Page 68 of Shiver

I hear it unlatch, and she steps out, this time wearing a black one-piece with a deep V-cut that has my mouth fucking watering.

“Jesus Christ.” I shake my head, squeezing my eyes shut, and rub my hand over my face. She ignores me, heading into the closet to grab her bag. I watch her as she sorts through it, and finally, she grabs a book out.

“Wanna join me out by the pool?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “I’m thinking about taking a taxi to a nearby beach so I don’t risk running into my family.”

Standing in front of the sliding glass doors, I grab hold of the curtains. “Why would you do that when we have this?” I ask as I pull the curtains back, revealing the pool outside our door with the makeshift privacy fence.

Her mouth hangs open as she takes in the sheets neatly tied to the fence before her eyes meet mine. “You did all this? For me?”

“You should enjoy your vacation, princess. Join me outside?”

She nods slowly and follows me out to the pool with her book in hand.

1. Jamaican Patois: "She don't look like she's even six months old yet, how long have you and her mother been separated?"

2. Jamaican Patois: "My daughter let you win something? That doesn't sound like her at all."

Chapter fifty-five

Samara

He really set all of this up.For me.

Luca De Laurentiis surprises me at every turn, and it annoys me to no end. I almost wish I could forget his past, but unfortunately, ignorance is only bliss to those who are ignorant themselves. Though, I also think there’s something to be said about growing and maturing. He’s shown me in the last few months that he’s done a lot of that.Maybe it’s my turn to do the same.

I settle in on the cushioned lounge chair. As the sun heats my skin and the light breeze whisks by, I finally feel myself start to genuinely relax for the first time since we arrived.

I open my book to where I had left off, but I can’t seem to focus. Doing my best to ignore the feeling of being watched, I finally give up, glancing in Luca’s direction. He’s lounging in one of the chairs opposite me, but with his sunglasses on, it’s difficult to tell if he’s actually looking at me or not.

Hopefully, the same can be said for my sunglasses because I can’t seem to look away. Luca appears like he was carved from marble. Every tan abdominal muscle chiseled out, one by one with extreme care. He looks damn near radiant and entirely relaxed as he rests with his arms behind his head, showing off his impressive biceps.

I avert my gaze back to my book, mortification seeping in.God, I need to get laid.

Doing my best to keep my mind focused on the book in front of me, I pay extra close attention to each word, and it does nothing to settle me.

Regrettably, I left off at the scene where the enemies just became lovers. The tension has been building this entire book, and finally, they’ve given in to their desires.

The FMC has a strong personality, and she’s confident, which is definitely why I like her so much. Throughout the entirety of this book, they’ve been battling for dominance, and the words written across the page now are no different.

Even during the spicy scenes, she’s demanding, and for once, he gives in rather than talking back or doing the opposite of what she wants.

I glance back over the top of my book, and even with sunglasses on, I can feel the heat from his gaze crawling over my skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake.

I start reading again, hoping to get sucked in and away from my current reality, but with every turn of the page, it’s becoming more and more unbearable to lie here.

“Always so demanding,” he tsks, but for once, he does as I say. He’s on his knees, crawling to me, and goddamn, is it a fucking turn-on. Heat sears through me, zipping down my spine as it pools in my core. I clench around nothing as I wait with anticipation for his body to finally be on mine.”

My thighs squeeze tightly together, my core pulsating with need the further I read.This is torture.

I can feel the wetness between my legs, and I’m praying that Luca can’t see it. But when I look up over the book again, I know he does. He’s got his bottom lip clamped so tightly between his teeth that it must be on the verge of drawing blood, and when my eyes skate down his torso, his massive erection gives him away. He’s been watching my every move and my perusal of his incredible body.

Fuck.

“Wanna go for a swim, princess? Maybe cool off a bit?” he asks, calling over to me.

This is a bad idea.Regardless, I slam my book shut, tossing it onto the table beside me as I stand, removing my sheer cover-up and descending the steps into the pool.

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