Declan stood before me. The sun-drenched shimmering water accented his hypnotising turquoise eyes.
I crossed my arms, as my hardened nipples throbbed. The cool water had nothing to do with that bodily response.
“Theadora.” His deep husk made my name sound artistic and not like the name of a bonnet-wearing wench in those bodice-ripping novels my grandma favoured.
“Mr. Lovechilde,” I returned with a thin voice.
“Call me Declan, please.” He smiled and trapped me with those sparkling eyes. “It’s a nice day for a swim.” I noticed him clutching a towel.
Lost for a response, I just nodded.
His masculine beauty rendered me incoherent.
I don’t even think I blinked.
He stared at my T-shirt. “Did you bring your swimsuit?”
“I’m not a swimmer.” I shrugged. “I’m scared of the water.”
He frowned. “Oh, really? You can’t swim?”
I shook my head.
“Your parents never taught you?” The surprised note in his voice reminded me what a stunted childhood I’d had.
“I didn’t exactly have a typical family life. After my mother married my stepfather, she forgot I existed.”
“That sounds terrible,” he said.
“It’s okay. I’m good now.”
Scared of a man touching me, but good.
“Now that I come to think of it, I taught myself to swim. My parents weren’t exactly invested either.” His mouth curved slightly. “I went to boarding school. Most of us there had parents keener to drive a profit than drive us to school or sport on weekends.”
“I also went to boarding school,” I said.
“We share that in common.” He ran his tongue over his lips, and I had to look away like I’d stumbled on something pornographic.
I couldn’t stop thinking of how it would feel to have those lips on mine.
Lucy had spoken, almost ad nauseum, about the joys of orgasms, but I hadn’t even as much as touched myself. I’d never felt this intense burning sensation. Ever.
From the moment my breasts developed, my stepfather’s creepy eyes were all over me, and my body just shut down.
“Well then, I might jump in,” he said, his eyes lingering and my heart racing like mad.
Was that crackling between us? Or was I hallucinating?
And why did I get this feeling he wanted to say more?
“Enjoy.” I smiled back.
He lowered his shorts and stripped down to Speedos.
Arse-gripping, bulge-divulging Speedos.
I couldn’t look. Even though I wanted to ogle him. Who wouldn’t? My lord. This man. That body.