Chapter Fourteen The Poolhouse
Haven
M y nerves get the better of me, and I dive under the water and swim to the end of the pool and back again, hoping to clear my head more before I have to face Christian. By the time I come back out of the water, Christian’s on the edge of the pool, gazing down at me, a small grin playing at the corner of his lips.
“Having fun?” he asks, as I pull myself out of the water.
“Kind of,” I hedge, hurrying to grab my towel sitting in a nearby lounger. It feels a little weird being nearly naked around him, though I’m not entirely sure why. I mean yes, I don’t really know him, but I’m marrying the man.
So I should be able to get over feeling insecure, right?
After wrapping the towel around me, I turn to see that he’s taken off his suit coat and has his shirt sleeves rolled up past his forearms. They’re muscular and covered in dark hair that makes my fingers itch to run over them. I can’t help but wonder what it would feel like to have those wrapped around me again?
No… stop. Deep breaths. I can’t have these kinds of thoughts about him. Not now! Not when so much is still unsettled and messy.
He frowns slightly. “What does that mean? You don’t like the saltwater? The temperature?”
“No, no, the pool’s fine. Great, actually. I love to swim.” I towel myself off and notice that Christian is looking at me with a funny gleam in his eye.
“Is that right?”
I pause, brow raising slightly as I nod. “Um… yeah? Why?”
“Oh, nothing. Are you okay? You seem like something is bothering you. I thought you and your friend would be enjoying yourselves out here while I was gone.”
It wasn’t that I wasn’t enjoying myself with Marie. In fact, I wish she hadn’t left me to deal with Christian on my own, but I can’t have her holding my hand. I’m a grown woman, and this is my mess to deal with.
“Oh,” I finally sigh, letting my eyes gaze down to the droplets of water falling across my left arm. “We were. Sorry, I just have a lot on my mind right now and we haven’t exactly talked about the wedding and stuff. It’s just a bit stressful.”
When my gaze lifts to meet his, he’s still frowning. Blue eyes set on me as if something I said troubles him. “I don’t want you to be stressed out by all of this.”
A snort of laughter escapes me at his words. “It’s kind of hard to not be stressed. A wedding is already stressful as it is, but trying to explain our relationship to everyone else in my life who knows very well that I haven’t been dating you, yet I’m marrying you is an entirely different situation.”
“Well, then… I guess we need to fix you being stressed. At least right now,” he says as his frown quickly disappears and that once hungry expression returns to his eyes. “Have you seen the pool house yet?”
I blink, caught off guard by the question. “Um… no, I haven’t.”
How did anything I just say lead to seeing the pool house?
He reaches out and takes my hand. My breath becomes short just from his touch. My eyes are wide as I try to understand what the hell is running through his mind.
“Let’s go, then.”
He leads me toward the smaller building opposite the house and unlocks the door, pushing it open and gesturing for me to step inside. I hesitate, feeling a sudden rush of nerves and slight irritation. Why in the hell would he be wanting to show me the pool house when I literally just expressed that I was stressed out about our situation?
The pool house is as impressive as I expected, with an open floor plan that makes the space feel even larger. There’s a plush sectional couch in the center of the room, a small kitchenette off to the side, and a wall of windows that offers an unobstructed view of the pool and the dark sky beyond. The décor is minimal, modern, but there’s a warmth to it that surprises me—a few personal touches that hint at the man behind the polished exterior.
“Wow,” I finally say softly as awkward silence drifts between us. “This is—nice.”
Confusion still fills me as to why we’re out here when Christian walks over to the windows, his hands in his pockets as he gazes out at the pool.
“It’s nothing too fancy,” he replies, his tone almost casual, but there’s a tension in his posture, a tightness in his voice that tells me he’s more on edge than he’s letting on.
“It’s beautiful,” I assure him. “Maybe we can talk about everything in here? Out of the house and away from prying ears?”
It’s just a thought process, but one that I prefer. I don’t exactly need the new nanny or any of the staff potentially spreading to anyone about mine and Christian’s situationship that we’ve gotten ourselves into.
Though, as I step towards him, I can’t help but feel some sort of way. Being out here, alone with him, away from prying eyes. It’s only the second time I’ve been alone with him like this and the first turned into a kiss I’ll never be able to forget.
But there’s also something else—something simmering just beneath the surface of my body, something I can’t quite ignore.
The air between us feels charged, the kind of tension that makes my skin tingle and makes my heart beat just a little faster. Christian turns to look at me, his eyes darkening as they meet mine, and suddenly, the space between us feels too small and too charged with everything we’re not saying.
He takes a step closer, his gaze intense, and I feel my breath hitch in my throat. There’s a moment, just a heartbeat, where I wonder if I should step back. Put some distance between us. But then he reaches out, his hand brushing against my arm, and the contact sends a shiver down my spine.
“Haven,” he murmurs, his voice rougher now, laced with something that makes my pulse quicken. “You don’t have to be nervous. This is your home now too.”
It’s such a simple statement, but the way he says it—low, almost like a promise—makes my mind spin. I’ve been trying to keep things practical, trying to remind myself that this is just an arrangement, but right now, with him standing so close, it’s hard to focus on anything but the way his presence seems to fill the room.
“I’m not nervous,” I manage to say, though my voice comes out softer than I intended. “I’m just… trying to figure out what this all means.”
His hand slides up my arm, his touch warm and steady, and I can see the conflict in his eyes—the same mix of emotions that have been swirling inside me since the moment I agreed to marry him.
“We’re in this together, Haven,” he says calmly. “We’ll figure it out.”
The air between us feels thick, almost electric, and I can’t seem to tear my gaze away from his. There’s something so intense about the way he’s looking at me, like he’s searching for something, like he’s trying to decide if he should take the next step.
Then, as if he’s made up his mind, he leans in, his hand sliding around to the back of my neck, pulling me just a fraction closer. The heat from his body is palpable, and I feel my heart pounding in my chest as he hesitates, his lips hovering just inches from mine.
I’m momentarily frozen in place as confusion washes through me. We both agreed that this wasn’t necessary for our ‘relationship’, and yet I find myself wanting him to kiss me again.
I close the distance between us, my lips brushing against his in a tentative kiss that deepens as he pulls me closer, his hand tangling in my hair. The kiss is slow, almost hesitant at first, but then the tension snaps, and it’s like we’re both giving in to something we’ve been fighting for too long.
His other hand finds my waist, pulling me flush against him, and I feel the last of my reservations melt away as I kiss him back with everything I’ve been holding back. There’s something so intoxicating about this, about him, and it makes me feel like I’m on the edge of something I can’t quite control.
When we part, we’re both breathing heavily and stare at each other in silence as the weight of what we’re doing settles fully over us. Slowly, I realize that there is something hard and firm in between us, pressing against my lower belly. I let my gaze travel down to his erection, straining against his pants.
I glance back up at him and his cheeks are flushed, as if he’s embarrassed, but he’s wearing a bashful little grin that makes my heart flip.
“Sorry,” he murmurs, brushing his fingers along my cheek. “I really can’t seem to control myself when I’m around you.”
I’m not sure what overcomes me, but I suddenly want to see what he looks like when he’s losing control. He’s always so certain of himself and commanding.
What is he like when he unravels?
I put my hands on his waistband and begin unbuttoning his slacks.
Christian’s eyes go wide and he freezes as he stares down at my hand.
“Haven… what are you doing?”
I don’t say a word as I open his pants and slide my hand inside, stroking my fingers along his shaft.
“Sh-shit,” he stutters out, and I lick my lips, dropping down to my knees in front of him. Christian looks down at me with his blue eyes gleaming with shock and lust.
“You don’t have to do this,” he murmurs.
“I know,” I assure him.
Groaning, he puts a hand in my hair, gently stroking the strands as I release his cock from his pants. Holding his gaze, I lick him from base to head before drawing him fully into my mouth. Christian hisses.
“You look so pretty with something in your mouth,” he murmurs, and pleasure shoots through me. I take him deeper, letting my saliva lubricate him and twirling my tongue around his shaft.
“Fuck,” he groans, letting his head fall back as I bob up and down along his cock. This is wild and crazy and hot… I can hardly believe I’m doing this. Part of me knows this is only going to make things more complicated between us, but I can’t seem to make myself care. The sounds he’s making… the moans, groans, and growls… are stimulating me in a way I never would’ve expected. I like this… a lot. Seeing this powerful man losing his control because of me is intoxicating.
I double my efforts, taking him as deep into my mouth as I can. As I suck him, I feel myself getting wet between my legs. Slipping my hand into my bikini bottoms, I brush my fingers along my sensitive folds and moan as pleasure shoots through.
“Shit, Haven,” Christian growls, his fingers tightening in my hair. “You’re going to make me come if you keep this up.”
That’s all the encouragement I need. Turning my eyes up to meet his, I hollow my cheeks and suck hard.
Christian releases a long growl and clutches my head to hold me still as he pumps his hips and drives his cock in and out of my mouth, taking over completely. I whimper and move my fingers harder and faster against my clit, chasing my own orgasm as he draws closer to his own release.
Suddenly, he lets out a roar and clutches me tight against him as he comes down my throat. That’s enough to send me flying toward my peak, and I shudder and cry out around his shaft as my orgasm rips through me.
Christian lets me go and I slump to my side on the floor. Panting, I stare up at him as I fight to catch my breath and he watches me in turn, his wide chest heaving.
At length, he squats down in front of me and gently takes hold of my shoulders to help me sit up.
“Are you all right?” he asks in a gentle voice.
Nodding, I give him a shy half-grin. “Yeah… yeah, I am.”
His smile is gentle as he brushes his thumb along my lips. Something shifts between us, and admittedly, I don’t fully understand what it means for us going forward, but some of my anxiety about this marriage has lifted.
Maybe there’s a way for this to really work after all.