Page 120 of The Rookie

Her eyes narrow. “This is against the rules.”

“So?”

She sputters, searching for an excuse.

I tug her hand lightly, leading her down the side entrance toward the tub.

She doesn’t stop me.

Because she doesn’t want to stop me.

And we both know it.

thirty-three

. . .

Griffin

The water is warm,the air cool, and Avery’s hair is piled up in a messy bun, a few strands escaping to frame her face. She looks so effortlessly beautiful it’s almost unfair.

She sinks into the bubbles, her shoulders relaxing as she exhales like she’s been holding tension there for days.

I’m in my boxers, and she’s in her bra and panties. We’re getting really good at this whole “hot tub when we’ve forgotten our swimsuits” thing. Probably too good.

My eyes linger on her, the way the soft glow of the outdoor lights catches the curve of her neck, the way her skin looks warm and flushed from the heat.

She tilts her head, catching me mid-stare. “What?”

I shrug, my lips twitching into a small smirk. “Just thinking.”

“Dangerous habit,” she fires back, her tone playful but her eyes watching me carefully, like she’s daring me to say more.

“I know. But you’ve got me doing it a lot tonight.”

She rolls her eyes, but I see the way her lips twitch.

“So,” she says, resting her arms against the edge. “You’re really not reckless?”

I raise an eyebrow. “Do I seem reckless to you?”

She pauses, considering.

“I don’t know,” she says finally. “I just…you have this reputation back in college. Big personality, all that.”

I chuckle. “Yeah, well. People see what they want to see.”

She lifts a brow. “And what am I supposed to see, Knox?”

I grin, leaning forward just a little. “Whatever you want.”

“What if I want to see the real you, with no walls up? Just Griffin Knox.”

“So you want to see my naked?”

Her throat bobs as she swallows. “It always comes back to that. No, I don’t meanphysicallynaked. You know what? Forget it.”

A beat.

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