Hydromancist (Seven Forbidden Arts 4)

“Only a few months. I have a two-year term.”

“Where were you before?”

“Stockholm.”

“Mm. Sweden,” she said. “Freezing. Costa Rica must make a nice change. Australian, right?”

“Did the accent give me away, or was it eavesdropping on our dinner conversation?”

“The accent’s a dead giveaway.”

“How about you? Why diving?”

“I’m good at it, and I like it.” She shrugged. “Beats an office job.”

“Where have you dived before?”

“Lots of places.”

He laughed softly. “All right. You don’t like to share. Give me just one.”

“Sodwana Bay, north-east South African coast. Do you scuba dive, Tim?”

He took another swig of his beer. “Nope.”

“Then you drove all the way here just for an introduction?”

“I have a beach house a short distance up the coast.”

She laughed. “So, I shouldn’t flatter myself.”

His hand covered hers where it rested on the armrest of her chair, taking her by surprise. His touch was light, but there was something possessive about the way he squeezed her fingers.

“Even though I do come here every weekend,” he said in a low voice, “I would’ve flown to Sodwana Bay for an introduction.”

She watched him with mesmerized fascination. His physical effect on her was instantaneous, both exhilarating and worrying.

She got to her feet and stood in front of him. He looked up at her with his beautiful but guarded brown eyes. Tim was a man with many secrets. She sensed it. Which was maybe why he was difficult to read and why his eyes didn’t give away much. However, he couldn’t hide the desire that dilated his pupils a fraction as she slowly straddled him, pushing their upper bodies together.

To twist men around her finger was second nature for her, but unlike other men, she couldn’t predict his thoughts. What she could interpret was the hard-on growing against her stomach, and that reaction had its own, sensual effect on her. The blood in her veins heated, sending a throbbing need to parts of her body that turned wet and swollen.

This wasn’t part of the agreement. She wasn’t supposed to get physical and feel all wild around her enemy. Cain would blow his top. She could be accused of sexual harassment under their code of conduct. This was wrong, but the lure was too strong to ignore, and it didn’t help that Tim wanted her. His breaths were warm puffs of air blowing over her lips. She was the one doing all the moving, stroking his cock with her pussy through their clothes while her nails scraped over the hard discs of his nipples hidden under his shirt. He did nothing but watch, his hands on the armrest of the chair. His muscles contracted under her caresses. She was right about those abs. She traced the hard lines defining his body with her fingertips.

Instead of kissing him like she craved, she tilted her neck, inviting him to make a move. His eyes widened. He swallowed. Slowly, he leaned forward, pressing their bodies so close her breasts flattened against his chest. She gasped as his erection wedged deeper between her folds, adding pressure to her clit. His skin was cool in the humid heat of the day, and a shudder ran over his body as he inhaled. He nuzzled her neck and closed his hands around her waist. She closed her eyes, waiting for his lips, but then he lifted her with a swift movement and placed her gently on her feet.

She blinked in surprise at the rejection. Sure, she’d been turned down before. It never bothered her. Not like this. She used to see a refusal as the man’s loss. In this case, the loss was definitely hers.

Tim gave her an apologetic smile as he got up. He took her hand and kissed her palm. “You’re a very desirable woman, Maya, but I told you, you take a lot for granted.” He squeezed her hand and, without another word, turned for the bridge.

“Tim?” When he looked back, she said, “We never got to the strawberries.”

“It’s probably best for both of us that I skip dessert.” He lingered only long enough to give her a heated look.

She stood on the veranda, confused. Maybe she’d taken too much about Tim Fardel for granted, but there was no time to analyze what had just happened. She waited a good five minutes, using the time to grab her thermal vision binoculars and tactical flip knife from the room, before she slipped into the darkening evening to follow Tim.

Chapter 2

Tim whistled as he walked. He chose the path that cut through the resort grounds to the main gate, his white garments standing out in the dark. Maya kept a safe distance. Except for his voice, an eerie hush descended on the jungle, as though the insects and bats held their breaths. Beyond, the roar of the ocean lifted and plummeted. It was a distant but constant sound, a reassuring hum of white noise. The air smelled of salt and wet soil. From time to time, the wind ruffled the trees, and every time the rustling broke the silence, it felt as if the night was clearing its throat, telling Tim to look over his shoulder, but he didn’t. He kept a steady pace and tune.