Текст книги "Corrupt "

Автор книги: Penelope Douglas

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Текущая страница: 11 (всего у книги 26 страниц)

I stared at the ground as they all just stood there, not saying anything.

Last March, I’d gone to a St. Patrick’s Day party at a senior’s house, and of course, I hadn’t gone alone. Noah and Claudia came with me.

We hung out, we danced, I had one drink, and the next thing I knew I was being slapped awake by Noah in a bathroom as he stuck his finger down my throat.

Maybe the guys didn’t think that was a big deal. Who cared about some idiot girl that got roofied?

Michael shifted, inching closer. “What the fuck did you just say?”

I shot my eyes up, my blood heating at the sight of his cinnamon eyes looking like he wanted to tear me limb from limb.

But I stayed strong. “Astrid Colby, his girlfriend, actually did it,” I explained. “She gave me the drink, but he was in on it.”

Yeah, any confidence Michael had in me was probably gone now. I was weak, stupid, and a waste of time.

“What happened?” he demanded.

I swallowed through the lump in my throat, my voice shaky. “I went down quick,” I told him. “I barely remember anything. All I know is what Noah told me. He’d broken down the door to a bedroom in the house where the party was. They had me on the bed, and my…” I paused, my stomach rolling with the thought as my eyes burned. “And my shirt was open.”

Michael hesitated a moment and then pressed. “And?”

“And they didn’t get that far,” I assured, knowing what he wanted to know.

No, I hadn’t been raped.

“Noah had noticed me being led upstairs with them,” I explained, “barely able to walk, and thankfully he got there before anything else happened.”

“Why didn’t you tell anyone?” he threw back, accusing me.

My chest shook, and I blinked away the tears pooling.

But it was no use. They came anyway, and I couldn’t look at any of them as they started to fall.

“What the fuck is the matter with you?” he yelled in my face, and I winced. “Why didn’t you tell anyone?”

“I did!” I cried, glaring at him through blurry eyes. “I told everyone! My mother called the school, and…”

I trailed off, clenched my fists under my arms.

“So help me God…” he warned when I didn’t finish.

I filled my lungs and forced the rest out. “And your father is partnered in three real estate ventures with the Andersons, so—”

“Goddammit!” Michael tore himself away, turning from me as he swore.

Kai shook his head, heat turning his dark eyes fierce. “Unbelievable,” he gritted out.

I didn’t need to explain further.

Yeah, I’d tried to fight back, tell my mother, the Crists, the school, even Trevor…but in the end, even despite the protests of my mom and Michael’s, the business relationship between Michael’s father and Miles’ parents was more precious than my honor.

Miles was told to stay away from me, and I wasn’t permitted go to the hospital to take a drug test for evidence. The incident never went to the police or even left our respective homes. I had to look at him every day in school, knowing what he almost did to me and wondering, if he and his girlfriend had raped me, would I have seen any justice then?

I bowed my head, trying to hold back my silent sobs. God, I wanted to kill him.

“Stop crying,” Damon ordered, glaring down at me.

He then looked up at Michael, his eyes narrowing. “What are we going to do?”

What are we going to do? What could we do? Even if the Horsemen had power in this town, they didn’t hold any over their parents. Evans Crist had convinced my mother not to publicize the issue, and what was done was done. Astrid and Miles weren’t going to be investigated, and if they were, there was no evidence now anyway.

Unless….

Unless that’s not the kind of payback Damon was talking about.

Michael breathed hard, shifting back and forth, and then his eyes fell on me.

And I saw his chin lift and his eyes turn resolute. “Ask her.”

I stilled. What?

He cocked his head, daring me as the rest of them slowly turned to me and waited.

What the hell? What was I supposed to do?

And then I realized what Damon had just asked. What are we going to do? It was my decision.

They’d all had each other’s backs tonight, and now they had mine. But they weren’t going to do my shit for me.

No, Michael never would. He’d never handled me lightly, and he was going to make me deal with this. And if I didn’t, I may as well have them take me home now.

I bit down, glaring through the windows of Sticks again. Miles leaned into his girlfriend, wrapping her thighs around his waist as she sat on a stool, and kissed her while pawing her breast. She giggled, and he backed away with a smug smile on his face, having no care in the world as he walked up to the bar and got a pat on the back from a teammate on the way.

I glanced at Astrid again, seeing her laughing with her friends and fluff her long red hair.

They thought they’d won. They didn’t fear me.

And I locked my teeth together so hard it hurt.

I didn’t know what I was doing, but fuck it.

Rubbing my knuckles along the corners of my eyes, I wiped away any remaining tears, making sure my mascara hadn’t run.

Grabbing the back of my sweatshirt, I pulled it over my head, slipping my arms out, and tossed it to Kai. I mussed the hem of my tight, gray tank top, bringing it up to show an inch of stomach, and fluffed my hair, trying to give it some temporary volume or sexy chaos or whatever.

“After you see me take him into the bathroom,” I told them, checking the rest of my clothes, “give me a minute and then follow.”

And then I looked up, checking for confirmation that they’d heard, and froze.

“What?” I asked in a low voice.

Four sets of eyes stared, their intense gazes falling down my body as if they’d never seen a girl before.

Kai tried to look away, but he kept stealing glances with narrowed eyes, as if he were almost angry, and Damon looked at me like I was naked.

Will’s eyebrows rose, and then he shot Michael a look, forming an “o” with his mouth and blowing out a long breath.

But turning my eyes on Michael, I saw his jaw flex and his fists clench. Who knew what he was thinking, but he looked mad. As usual.

I rolled my eyes at them.

I guess it felt kind of good. In fact, I hadn’t thought about my scar one time since I’d come out with them tonight. I never felt sexy, but what I liked even more was that it didn’t take much to get their attention. No mini-skirt, barely any make-up, and no games. I just took off my sweatshirt, and suddenly I wasn’t a little girl anymore.

Of course, that fact wasn’t difficult to forget when the tank didn’t leave much to the imagination with the low-cut neckline. And given the temperature outside, I didn’t even want to know what they could make out through the fabric.

Forcing a huge-ass smile to psych myself up, I grabbed Will’s flask out of his hands and spun around for the door.

“Hey!” I heard him bark behind me.

But I was inside before he could protest further, the door closing and leaving them outside.

The warmth of the pool hall, smelling of wood and hamburgers, greeted me as soon as I walked in, and despite the warmer air, the change in temperature made my sensitive skin tingle. I felt my nipples grow harder, and my hands shook.

Maybe it was just nerves.

Scanning the area and trying to appear like I had no idea the person I was looking for was right at the bar, I tried to act casual. Several people looked up from their pool tables and small groups to see who had just entered. Some smiled and others jerked their chins in hello, before turning back to their conversations.

Corrupt by Depeche Mode played over the speakers, and I flipped my hair to the side, tipping up the flask and taking a small swig, trying not to wince at the burn coating my throat. I caught Miles’ head turned toward me from the corner of my eye.

Holding the flask in one hand and sticking my other hand into the back pocket of my jeans, I walked down the aisle between the bar and the pool tables, forcing myself to smile and my hips to sway. I tried to look flirty, even though my heart was stretching my throat and sweat cooled the back of my neck.

Turning my head, I pretended to be interested in something happening at one of the tables and not watching where I was going.

And then I crashed into his arm, spinning my head back around and feeling the vodka from Will’s flask splash my arm and seeing the blotches on Miles’ shirt.

“Oh, my God!” I gasped, making a big show of wiping him off. “I’m so sorry. I—”

“It’s okay,” he cut in, running a hand down his shirt and then over his blond hair, fixing himself. “What are you drinking there, Pretty Girl?”

He took the opportunity and grabbed my waist with one hand, stealing my flask with the other and taking a drink.

His eyebrows shot up, probably surprised to actually find alcohol and not Kool-Aid in there. The perk about being the quiet girl was not many people really got to know you, which left you the advantage of surprise if you ever decided to switch gears in situations just like this.

I pinched my eyebrows together, trying to look worried and vulnerable.

“Please don’t tell anybody,” I pleaded. “Trevor and I got in an argument, and I just needed to relax.”

Not that he’d tell anyone I was drinking. Everyone drank, but I wanted him to see me as easy prey. Miles and Astrid were aware I knew about the episode on St. Patrick’s Day, even though I couldn’t remember it, but I was hoping he would buy the fact that I was too drunk to care right now.

His lips quirked, and he handed me back the flask. “What did you fight about?”

I dropped my head back, like the alcohol was getting to me as I moaned. “He thinks I belong to him, and I disagree,” I played, bringing my eyes back to him and giving him a “fuck me” look.

I saw the heat grow in his eyes and felt his hands hold my hips possessively.

“Holdin’ out for someone else?” he whispered, getting closer to my mouth.

I licked my lips and hung a lazy arm over his shoulder, my hand dangling behind him. “Maybe,” I taunted, forcing myself to sway in his arms.

“Can’t really blame him, Rika,” he spoke low, yanking my body into his. “I mean, look at you.”

I smiled, forcing down the bile coming up from my stomach.

Stumbling backward, I groaned, acting like I was dizzy. “The room is spinning,” I whimpered. “I think I need to splash some water on my face. Where’s the bathroom?”

He took my hand, leaning in and whispering, “Come on.”

I didn’t bother looking back to see if his girlfriend or friends had seen. I knew they had, and hopefully Astrid would only be a moment behind.

Letting him lead me, we walked through the bar and around the corner to where the bathrooms sat. He pulled me into the men’s room, and I immediately went for the sinks, turning on the water. Thankfully, the room empty.

Leaning my hand on the side of the basin, I got my other one wet and patted my chest and neck, making a show of arching my back and flipping my long hair over the side.

Come on, guys. Get in here.

“Oh, that’s better,” I moaned, continuing to slide my wet hand around the back of my neck and letting it glide down my chest.

And Miles didn’t waste any time. Coming up behind me, his hands gripped my hips as he pressed himself into my ass.

“God, I bet you’re a hot fuck,” he breathed out, bringing up one hand the squeeze my shoulder at the neck while the other reached around to take my breast.

My breath shook and my mouth went dry.

Michael.

I kept going anyway, forcing a small laugh and pushing his hand away. “What are you doing?”

He grabbed for my tits again, growling low in my ear, “You know what you want.” And he reached down, fiddling with the button of my pants.

My pulse pounded in my ears, and I glanced at the door.

You’re not a victim, and I’m not your savior. My eyes burned, and every inch of my skin crawled with fear.

Where were they? What the fuck?

I gritted my teeth and inhaled a deep breath. Breathing out slow and steady, I calmed down.

“You think that’s what I want?” I said, trying to sound less nervous than I was.

My phone was in the car, and my keys were in my sweatshirt. I was naked in here. No weapons, and my only hope was to make it out of the bathroom.

I spun around, leaning my hands at my sides on the sink. And then my hand froze, falling on something small and sharp.

I held it as Miles dived in, kissing my neck and pawing my ass. “I know exactly what you’re begging for,” he replied.

I gripped the metal in my hand, realizing it was the pump for the soap dispenser on the granite top. It had a long, metal spout that was thin and sharp. I tensed my arm, slowly and quietly wiggling it out of its hole until it finally popped off, and I hurriedly hid it behind my back.

“Get off me,” I ordered, done playing.

But then he grabbed my hair, and I cried out as he yanked my head back. “Don’t tease me.”

He slipped his other hand in the top of my tank and squeezed my breast as he smothered my neck with his mouth. “You can cry, though, if you want to. Just get those fucking pants off.”

I cringed, gripping the soap pump and raising my arm to bring it down across his face, but then the door burst opened, and we both shot our heads up, relief flooding me.

But that was short-lived.

Astrid.

My chest caved, and my eyes flared, quickly hiding my weapon behind my back again. She walked through the door and shut it behind her, looking like she wanted some trouble.

“So you think you can fuck my boyfriend, you little slut?” She held my eyes, looking half-amused and half-daring.

I loosed and retightened my fingers around the makeshift weapon in my hand, liquid heat pouring under the skin of my neck and chest.

Jesus, I was scared. Michael.

She walked over, hooking an arm around Miles’ neck and darted out her tongue, flicking his lips. He dived in for a kiss, tightening his hold on me, and I winced, pushing away from him and darting for the door.

But he caught me, throwing me back against the sink. My skin crawled, and I started to breathe hard and fast. No.

I wanted out of here. I wanted to go home. I wanted my mom.

Astrid leaned back, speaking to Miles, “You want her?”

He dragged his bottom lip between his teeth, jerking me into him like I was his dinner. “Fuck yeah,” he growled, and I let out a small cry, feeling the ridge of his cock rub against me.

“Bend her over and give it to her from behind,” Astrid ordered him. “And be rough. I don’t like her.”

He whipped me around, and I gasped as the room spun and he forced my head down over the counter.

Astrid hopped up on the sink next to me, whispering in my ear, “I like to watch him dick other girls.”

I couldn’t breathe. I tried to inhale, but my chest only shook more and more.

Miles’ reached around to unzip my jeans, and I screamed, my throat going raw as a surge of anger filled my muscles. I lashed out.

Shooting back upright, I pulled both arms back and swung them straight across Astrid’s face, slamming her into the mirror to my right.

The left side of her head crashed into the glass, quickly shattering it into dozens of splinters and shards.

I whipped around, hitting Miles in the side of the face, gouging his skin with the spout of the pump and ripping a line right down his cheek.

“Fuck!” he bellowed, shooting a hand to his face and stumbling backward.

“You bitch!” Astrid cried out. “You cut my face!”

I shot up, holding out my weapon in front of me and backing up to the wall as sweat broke out across my body. “Good, you sick fucks!” I raged, fury heating my face.

“Come here!” Miles yelled, and I cried out as he grabbed my arm and damn near ripped it out of the socket as he threw me to floor.

“No!” I shouted.

He came down on me on top of me, and I flailed my arms and legs as he grabbed my hands and restrained me.

“Well, shit, little one,” a voice chirped above me, and I whimpered, seeing Miles stop and look up.

I sucked in short, shallow breaths, my heart thundering in my chest as I followed his hard look up at the door that had just opened.

Will stared down through his white mask, Michael, Kai, and Damon flanking him. “Looks like you fucked them up good without our help,” he stated, glancing at Astrid who had blood pouring down the side of her face by the sink.

They slowly entered the room, filling the space around us and shutting the door behind them. I locked eyes with Michael, seeing his narrow as they fell down to my unbuttoned pants.

“What are you guys doing here?” Miles bit out, getting to his feet. “Get out. This is private.”

No one hesitated.

Michael reared up his fist and slammed it down across Miles’ face, knocking the wind out of him as his body whipped to the side. Damon and Will immediately dived in, taking both of his arms and hauling his body back to the wall, pinning him there.

Kai grabbed me and brought me to my feet, and I darted out, catching Astrid as she tried to run for the door. Fisting her hair, I shoved her into the wall next to her boyfriend and fought to keep the relieved tears at bay.

“Don’t you ever touch me again!” I screamed at her and then stepped over, jutting out and spitting in Miles’ face. “Ever!”

He winced, blood trickling down his cheek from the gash I’d made.

My whole body shook as I backed away, the rush of fear cracking my face and making my heart ache. I dropped my eyes, seeing Miles’ blood on my shirt.

“Go to the car,” Michael commanded, Miles pinned to the wall in front of him. “We’ll be there soon.”

I sniffled, still fisting the soap pump as I snatched my sweatshirt out of Kai’s hand and slipped it back on, covering the blood.

“What are you guys going to do?”

Michael turned from me back to Miles. “Make sure they understand,” he answered.

Present

WE WALKED INTO A LARGE, WHITE HOUSE on the outskirts of the city, all four guys ahead with me trailing behind. They didn’t worry about whether or not I would run off.

I’d gotten in the car, after all.

When I’d made it back to my apartment after the confrontation, I’d seethed for about two minutes, a million fears running through my head. They liked toying around and playing games, and tonight, for some reason, I was the mouse hanging by its tail. Why?

As the minutes on the clock in my apartment ticked away, I couldn’t calm down. They were coming for me, and who knew when they’d stop? I’d never wanted to see them again. Ever.

But it was obvious they were after something. They pushed people. That’s what they did. And they’d keep pushing me until I started holding my ground and quit backing away.

What else you got?

What else did I have? I was taught to be brave from my father. Dip your toe in every ocean and try everything and anything. Learn, explore, take the world on…

And from my mom, I learned self-sufficiency. Of course, she’d taught me by default, but watching her showed me exactly who I didn’t want to be.

And from Michael—as well as Damon, Will, and Kai—I learned to breathe fire. I learned to walk as if the path were carved for me and me alone, and to treat the world as if it should know I was coming.

Did I practice any of it? Of course not. I was a mouse, and that was why I got on my bikini and got in the damn car. I wanted to be different.

I wasn’t tapping out this time.

The drive was quiet, and I spent the whole time focused out the window, happy that they’d turned up the music and killed any possibility of conversation.

After valets took the cars, they led the way into the house, and I followed in my black leather flip-flops, suddenly relaxing at the sight of so many people.

I wouldn’t feel unsafe here.

The architecture of the mansion was modern—lots of windows and glass, as well as sharp edges and white everywhere. There were serval levels with balconies, each jutting out of the house at varying lengths and widths, and as we strolled in, I could tell immediately that this was a Storm party.

Michael’s basketball team.

There was sports paraphernalia sitting around, and serval of the guests, including the ones I’d just arrived with, towered over everyone else.

A moment of alarm hit me when I saw all the guys in suits without ties, but then I calmed down again, seeing the women, some in club wear and others in swim wear like me.

“Jake.” Michael shook hands with a guy a few inches taller than him and then turned to me. “Erika, this is Jake Owen. A teammate. This is his house.”

I offered a half-smile, shaking his hand.

“Nice to meet you,” he said, his eyes gentle. “You’re very beautiful.” And then he looked to Michael. “You sure you want the rest of the team to see her before you get a ring on her finger?”

Michael hooded his eyes, shaking his head as he brushed off his friend’s joke.

“I dated his brother, actually,” I told him. “We grew up together.”

“Really?” He straightened, looking at me with more interest. “Well, I’d love to hear some basketball stories from his youth. Michael, as I’m sure you know, isn’t much for sharing.”

I grinned, knowing exactly what he was talking about. But then something caught my eye, and I looked over, seeing Alex. Will was pulling her up the stairs, a grin plastered on his face.

Alex was here? And why was she going off with Will?

I then saw Kai and Damon take their drinks and head out to the patio.

I turned back to Jake, blinking and remembering myself. “I…” I stammered, “I’m afraid there’s not much I could tell you. I didn’t watch his games in school. I’m sorry.”

Michael’s eyes narrowed just a sliver.

Yeah, I’d been to every basketball game he played in high school. No, I couldn’t tell you a single play or what teams they beat. I wasn’t paying attention to that.

Backing away with a small smile, I excused myself and left them alone. I was sure Michael didn’t intend for me to hang on him all night, and I needed some space.

And maybe a drink, too.

I SPENT THE NEXT HALF HOUR or so wandering around the downstairs, acting like I cared about the artwork and the sculptures, before finally hitting the bar for a drink.

Thankfully the guys had left me alone and I hadn’t seen them since we arrived. Taking my rum and Coke outside and feeling the alcohol slowly warm my blood, I noticed all of the people in the enormous pool. No one was swimming, but it was plenty spacious for lounging and enjoying the last bit of balmy summer air.

On the far end of the pool were rock cliffs and a waterfall display, and I cocked my head, peering over to notice what looked like a secret cave behind the falls.

Looking around, I noticed that the guys were still AWOL, so I quickly slid my shirt down my arms and my shorts off. Laying my clothes and sandals on a lawn chair, I grabbed my drink and slid into the pool.

The water reached my waist, and I fluffed my hair, bringing it over my left shoulder as I hung around the edge of the pool, sipping my drink.

Closing my eyes, I tilted my head back and finally felt the tension leave my face.

Finally.

“Hey,” a voice greeted.

I popped my eyes open and looked up to see Alex, a bottle of Patron and a couple of shot glasses in her hands. She wore a red bikini with several long, thin gold necklaces around her neck and big hoop earrings in her ears.

“You look a little happier than the last time I saw you,” she observed.

I nodded, tipping my glass up to her. “This helps.”

“Psh,” she scoffed, setting down her things and hopping into the pool. “That’s not a drink.”

And she poured two quick glasses of the tequila, taking one for herself and handing me the other.

I fought not to turn up my nose, because hard liquor—not mixed with anything else—was agony for me.

However, I wanted to relax—for once—and I didn’t fear the guys or any advantage they would take if I got buzzed. Between the four of them, they wouldn’t need alcohol to subdue me, so if that’s what they were after, I was as good as dead drunk or sober anyway.

I downed the shot, the liquid scorching my throat, and I squeezed my eyes shut, swallowing again and again as I tried to get rid of the taste my mouth. I didn’t think she’d brought lemons, unfortunately.

God, I was a girl.

Blowing out a breath and getting over the pungent taste, I set the glass down, seeing her refill them.

“So I have to ask,” I started, still forcing down the taste in my mouth. “What’s with the ‘I see lots of men’ line?”

The corner of her mouth turned up in a smirk, and she turned around handing me the shot glass, now full again.

“And I know Will took you upstairs before, and it was Michael the other night?” I went on, giving her a playful look.

She shrugged, looking guilty. “I know lots of men. As in, I get paid to know lots of men.”

Paid? She got paid to know men and spend time with them?

And then my eyes widened, realization hitting. “Ohhh. Right.”

She smiled, blushing as she took her shot.

She was an escort. A prostitute. Wow.

I followed her lead, taking the shot and trying anything to help me wrap my head around that one. Michael had been with her that night. He’d hired her?

“You can’t tell anyone, though.” She pointed at me, her voice thick with the burn of the alcohol. “My clients are mostly wealthy and well-known.”

I set the glass down, stepping out a few inches away from the edge and brushing the surface of the water with my hands.

She had sex with men—and women, now remembering what she said in the elevator—and she got paid for it. And she lived in my building.

I wasn’t sure if that was better than when I thought she was Michael’s girlfriend.

I’d always been a little jealous when Michael had girls around growing up. Even when I was little. I wanted him.

But over time, Michael’s routine was something that never faltered. He took, he enjoyed, and at times, he dated. But no one ever became permanent.

But knowing she was just sex kind of pissed me off, too. She was only floors away at any given time, and he could call her up when whenever he felt the need.

“Don’t worry. I haven’t slept with Michael,” she spoke up as if reading my mind.

I pressed my lips together, shrugging. “Why would I care?”

She snorted. “By the way you were all tongue-tied with him the other night in your pajamas, I gathered you did.”

I dropped my eyes, feeling the water pass between my fingers.

I could ask her why she hadn’t been with him, when I’d seen her go up to his apartment, but I didn’t want to care. It felt weird with her in the building and so close, but Michael wasn’t mine, so it wasn’t my business.

“And I haven’t slept with Kai, either,” she added, tipping back another shot.

“So Will and Damon then?” I broached. “No offense, but I’ve never known them to have to pay for sex.”

“Men who hire escorts aren’t paying for the sex,” she corrected. “They’re paying us to leave when it’s done.”

Nice. I looked away, feeling bad for her.

“Some people aren’t interested in forming attachments or having obligations, Rika,” she explained. “I’m just a professional who’ll show you a good time and then not expect anything afterward.”

I nodded, not really believing her. You may be the good time, but you’re also the dirty secret they hide.

She must’ve seen the judgment in my eyes, because she rushed to explain.

“It pays for school and pays for my apartment, and—no—I don’t want to do this for any longer than I have to, but I made my choice. I wish I didn’t always have to do it, but I don’t regret it. And sometimes,” she flashed me a playful smile, “it’s fun.”

I understood what she was saying, and I hadn’t meant to look like I was judging her. She made her choices, and she owned them. In a way, I envied her confidence.

But I suddenly realized how happy I was to be born a Fane with all the securities that entailed.

Over the next twenty minutes, she took another shot while I finished my drink, and I noticed everyone slowly relaxing as their alcohol took effect. Suit jackets came off, more people got into the pool, and Alex and I were lost in the music and laughing.

The tequila had coursed through my body, warming my stomach and chest, and it felt so good to smile and lose control a little. My skin hummed as my head began to float, and she and I moved our hips to Pray to God, barely noticing the couple making out next to us.

“I’m going to hit the bathroom,” she yelled over the loud music, shoving the bottle of tequila in my hand. “Drink more. I’ll be back in a minute.”

I shook my head, laughing her off.

I watched her hop out of the pool and disappear into the house, but then I spotted Michael, Will, and Kai on the other side of the pool, watching me, and my smile fell.

How long had they been there?

They stood in a semi-circle, drinks in their hands, and I wondered if they’d been watching Alex and me the whole time.

Cocking an eyebrow, I shot them a defiant look and turned around, setting down the bottle and making my way down the edge of the pool.

I headed toward the cave behind the waterfall, partly to escape their prying eyes and partly because I was curious.

The water cascaded down the rocks, splashing my arms and chest as I waded through the pool to the far right side. I spotted a sliver of darkness behind the falls and moved around the rushing water, slipping through without getting drenched.

As soon as I stepped past the falls, though, butterflies hit my stomach and I smiled.

It was huge.

A secret pool hid behind the falls, and the water glowed with neon blue light, much like the light in Michael’s penthouse. Off to the right lay a bank, of sorts, where you could lie down, sit, or people who weren’t swimming could walk in, stand, and see the beauty inside without getting wet.

The whole place was exactly like a cave. The rock walls and ceiling glittered with little white lights, probably to look like stars, and I couldn’t help the little groan that escaped as I tensed my thighs. I was turned on.

I wasn’t sure if it was just the place, the drinks, or Michael. My senses had been overwhelmed today.

I waded further in, enjoying the solace and the darkness, but then I saw Damon enter the cave and I stopped.

He’d walked straight through the falls, coming from the other side and was drenched. He pushed his wet, black hair over the top of his head, the wall of his chest, shoulders, and arms glistening with water. He must’ve either brought swim shorts with him or borrowed some, but I immediately took a step back, seeing that he was coming straight for me.

“I wish I could say I wasn’t used to that reaction from women,” he mused, noticing my retreat.