Chapter 12: "Lucia Is Going Down"

Lucia’s Pov

The gate slid shut behind me with a mechanical groan, sealing off the rest of the world. My heels clicked softly against the marble as I entered the house, tossing my keys on the console by the door. The scent of chlorine drifted toward me before I even saw him.

Ezra was in the pool.

I moved through the living room, past the sheer curtains swaying with the breeze, and there he was—shirtless, wet, lounging in the water like some Roman god who had wandered onto the wrong estate. Or maybe the right one. His blonde hair was slicked back, droplets rolling slowly down his chest. A glass of something too expensive floated on a tray near him.

“Lucia! You are back,” he said, voice low and lazy. “Come and join me.”

I crossed my arms. “Not in the mood to get wet.”

He smirked. “But wet is good. Come get wet with me.”

The way he said it reeked of innuendo.

I rolled my eyes and sank into one of the lounge chairs. “You want to hear what I did today?” I asked changing the topic.

“I alrea