He waited until she relaxed before letting his gaze travel over her as she stood in just a plain pair of white cotton panties.
She was skinny. Not emaciated, but he could tell she’d been on a strict diet. Her breasts were a nice size and looked firm. Her waist curved a bit before flowing into slim hips and even thinner thighs. Although her body was already perfect for him, he wanted her to fill out a bit, showing him without words he was taking good care of her.
“You truly are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
She released a shuddering breath as she gripped his arms, her nails digging into his skin.
He lifted the t-shirt over her head. “Arms up,” he directed.
Eve did as he asked.
He smoothed the shirt down over her hips. “Hold on a second,” he said and disappeared into his closet. He came out a minute later wearing a pair of swim shorts and nothing else.
****
Eve’s breath caught in her lungs as her stare ate him up. He was a large man, clearly a foot taller than her, and his body was muscular without looking like a bodybuilder. He had a small patch of hair in the middle of his chest and then a bit more around his bellybutton that ran under his shorts. She’d enjoyed it when she touched it that morning. She liked how soft it was and how it tickled the palm of her hand.
He had huge hands. The thought of them on her skin made a ball of heat build in her midsection. Even his feet were sexy.
“Baby, if you keep looking at me like that, we’re going to end up naked in bed.”
Her startled gaze rose to his. “Like what? How am I looking at you?”
“Like you want to eat me,” he told her.
She could feel the heat of a blush overtake her face at the same time the breath shuddered in her lungs because one of her inclinations was to taste his skin. His scent was intoxicating, but she wanted to see the texture and taste of him.
He grunted and snatched her hand and led her out of the bedroom. “You’re going to be the death of me, aren’t you, little one?”
She couldn’t help the grin that spread across her face. She liked the thought of keeping him on his toes.
Patrick pulled her out to the pool, released her hand, and descended the few steps into the shallow part of the pool. He raised his arms. “Come here, baby. I won’t let you go.”
She fidgeted a bit before she took one step into the pool. After she got accustomed to the feel of the warm water, she took another, and then the last one until she stood in front of him.
“Good girl.” He placed his hands around her waist to steady her. “The first step is always the hardest.”
She nodded. The water felt good against her skin, but his chest, so close to her, kept her distracted.
“First, we’re just going to walk around the shallow part until you get used to it. Then we’ll work on putting your face in the water.”
He turned and placed her hands on his arm. They moved back and forth a few times.
“Now, I want you to put your face in the water like this,” he said and bent forward and dunked his face, left it under for a moment, and then stood, wiping the water from his eyes with his hand.
She did what he showed her, but she only stayed down for a second before she lifted her head and sputtered.
“That was good. Next time, I want you to take a deep breath and hold it and try to stay down a second longer.”
She nodded and did what he told her to. They did that several times, each time a bit longer than the last.
“I think that’s enough, baby. You did so well. I’m proud of you.”
Her heart swelled in her chest. She couldn’t remember if she’d ever heard anyone praise her before.
“Before we get out, I want you to float on your back. I’ll hold you the whole time.”
She let him maneuver her until she was on top of the water and looking up at the sky. At first, a sense of panic filled her. She settled instantly when Patrick pulled her closer to his body.