Page 48 of Hunting Gianna

Finally, I say, “Have you ever craved something so badly, out of nowhere, that it takes over your life? That you know you’re supposed to have it, even if you don’t deserve it, even if it’s wrong?”

She nods, slow, a frown knitting her brows.

“That’s you,” I say. “You’re my craving.”

Her eyes flicker, like maybe she doesn’t know whether to be scared or flattered. Maybe both.

“You’re fucked,” she says, but it’s soft, and she cups my jaw with her hand, pulling me in for a kiss.

Our mouths meet and it’s electric. The water between us, the cold and the heat, her breath and mine. I bite her lip, just enough to make her whimper, and she presses closer, grinding against me, wanting more.

I could stay like this forever.

But I don’t get forever.

The shrill ring irritates me and a flare of anger travels down my spine. My phone, buried in the pile of clothes on the rocks, screaming for attention.

I ignore it. She doesn’t. “Go check,” she says, pushing me away.

I don’t want to. I want to drown us here, keep her under the surface until the world forgets we ever existed. But I swim to the edge, haul myself out, and drip cold water all over the phone as I unlock it.

A text from Noah.

INCOMING. GIANNA’S EX CHECKED IN WITH A NEW GIRL. JUST A HEAD’S UP.

I stare at the words. My vision goes white for a second, a flash of something violent and pure.

I turn back to the pool, watching Gianna float on her back, eyes closed, face to the sky. She looks peaceful, but I know she’s thinking about her soon-to-be-dead cruise ship captain. All the shit he put her through. How did none of this show up on my background checks? Slimy ass motherfucker.

I grip the phone so hard the glass creaks. My muscles coil, ready for a fight.

Gianna opens her eyes and sees me watching.

“What is it?” she asks, voice careful.

I shake my head. “Nothing.”

But it’s not nothing. It’s the start of everything.

I toss the phone onto the rocks and slip back into the water. I swim to her, pull her close, hold her so tight she can’t move. She squirms, but I won’t let go.

She’s my girl. And now everyone will know it.

Even her ex.

Especially her ex.

It’s not long before we’re freezing, but not for the lack of fury running hot through my veins. I needed the cold to decide what the fuck to do about this little problem. I promised I wouldn’t kill anyone else, but does he really count as a person? I remain unconvinced. She wraps herself in my shirt and wrings her hair out, drops falling on her bare feet. I dry off slow, savoring the sight of her stripped raw, the way she tries to hide but keeps looking at me like she wants me to see her anyway.

She glances at my phone, still face up on the rocks, the last message glaring in the dark. She walks over and reads it.

“Your poker face sucks,” she says, voice hoarse.

I crack a knuckle. “You want to see him?”

She stiffens, then pulls the shirt tighter. “I want to burn the lodge down with him in it.”

“Not an option,” I say, pulling my jeans back on. “Too much paperwork.”

---