"Cleo..." Seth whispers, our breaths mingling as his thumb slowly traces my lips, maintaining eye contact. I watch him swallow, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat. His eyes dare me, and the pulse in my pants surges. Suddenly, our lips crash toge...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Her gaze shifts, almost unfocused, then lands on me. She blinks slowly, staring at me as if seeing me for the first time. "You've got... really pretty eyes," she mumbles, completely out of it. Her expression softens, She giggles, leaning in slightly, her words rolling out without care. "And even though you're a total buzzkill... you're, like... unfortunately really sexy. And you smell-" she leans in, sniffing exaggeratedly, "sooo amazing."
I force myself to stay silent, ignoring the way my pulse speeds up. I shouldn't be affected by this.
I'm not. I can't be.
She's drunk, and I'm here to do a job. But the way her lips curve, the way shes looking at me—Fuck.
I need her to snap out of this.
Before I can get a grip on the situation, she wobbles on her feet, glancing toward the pool. Then, without warning, she pulls off her shirt and I immediately avert my eyes, fighting every instinct to look.
"Cleo—don't—" I start, but she's already tugging off her pants, leaving me trying to keep my gaze anywhere but her.
"I'm going for a swim," she announces, diving into the water before I can stop her, her body disappearing beneath the surface.
I stand there, my fists clenched, trying to block out the feeling in my stomach and stay focused. She's drunk. This isn't her. I need to get her out of here before it gets worse.
"You should join me," she says, biting her lip as she treads water, looking at me through her eyelashes, primal and teasing, like I'm her prey. "Water's nice."
I crouch down, offering her my hand. "Get out, Cleo." She swims closer, grabs my hand, and pulls me in.
She cradles herself in my arms, my hands resting on her waist while her arms wrap around my neck. "Seth..." she whispers, her plump brown lips parted "No man-"
Before she can finish whatever thought she has, I lift her up and carry her out of the pool, setting her down on her feet. She almost slips, but I catch her. "Careful," I warn.
She pushes me back into the water, laughing, and I can't help but smile as it creeps onto my lips. I pull her in with me, and she screams playfully, splashing me with water. I momentarily leave her there to grab a towel from one of the beach chairs. When I return, I pick her up again and wrap the towel around her.
"Thank you," she says, surprising me with her manners. I know I probably won't get that from her again.
"You're welcome," I reply plainly. "Can you walk?" She nods but then trips over herself. Instinctively, I scoop her up in a bridal carry. She buries herself against my chest.
I carry her through the crowd, shielding her face as I make my way to her car, carefully buckling her into the passenger seat and covering her with her towel. Cleo is fast asleep, mumbling softly in her dreams. This is the most peaceful I've seen her, and I prefer this version.
