Page 16 of Along Came Amor
She folded her clothes carefully and set them on her chair, then tucked her shoes underneath. When she turned to face the pool and Roman got a look at her from behind, he bit back a groan. God, this woman was perfect.
Then, to his surprise, she unhooked her bra and tossed it onto the chair beside her.
He sucked in a breath.
Instead of going to the steps, she sat on the edge and dipped her legs in.
“It’s warm.” She sent him a delighted smile over her shoulder.
“Heated saltwater pool,” he mumbled, heart pounding as his eyes traveled down her back to the curve of her butt, barely covered by pink panties.
“Saltwater? Oh, this is totally worth having to do my hair again.” And then she pushed herself off the edge and into the water, submerging herself completely.
Her flickering form moved gracefully beneath the waves. She came up on the other side of the pool with her hair slicked back, looking for all the world like a siren ready to entice him to his doom.
At that moment, he’d gladly follow her into the mouth of a sea monster, all for one last glimpse of her.
She wiped the water from her eyes. When she saw him watching, she called out in a husky voice, “Aren’t you going to join me?”
Fuck yeah he was. Roman leaped to his feet, nearly knocking over his chair. He fumbled to undo the buttons on his shirt.
Was it suddenly more humid out here, or was it just the way she was looking at him? Her lips parted, and her eyes were glued to his hands as they revealed his chest. He slowed, giving her time to look her fill, when he really wanted to rip his clothes off and leap into the water after her. He slipped the shirt off his shoulders, taking care to flex as he did, and it was quiet enough that he heard her sharp intake of breath. Inside, he grinned like a fiend. Then he undid his pants and drew them down. He wore dark gray briefs, which did little to hide his growing arousal.
Across the pool, Ava’s gaze flickered over his body, and Roman couldn’t stay away from her a second longer. He jumped in. Warm water engulfed him, and although the pool was only fivefeet at its deepest, he sliced through it in an easy breaststroke, keeping his eyes on her. He thought she’d swim away, maybe make it a game, but she just stood there, waiting for him.
When he reached her, she sent him a shy smile. “I’ve never done anything like this.”
He came to a stop in front of her. Water lapped around their bare shoulders as his feet touched down. “Like what?”
She gave a nervous laugh. “Skinny-dip with a man I just met?”
“I hope this is better than watching a movie in your hotel room.” Over dinner, she’d admitted that was her backup plan after the cocktail failure.
Her eyes glowed. “Much.”
“I’m glad I could help.”
“Thank you. I... believe you.”
He drew closer to her in the water. “Tell me what you want.”
Her brows drew together as if troubled. “That’s the problem. I don’t know anymore.”
“Then tell me what you like,” he pressed. “Or what you used to like.”
Maybe it was weird to ask, but she said she hadn’t dated since the breakup. If there was something she wanted, he would give it to her.
“I like...” Her eyes dropped to his mouth and darted away, like she was too scared to say it.
“Tell me,” he urged, his tone gentle. “I won’t judge you.”
Her gaze returned to his mouth and lingered.
“Kissing.” The admission came in a hushed whisper. “I used to love kissing.”
His pulse beat in his throat. “What did you love about it?”
“It used to be so exciting. But then, I don’t know why, we just... stopped.”
