Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 100680 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 503(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 336(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100680 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 503(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 336(@300wpm)
Was it just because he wanted the pool to himself? Well, tough.
His eyebrows rose at her tone. Yeah, she knew she could come across as standoffish, but keeping people from getting close was safer.
For them and for her.
“So you really think that swimming on your own at night until you’re clearly exhausted is a smart idea?”
Wait, he was warning her from swimming here at night because it wasn’t safe for her?
She frowned. When was the last time anyone had cared about her safety? Sure, her father had kept her safe, but only because it was in his best interests.
She’d been an asset. If she’d been a liability, well . . . she hated to think of where she’d have ended up.
“Are you threatening me?” she asked.
His eyes widened. Then, to her shock, he threw his head back and laughed.
This guy was off his rocker.
“Me? Sweetness, no. I don’t make it a habit to attack defenseless women.”
“I’m not defenseless,” she muttered, thinking of the Mace in her handbag. Which was in her locker . . . at least a hundred feet away, in the changing rooms.
Crap.
Maybe he had a point.
He stood and stretched, and yep, her gaze was caught on those abs. And he had those slashes by his hips which drew her gaze to his swimming shorts and the bulge she was certain she could see.
Get your mind out of the gutter, Aston!
“You sure you don’t want me to wait here while you get your phone, sweetness?”
“No,” she gritted out. Darn it. How had she gotten caught staring again?
This was insane. She never looked at men like this.
But it would be hard not to look. He was ripped, cute, sexy, and confident.
He oozed sex appeal.
Unlike her. She was frumpy and uninteresting.
You really need to leave. Right. Now.
“You should get yourself tested,” she told him as she gripped the side of the pool to heave herself out.
In hindsight, she really should have swum over to the ladder.
But that’s why hindsight was a pain in the ass.
“Tested for what?” he asked as she attempted to haul herself out.
Shoot. Her arms gave way.
“You’re having delusions.”
He smiled. “And you’ve got some drool going on . . . right . . . here.” He reached out and touched the corner of her mouth, just as she attempted to heave herself out of the pool again.
Her head smacked right into his, sending him falling back on his ass.
“Shit,” he muttered.
“Oh my God! Ouch! What is your head made of? Concrete?” she cried as she slipped back into the water, rubbing at her head.
“Right back at you, sweetness.”
“You’re the one who bent down when I was clearly trying to get out of the pool.”
He removed his hand from his head, which already had a red patch forming on it. Guilt filled her tummy.
Oops.
She really hadn’t meant to hurt him. It’d just been unfortunate timing.
“So this is my fault?” he asked.
She wanted to say yes. She really did. But she was trying her best not to lie. Or to make anyone else feel bad. She hated doing that.
“No, it was mine. Are you all right?” she asked in concern.
He gave her a surprised look. “Not your fault, sweetness. Just an accident.”
Shoot. Now, she felt even worse because he was being nice. How fair was it that he looked like sex on two legs and he was genuinely nice?
This was bad. Very bad.
“Here, let me help you out.” He held out both hands, but she backed away, shaking her head.
No. Nope. Aston didn’t trust herself to touch this man and not self-combust or something.
And yes, she knew she was being ridiculous. But she couldn’t help it.
He sighed. “Just come here.”
“No. I’m fine. I have this.” She moved to the ladder and started climbing out, only for her hand to slip, her energy completely zapped.
Fuck. Was she going to have to swim to the other end of the pool? To where the ramp was?
This was too embarrassing.
Then he was there, offering her a hand again. And she knew that she couldn’t refuse without looking like a complete idiot.
So she reached up and took it. And yep, it was as bad as she thought. A tingle of awareness moved through her. His hand was warm and dry. His grip firm but not punishing.
And he hauled her out of the water like she weighed nothing.
Which wasn’t the case. Once she was standing next to him, she realized he was taller than she’d first thought. Around six feet, since he towered over her own five feet five.
“Thanks.”
She shivered and walked quickly over to grab her towel, which she’d left on a bench. She wrapped it around herself. Without looking at him, she muttered her goodbye.
“Bye, Rainbow,” he called out. “I’ll be seeing you later.”
Rainbow? Why the hell would he call her that?
And seeing her soon? Yeah. That wasn’t going to happen. She’d just have to come even later at night to the pool or really early in the morning.