marble staircase in her wake.

I didn’t pause for one step in making my way directly to my bedroom and then right into the master bath. But when I came into the steam-filled bathroom, she was already shutting the water off.

“I hurried as fast as I could.” I let my shoulders slump. Maybe I could play the hard-up sympathy card here, though her answering grin told me nothing about the chances.

“Well, you know the saying, Mr. Shark. You snooze, you lose.” She stepped from the shower enclosure with a white towel wrapped securely around her body. Her hair was swaddled under another towel piled high on her head like a turban. She looked pristine and pure yet sensual and fuckable, all at the same time.

I stepped up against her, walking her back until her ass rested against the vanity’s edge.

“So, Miss Gibson.” I hiked her off the floor and set her fully atop the smooth surface. She yelped when her bare ass met the cool marble.

With her impossibly wide green eyes staring at me, she gulped in surprise. “Mr. Shark!”

“Do you believe me now?” I spread her knees apart and slid between her legs.

She looked up and down the length of my body. “Regarding?”

A low moan vibrated from my throat as I trailed kisses along the delicate skin of hers. When I reached her ear, I rumbled, “The gravity of the situation.”

“Uhhh…which situation, exactly?” Despite our proximity, she managed to work her hand between our bodies. With bold little strokes, she rubbed the front of my track pants. My erection answered her every touch, straining to be free. “I mean, really. There are several situations of which you could be speaking.”

“Well.” I closed my eyes and pushed into her palm one last time before grabbing her wrist to stop the torment. “While this situation is becoming desperate, we do need to focus for a minute.”

“Okaaay.” She angled backward a little, partially supporting her weight on one hand. Goddamn. She was so dewy and fresh and delectable… “What’s going on, Bas? I mean, besides the not-dead woman in your pool house and the totally dead shark on your pool deck?”

We both laughed at the absurdity of her statement. Just for a moment, but those few seconds felt so fucking good. In truth, what else could be done? Laughter was as ludicrous a choice as any right now.

“Elijah’s on his way over in a while to talk to Tawny. He’ll also handle the police to whatever extent they’ll allow. I’m sure they will insist on talking to me, however, since I own the property and am the obvious target of all this bullshit.” I scrubbed my palm down my face.

“Okay.” I didn’t miss the hints of disappointment in her response. “I should get dressed, then. Do you want me to leave before they get here?”

“Great question.” I pulled her close and kissed the top of her nose. “The answer is part of what I wanted to talk to you about. The more significant part, actually.”