Chapter 8 #2
How much you fucking wreck me.
God, she really has no idea how stunning she is.
I’m fully staring, and I don't give a fuck who knows. I want Meadow to know that I can't take my eyes off her.
“Meadow…” My voice is crushed gravel. “Jesus Christ.”
“What?” she asks, voice shy as her pink toes curl over the stone lip.
“Look at you…” I manage. “I mean… fuck .” My voice comes out low, raw, and borderline animalistic.
I want to tell her to waltz her ass back inside so no one sees her like this. I want to lock her up in our suite and fuck her until she’s screaming my name so that the entire resort knows that she’s mine .
Her gaze flicks down her own body, uncertainty flitting across her face as she folds an arm across her stomach and the other across her chest. I hate that she’s hiding herself when she’s the most beautiful creature I’ve ever laid eyes on.
“Is it too much?” she asks hesitantly. “I didn’t know what to buy. I never shop for swimsuits, and I just—”
“Meadow, stop,” I interrupt, my voice rougher than I intended. “Don’t cover yourself. Not around me. You look… I don’t even have words.” I pause before continuing. “You’re perfect.”
Her blush deepens, blooming across her cheekbones.
“Owen… don’t make things weird.”
I think ‘weird’ flew out the window the second we saw each other half naked tonight.
“Weird?” I huff a breath. “Is it so strange for me to tell you you’re beautiful?”
Her eyes bounce between mine as she loosens her hold on herself, feeling more confident and comfortable.
She hesitates, her gaze darting away. “I’m just… I guess I’m not used to compliments.”
If she were mine, I’d spend every waking minute telling her exactly how breathtaking she is. I’d spend my days rewriting every insecure thought she’s ever had until she sees herself through my eyes.
“Well, get used to it.” My stare drags down her body unapologetically. “Because I’m not stopping.”
She swallows thickly, clearly flustered by my boldness. She looks toward the water as if it might cool the roaring fire between us.
“Is the water warm?” she finally asks.
“Yeah,” I rasp. “It feels great. Get in already.”
She thinks for a second before inhaling a deep breath and stepping down onto the first step. I can’t help but watch how the water laps at her ankles, then her shins as she descends the stairs. It’s like a work of art watching the pool come alive around her luminous body.
When the water hits just above her hips, she stops and lifts her arms to smooth her fingertips over the surface. I watch every ripple, jealous that the pool is holding her instead of me.
“Ah, you were right,” she exhales. “This feels amazing.”
Her head tips back, exposing the soft skin gleaming down the column of her throat. She closes her eyes and takes a deep, relaxing breath before bending back and slipping under the water.
She disappears for two heartbeats before slowly rising back into the night air.
It’s impossible to take my eyes off of her.
Water streams down her cheeks, over her mouth, and along her collarbones before dropping like tiny jewels between the valley of her breasts. Her hair slicks down her back, disappearing behind her delicate shoulders.
She looks ethereal. Otherworldly.
Soft, yet wild. Tame, yet begging to be corrupted.
Meadow wipes water from her lashes before flashing me a smile. She swims closer, but far enough to keep a few feet of distance between us.
“I have a question for you, Brooks,” she says, mischief swirling in her voice.
“Oh God,” I mutter, bracing myself. “What now?”
“Be honest,” she smirks, arching a brow. “Between the two of us, who do you think would survive if we were stranded on an abandoned island?”
I stare at her, eyes narrowing.
“That’s easy. Me.”
Her jaw drops as she places a hand over her heart like she’s offended.
“You?” she scoffs. “Please. You’d last one hour before having life-threatening gym and protein bar withdrawals.”
I bite back a laugh.
“And what about you? How could you possibly survive without checking your precious email every two seconds?”
She lifts her chin and shrugs.
“I might be an over-worker, but at least I’m resourceful. I’d hunt. I’d gather. I’d weave palm leaves into something practical. Meanwhile, you’d just be standing there— shirtless —looking pretty.”
I smirk at her, but there’s a spark of challenge behind my stare.
“Oh, you think I’d just stand around looking pretty, huh?” I toss back, quirking a brow. “I might surprise you, Meadow. I’m pretty damn good with my hands.”
She rolls her eyes, but I don’t miss the crimson spreading across her cheeks. In the back of my mind, I’m thinking about showing her exactly how useful I can be.
“ Shut up, Owen. This isn't news to you. You know you’re handsome.”
I smirk, taking advantage of her words.
“Oh, I know I’m handsome,” I quip. “But no one’s ever called me pretty before. And what are you implying? That I’m nothing but a dumb jock?”
She snorts, shaking her head.
“When you say it like that, you make me sound terrible,” she chuckles.
“I’m just pointing out that we both have strengths.
You’re the personality hire, and I’m the academic hire.
A good team needs both. That’s why I think we’d both survive.
” Her eyes glimmer in the blue reflection of the water. “As a team.”
A team.
“A team?” I repeat, enjoying the way that sounds.
She opens her mouth to respond, but the loud chime of a phone ringing slices through the moment, severing the tension.
Thinking it’s mine, I push off the pool floor and swim to the edge, palms bracing on the ledge as I reach for the glowing screen.
The name stops me cold.
Vance calling…
A dark and ugly feeling twists my gut as I stare down at the name.
It’s not my phone, and I don’t know a Vance.
Vance.
Who the fuck is Vance?
And why is he calling Meadow so fucking late at night?
My jaw flexes as a hot wave of jealousy surges through me, making the water surrounding my ribs feel a hundred degrees hotter.
My grip on the phone tightens. Every insecure, jealous instinct rises to the surface all at once, rearing its head like a deadly beast. My mind instantly conjures up every possible variation of Vance: smart, charming, Meadow’s type—someone who gets to touch, kiss, and flirt with her without having to pretend it’s a joke.
“Shit,” she blurts out, swimming toward me. “Is that me?”
She’s almost to the wall when the call stops and the screen fades to black.
Meadow wades up next to me and plants her palms on the tile, her chest rising and falling as water droplets race down her shoulders.
“Did I miss a call?” she mutters breathlessly.
I should mind my business.
If I were smart, I would mind my own fucking business.
Instead, I haul myself out of the water. My muscles flex with the movement, and I feel her gaze slide up my body as I climb to sit on the ledge. The night air blows against my wet skin, sending chill bumps from my chest to my abs.
Meadow’s phone buzzes again in my hand, the screen lighting up a second time with the same name.
Vance.
I ghost my thumb across the screen, a possessive urge crawling up my spine as I consider answering and telling him to fuck right off.
“Who’s Vance ?” I ask, his name rolling off my tongue with disgust.
Meadow’s eyes dart to my face, then to her phone in my hand, then back. She steps closer, agitation and panic lighting up her features.
“Owen,” she spits out. “Give me that.”
I raise my arm, holding the phone above my head just out of her reach.
“Is this a new guy?” I press, throwing on a cocky grin to hide the way my gut is twisting. “You cheating on your new husband, Mrs. Brooks?”
Fuck, I hate how good that sounds when I say it out loud. I hate it because I want it so badly to be real.
“Don’t get too comfortable with that title, Owen. It’s temporary,” she snaps with a hint of humor. She comes even closer, not stopping until I feel the warmth of her body a breath away from mine. “That is my phone. Give it back.”
“Not until you tell me who Vance is.”
Her fingertips barely brush my wrist as she reaches up. The water hits just below her ribs, reflecting the pink bikini wrapped around her breasts.
“Seriously, Owen,” she warns, her voice low. “It’s not a big deal. Give me my phone.”
“A big deal?” I echo. “You’re the one making it a big deal. Just tell me who it is.”
Her lips part on an exasperated sound as she gives in and crosses her arms against her chest.
“He’s not my boyfriend,” she grits out. “He’s just someone I went on a date with last month. Now hand it over.”
Went on a date with?
This is the first time she’s opened up to me about seeing someone. Meadow keeps that part of her life private. She always has. I knew hearing something like this would bother me, but fuck, I just didn’t expect it to feel like a punch to the gut.
Jealousy roars through my veins. The thought of her on a date with another man makes my jaw flex hard enough to crack teeth.
“Hmm.” I pretend to consider it, tilting my head. “So if it’s not a big deal, you’re saying this guy doesn't stand a chance? Want me to answer and break the disappointing news?” I can’t help but smirk.
She narrows her eyes. “Stop being an asshole and give me my phone, Owen.”
Her slippery hands reach for me again, this time getting a decent grip on my forearm. Instead of moving away, I hold my ground as I sit on the ledge, forcing her to rise on her tiptoes until her body slides flush against mine.
Holy shit.
Chills take over my body for an entirely different reason than the night breeze.
Her soft breasts press against my ribs, sending a zip of awareness straight to my cock. Sensation floods from my head to my toes as my muscles stiffen beneath her touch.
She braces one palm on my thigh for leverage.
And that’s when I stop fucking breathing.