‘Suit yourself,’ he said quietly, looking down at the expensive watch on his wrist. ‘But you’re going to regret changing out of that bathing suit.’
She frowned at the cryptic statement, turning to face him. Just as she opened her mouth to question that statement the heavens seemed to open above her. Thick droplets of ice-cold rain fell hard and heavy onto her face, making her gasp as the cold spray got heavier and heavier, spreading through her clothing and down her neck and spine.
She was instantly wet through, and her mind took at least ten seconds before telling her to sprint back towards the house. After a few feet the rain suddenly stopped, and she was left looking into Roman’s laughing face.
‘I would have warned you about the sprinklers,’ he said, crossing his arms. ‘But I didn’t want to manage your day too much.’
She gasped as the cool night air hit her sodden skin. She looked down at her wet clothes and, to her surprise, felt hysterical laughter bubble up her throat.
Roman frowned, also with surprise, ‘What? No angry tirade about my appalling lack of consideration?’
‘I’m done with being angry today.’ She shook her head. ‘If I don’t laugh right now I might cry. And I make a point of never doing that.’
She leaned to one side, laughing once more as she began to squeeze the water from her hair. A sudden wicked urge grabbed her, and before she could stop herself she pooled the excess liquid in the palm of her hand and threw it in his direction, watching as it landed with a satisfying splash directly in his face.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said quickly, trying to curb her laughter as she took in his thunderous expression.
He took a step towards her and she felt her breath catch.
‘You can’t throw the first punch and then retreat with an apology.’ His voice was dark and silky on the night air. ‘You sell yourself short. That was an excellent aim.’
‘I’m not sorry, then.’ She smirked, realising with a sudden jolt that she was flirting with him. And that he was flirting back.
The way he was looking at her coupled with the silent darkness of the night surrounding them made her almost imagine that this was a different moment in time entirely. That they weren’t just strangers forced into each other’s company by circumstance.
She imagined normal people laughed like this and poked fun at one another without fear of making a faux pas. It felt good, being normal.
‘You’ve got quite a wild temper hidden underneath all those royal manners.’ He took another step closer.
‘I manage to keep it in check most of the time.’
‘But not around me.’ It was a statement, not a question.
‘Don’t flatter yourself.’ She smiled nervously.
He stood little more than a foot away now, his warm scent clouding around her. She was wet and bedraggled, but she didn’t want to leave just yet. She didn’t want to end this—whatever it was that was passing between them. After a day filled with confrontation and being on the defensive, it was nice to lose the serious tone—even if for a brief moment.
She crossed her arms under her breasts, feeling the cold air prickle her skin into gooseflesh.
‘Khristos, why didn’t you say you were freezing?’
He reached out to touch her arm, the movement shocking them both as their eyes met in the half-darkness. It was a touch too far. They both knew it. And yet his hand stayed, gripping the soft skin just above her elbow. She shivered again, and this time it was nothing to do with the chill.
She noticed his expression darken suddenly. The air b
etween them filled with a strange sizzling energy and his fingers flexed against her skin just a fraction.
She realised his gaze had moved below her chin. Self-consciously she looked down—and felt the air rush from her lungs in one long drawn-out breath.
Her white blouse.
She might as well be standing in front of him completely naked for all the coverage the wet piece of fabric was offering her. Of course tonight had to be the night when, in her haste to dress, she had decided a bra wasn’t necessary. And of course the cool breeze had resulted in both taut peaks standing proudly to attention.
‘Oh, God...’
She took in another breath, silently willing herself to laugh it off, but her mind stumbled clumsily over itself as she took in the obvious heat in his gaze. His eyes were dark and heavy-lidded as they lifted to meet hers. There was no mistaking it now. The silent strum of sensual heat that thrummed in the air between them.
It was a strange feeling—wanting to hide from the intensity of his gaze and bask in it all at the same time. He made her feel warm in places she hadn’t known she could feel heat. It was as though her body was silently begging her to move towards him.