“It’s Harlow Manor. I don’t think that will be an issue.”
I felt his anger before his words surfaced. “Well, maybe I don’t want Grayson’s perfect fucking life in my face while I’m drowning in all the fucking work I’ve had to do since he left the company.”
My mouth dropped at his abrupt and unexpected honesty.
“And maybe, just maybe…I don’t want to watch the greatest man I’ve ever known whittle to nothing in front of my eyes.”
“Adam…”
“I think we’re done here,” he snapped, snatching the bottle off the barrel as he stood. “I’m taking this back to my room.”
“Adam, wait a sec,” I said, instinctively following his anguish.
“You’re welcome to join me,” he said, turning into my personal space. His chest grazed mine as he lowered his mouth. “But you’ll be tasting an older vintage.”
I sucked in my breath as I fell back a step. “I…I’m fine.”
“That’s what I thought,” he muttered before whirling around and marching back up the staircase, leaving me incredibly aroused and potentially lost within the maze of Harlow Manor.
Adam remained surly for the entire weekend, so I steered clear, barely venturing out of my bedroom until Sunday morning. The walls struggled to mute Adam’s heated work calls as he unleashed an angry tirade on his staff, so I grabbed my swimwear and slipped out of the house. It was freezing outside, but the pool was heated, and I’d been dying for a dip since the moment I’d set eyes on it.
I changed in the pool house and left a towel on the sun chair before diving in. The rush of the water over my face provided instant relief from the negative energies flowing through the house.
After a few laps, I released all the air from my lungs and sunk to the bottom of the pool. I loved the quiet under the water. Being a Pisces, it was my element, and once surrounded by it, I felt total peace. Opening my eyes, I stared up through the water’s surface, watching the sunlight dance through diamond-like prisms, until it suddenly grew dark.
Waves crashed around my body, flipping me in circles as I tried to make sense of the disturbance. Water sucked into my lungs moments before a strong force brought me to the surface. I coughed and spluttered while glaring at the muscular arms wrapped around my body.
“What are you doing?!” I screamed, pushing Adam off before wading to the water’s edge. I hung from the side of the pool and coughed some more.
“What the fuck, Cassidy?! I thought you were drowning!” he yelled back, wide eyed. It was only then that I noticed he was fully clothed. “I was heading out for my morning jog, and I saw you at the bottom of the pool. What was I supposed to think?”
I attempted a retort, but nothing came out. “I guess that would’ve looked kind of weird.”
“Weird?” he growled as he swam to the side of the pool. “You’re fucking crazy.” He climbed out of the pool and stole my towel, flicking the water out of his hair as he patted down his face.
I followed closely behind. “Just because I do things a little differently, doesn’t make me crazy.”
His gaze ran down my dripping body, and I was now hyperaware of wearing nothing but a bikini. I wrapped my hands around my body with a snarl.
With a huff, he threw the towel at me and stormed into the pool house to grab another. Once through the doors, he tore off his wet running clothes that were now glued to his well-defined body.
I froze at the sight of his naked torso and drew in an unsteady breath. “Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten anyone. It’s something I do when I’m feeling overwhelmed. The water relaxes me.”
“I can think of a million different ways to relax that don’t involve drowning yourself.”
“I was hardly drowning. I’m an excellent swimmer.”
“Sure.”
“I am! I probably would’ve made it all the way if I didn’t…”
“Didn’t what?” He scoffed. “Enlighten me on your broken dreams.”
I glared back as anger tore through me. “Which one?”
Adam pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m sorry, Cassidy. That was an ignorant thing to say.”
“Yeah.” I laughed, only to stifle the threat of tears. “It was.”