FOUR
B ang. Bang. Bang.
The vivid imagery of that night replayed in my mind like an endless loop. My body tensed, sending warning signals directly to my brain which in turn sparked feelings of anxiousness.
My heart rate increased, acting like a domino effect. One bodily function after the other felt like it was failing, slowly giving in, on the verge of collapsing altogether.
The ominous memory still haunted me every single day, and despite my attempt at blocking it out, I'd still wake up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat. Quite frankly, I hadn't slept properly ever since the incident.
I balled my hands into fists, blinking rapidly in an attempt to rid my mind of those volatile thoughts. This vacation was supposed to help clear my mind and ease the sudden appearance of anxiety I faced daily.
It worked, to a certain extent. Apart from those memories, something else gnawed at me or should I say someone else.
I leaned my head back against the edge of the pool with my arms outstretched on either side of me, resting on the ledge. I closed my eyes for a few seconds, trying to rid my mind of those captivating, hazel eyes.
They taunted me. I didn't understand why or how this stranger managed to sink her claws into me, now I couldn't stop thinking about her.
Was it her raw beauty? It must've been. However, it still didn't make sense to me. I've seen beautiful women before, and plenty of them at that, so what was different about her?
The water covered my entire body, reaching my neck because I ensured I swam towards the deep end. The sun began to set, casting an orange and light pink hue across the sky.
In my thirty years of existence, I've never taken a vacation, so this was new to me. Immediately after high school, I embarked on the journey of obtaining not one, but two degrees. Thereafter, I applied to work at the Federal Bureau.
After vigorous assessments and training, I started as a Special Agent. Ever since then, the concept of relaxation has been lost to me.
There were still three months left before I could return to work. Initially, I wasn't going to agree to this vacation, but then Kayden dropped a bomb on me. He said he already proposed to Kehlani a few months prior without telling anyone and that his wedding was taking place in Cabo.
That's how I wound up here. Not that I was complaining, though. I was surrounded by immaculate views and stunning women .
Not that I'd act on any of my desires. Unless it were her. I'd consume her whole if I got the opportunity. Zero hesitation.
The situation at hand was hilarious. For the first time, the woman I was interested in clearly wasn't interested in me. She wasn't even subtle when it came to her disdain.
I didn't know why she disliked me. I had to stop myself multiple times today from knocking on her fucking door and demanding an explanation.
No, scratch that. I'd bunch that pretty, curly hair of hers into my fist and make her drop that damn attitude. The cool air nipped at my exposed skin. I didn't know if I wanted to get out of the pool or just stay here until they closed off this section of the hotel for the night.
I swam towards the corner of the pool, resting my arms on the ledge, and glanced at the scenery. This was often how I got lost in my thoughts, which was an extremely bad habit I developed ever since I left the hospital.
Growing up without parents forced me to become independent, cautious, and street-smart. After becoming an agent, those traits progressively became more prominent because we had to be aware at all times.
We couldn't afford to get lost in our own heads. That's how you ended up dead. Water ripples caught my attention, indicating I was no longer alone.
At least I hadn't lost all sense of awareness. This time, my skin prickled and it wasn't caused by the cold. When I turned around, Gabriella was in the water, paying me no mind.
She leaned back, submerging her hair into the pool. When she stood upright, her curls fell flat and her hair was just slightly wavy, the water dripping from her mane.
With her eyes focused on the water, she spoke which completely caught me off guard. "It's rude to stare." She looked up at me, a knowing smirk on her face.
"Yeah?" She nodded as I pushed myself off the ledge and swam in her direction. She floated backward, her eyes never leaving mine. "I'm just admiring the view."
For the first time, she smiled at me, fucking smiled and I swear I experienced heart palpitations. If cardiac arrest didn't take me out right now, my sudden erection surely would.
"The view is over there." She pointed in the opposite direction, droplets of water splashing in my face in the process.
I didn't bother looking at where she pointed, I kept my gaze fixated on her. She blinked slowly, peering at me through those long lashes. Those honey-coloured eyes darted to my lips for a split second.
You would've missed the action if you weren't observant.
"That's not the view I'm referring to." Her lips parted, her breath hitching as she moved backward again, trying to create space between us.
She scoffed, rolling her eyes at me. That action sparked something deep inside of me. Something that I managed to contain this far, but if she kept taunting me, I was going to fucking snap.
"How many times have you used that line, Nicolas?"
"This would be the first," I said coolly, moving closer to her. My movements were slow, calculative, and predatory.
She gulped, urging the beast hidden inside of me to jump right out of my fucking system and devour her.
"Is that so?" she asked breathlessly. "Is that supposed to make me feel special?" I couldn't deny there was chemistry between us.
The feeling was undeniable, intoxicating almost. "Oh, you should feel very special." I didn't know where exactly she was trying to escape to, but there was nowhere to go .
Even if she tried getting out of the pool, I'd catch her before she could blink. She came to a stop and I reciprocated her actions.
"You'll have to try harder than that to make me feel special." This woman was temptation in the form of a human being. I couldn't resist her, I needed to taste her. Even if it was just once .
"I'll do whatever your heart desires," I vowed. Her next move was unexpected and I definitely wasn't prepared for it. She splashed a large amount of water directly at me.
Droplets dripped down my face and I used my palm to wipe it off. She laughed softly. The sound was adorable, unlike her standoffish demeanour.
When she laughed, her eyes closed and she tossed her head back. This gave me the perfect opportunity to sneak up on her.
When those eyes opened again, I was right in front of her, trapping her against the edge of the pool. She gasped when she realized she had nowhere to go.
Our bodies were so close together that the heat radiated from her and coated every inch of my skin. "That wasn't very nice, Gabriella."
"I never said I was nice. Now move, or is personal space a foreign concept to you?" She placed her palms onto my chest, trying to push me away, but I remained glued to my spot.
"Don't touch me like that." I gripped her wrists, removing it from my body and holding it down against the wall underneath the water. "And I'm familiar with the concept."
She looked at me with those innocent eyes and I wanted nothing more than to corrupt her, taint her, fucking destroy her right now. "Like what?" Droplets of water rolled down her chest, disappearing in between her breasts.
I couldn't take my eyes off her, it's like she had this magnetic force around her. "Like you want something from me. "
"Something like what?" Her voice dropped to a whisper, coming across as seductive. I shouldn't have been doing this, but I always had a knack for indulging in the wrong things.
"Something provocative." I squeezed her wrists slightly, feeling her pulse flutter underneath my fingertips. The temperature had risen drastically and you would've sworn we were in a fucking Jacuzzi.
"You're delusional." She scoffed. "If you weren't so close to me, there'd be no reason for me to touch you."
"Lying doesn't suit you."
"Oh," she said sarcastically. "And you, someone I just met, knows what suits me?" She cocked a perfectly shaped eyebrow.
I chuckled softly, backing her against the wall completely. A soft breath escaped her pouty lips and she fought against the firm hold I had on her. "I know enough."
The woman before me was infuriating, to say the least, with a slick mouth. Her responses were swift and would slice right through you if you didn't have thick skin. Quite the contrast to the women I usually fraternised with.
I hadn't paid attention to the detail before, but she had deep dimples which were only visible when she smiled brightly. That wasn't something she did around me, though.
My dick was painfully hard and fucking aching, but I tried my best to ignore it. I hadn't even touched her properly yet or seen her thoroughly in the little bikini she wore, but the sight in front of me was enough to set my skin ablaze.
A group of teenagers burst through the double doors that led to this area and I quickly released her wrists, taking two steps back. They weren't paying attention to us, but my body buzzed with an unknown feeling.
"Why don't we continue this somewhere more private?" I offered. She pushed off the wall and swam towards the steps on the shallow end. She gripped the railing with one hand and easily ascended out of the water.
I followed behind her, waiting to hear her answer, but was distracted by the sight of her half naked body. For fuck’s sake . I glanced down, looking at my red shorts. The bulge was visible as the wet material clung to my body.
With teenagers on one side and Gabriella on the other, I felt like a deer caught in headlights. I subtly pulled the shorts away from my skin in an attempt to conceal the problem at hand.
Gabriella walked towards the row of beach chairs where her belongings were sprawled out on one of them, her hips swaying from side to side as she walked.
I knew from the first time I ever saw her that her body was absolutely fucking perfect. I stopped a few feet away from her, allowing my eyes to roam all over her body while she had her back turned to me.
"Is that an invitation?" she asked, grabbing her towel and drying herself off.
"Do you want it to be?" She stopped her movements. "Unless, of course, you're keen on voyeurism?" She wrapped the towel around her body, my eyes tracking her every move.
"That's not really my forte," she said seductively as I stepped closer to her. The sounds of people jumping into the pool behind us seemed so distant.
"What is your forte, then?" I grabbed a hold of her towel, slowly dragging it off her body. She gasped softly and eyed me. "Care to share it with me?"
"Stop flirting with me," she murmured, placing her hands behind her back which automatically pushed her breasts forward. "And give my towel back."
"Why should I stop? Is it getting you hot and bothered?" She licked her lips. The movement, slow and sensual, only added to my arousal. "If you want it back so bad, take it from me."
When she stepped closer with determination glinting in her eyes, I grabbed her by the throat. She gasped again, grabbing a hold of my wrist. She peered at me with those siren like eyes. "Kinky," she said sarcastically.
"You have no idea," I said. "Come with me to my room."
"Why?"
"So I can fuck you, why else?" I emphasised my point by enunciating the word. She gulped and I felt her throat bob. She nodded and I smirked at her agreement.
"Show me," she said softly. "Show me to your room."