“Use your imagination,” I say. “Clothes, shoes, electronics. A new car?”
She bites her lip. “Well, there is one thing.”
I touch my index finger and thumb to her chin so she meets my eyes. “Name it, beauty.”
“I need funding to travel next semester.”
“Travel? Where?” I don't like the idea of her going anywhere without me.
“It’s for my independent study. If I can secure an agent, and that agent can get me auditions, I’ll need to travel.”
“Understood. Done and done, whatever you need.”
“And there’s one other thing. It’s kind of a big unethical favor.”
“Hunter. Look at us. I’m 39 and you’re 18. You’re in school with my daughter. I think we crossed the line of unethical a while ago.”
“I need you to forge a parent signature on my independent study for Greenbridge.”
I’m reminded of Miles’s words the other night. Headmistress Moody would most assuredly shit a brick if she knew about Hunter and me. But I cannot waver for one second if I’m going to have and keep Hunter.
“Get in the pool,” I growl. “Let me watch you swim and it’s a done deal.”
15
Hunter
“But the permission slip is right inside the kitchen door. It’s on the table. All you have to do is go in and sign it. I know you want to,” I tease, pushing up onto my tiptoes and speaking so close to his jawline that my lips brush against his scruff.
Rushmore’s jaw clenches and I sense that I’ve pissed him off royally.
“We have an agreement,“ he grits out. “That agreement entitles me to access. And with that I want to watch you swim. That’s all. Nothing more. Nothing less.“
This quiet impatience in his voice and the narrowing of his eyes like he’s getting ready to give me a time-out warning are making me feel like I’m both a little girl and yet on the cusp of womanhood at the same time. So I decide to take it to another level.
“Well in that case…”
I spin around and slowly slip off my bikini bottoms, bending over just enough to be unnecessary. I stand upright again and reach my hand around my back and give one sharp tug to the knot at the back of my bikini top.
“Hunter, what are you doing?“ I hear the tiniest edge of panic in his voice, but he keeps it together.
This will teach him not to push me around. I let the bikini top fall away. He sucks in his breath through his teeth. I pad toward the edge of the pool and I dip my toe in. The movement of my legs causes my cheeks to spread just slightly. He blurts out a quiet but utterly filthy curse that triggers a needful drip from my sex. I feel like I’m in big trouble, and I love it.
“Young lady.”
I give Rushmore a partial side view as I gingerly step up onto the diving board, covering my nipples in the light breeze. I walk to the end of the diving board and dive in. I regret that I can’t see his face. I’m doing exactly what he said: swimming laps while he watches. He didn’t say he wanted me naked; that’s just my little something extra—a treat and torture for both of us.
Something about him, something about his restraint is bringing the serious cock tease out of me. Maybe it’s the fact that it’s so obvious how much he loves to be in control. Or maybe it’s just me exploring my power.
When I reach his end of the pool on the eighth lap and come up for air to perform another flip turn, I’m startled to see his shoes planted on the Spanish tile right in front of me. I hear him bark, “Out. Now.”
“Had enough?” I look up at him innocently. My breasts are still beneath the surface of the water, but I know he sees them. I can hardly describe his face at this moment. It’s a combination of anger and stark need.
“Get upstairs and put some clothes on. The paperwork will be signed when you come down.” And with that, he strides into the kitchen, nearly slamming the sliding glass door.
I’m shaking when I get out of the pool. I wrap myself up and do as he says. After I wash the chlorine out of my hair and off my skin, I dress in a modest summer dress.