"Skinny dipping, right now," I tell her, smirking at her as she looks at me with shock and horror. I knew she wouldn't dare to do it, but I love pushing her buttons. I slide my swimming shorts off in one swift motion, loving the way her eyes become glued to my cock.
I flex my muscles, feeding off her attention. She gulps and I don't give her another second to enjoy the view. Instead, I rush to the water and scream her name as I dive into the waves.
When my body breaks the surface of the water and I re-emerge, laughing with the cold of the ocean, I see her on the beach, clothes still on.
"Come on, darlin’," I call out to her, and it seems to be the incentive she needs.
She takes off her dress and I make myself look away. Not because I'm a gentleman, but because I'm sure if I see her naked right now, I won't be able to resist her any longer. It's been hard enough fighting my feelings for this whole week.
She shrieks as she wades into the water, and I swim with the current to reach her shivering body. Now I can't help it, even though I know what I'm doing isn't right.
She's engaged.
I had my chance, and I fucked it up.
But resisting is out of the question as I wrap her writhing naked form in my arms, pressing her trembling body against my own. Cassidy's eyes are as wide as saucers as she looks into mine, her hands hesitating, but finding their way around my neck nonetheless.
"Cassidy," I groan, and I know she can feel my cock throbbing between us even though the water is ice cold.
I see the inner turmoil in her eyes. She knows what's right, but she also knows what she wants, and those two things are most definitely not the same.
"Please, let go," she moans, but her hands grip me even tighter.
"No," I say decidedly. "Not this time around."
Our hearts beat in unison, and I know it's just a matter of time before we both lose control. Her breasts pressed against my body, she wraps her legs around me, just above my waist. I take a sharp breath and look at her with worry, trying to let her know I won't be able to hold back much longer.
"Please, Cassidy," I whisper against her wet hair. "Think it through, darlin’. Choose me. It's always been me, not him. You need to realize that."
She shakes her head, the wet strands of hair falling in her face. I tuck them behind her ear gently, my hands shaking from the cold sea. "You're mine," I tell her fiercely, and she refuses to meet my eye.
"I'm not," she says. "We've been over for years. This is so fucked up."
Her voice is breaking over the words, heavy with forbidden feelings and emotions.
And then I say something I've never, ever said before in my life. Not to a girl I'd been sleeping with, not to a parent, not to anyone.
"I love you, darlin’," I groan, realizing the words are true as they come out of my mouth.
But they have the opposite effect from the one that I want, and Cassidy looks at me with so much fear it breaks my heart to see her torn this way. She rips her body out of my embrace, leaving my hands searching for her warmth in the cold ocean.
Cassidy starts swimming away, and for some reason, I don't try to catch up. I watch her retreating figure, pain claiming my heart as she gets farther and farther away.
I want to call out after her, pull her back in. But once again, I know it needs to be her choice – she has to be the one to come back into my arms.
I've fucked up once before and it wouldn't be right to fool her again.
Watching Cassidy slide out of the water, I can't make myself look away. Her body is even more beautiful now, her waist tiny and her tits full, her ass insanely tight and tempting. I lick my lips as she pulls the slip right over her wet body, throwing one last look at me over her shoulder.
She's so beautiful, my darlin’.
Cassidy walks away, leaving me and my throbbing cock alone in the ice-cold water. It's like a cold shower, which I so desperately need.
But a smile still plays on my lips because I have another trick up my sleeve. And this time around, I'm not letting Adrian claim the prize.
Cassidy is going to be mine.
Chapter 28
CASSIDY
I know I have to leave the beach as soon as our bodies touch. Not because I don't want Dom's hands on me, but because I want them so badly. And I have to make things right before anything happens between us.