[5]

“Unbelievable,” I muttered, glaring at the stack of assignments Ethan had dumped on me. Meanwhile, he was probably already out the door, laughing with his friends, enjoying his day without caring in the world.

And me? I was expected—no, forced—to do his college work.

“So annoying…”

There was nothing I could do except start working on it. What choice did I have when Ethan said, “Think of it as payment for living here’?

I hated that he had a point. I hated even more that I couldn’t refuse.

Without realizing it, the day grew hotter and the sun climbed higher. The heat this month was unbearable, pressing down on everything. Which was why, once I finally finished a good portion of Ethan’s work, I decided to take a small break by the backyard pool.

The water shimmered that afternoon—clear and cool, sparkling under sunlight that filtered through the trees. It looked like it was calling to me, inviting me in, especially in weather like this.

I’d checked everything beforehand: Adrian had said earlier he’d be in out-of-town meetings all day, Ethan had just left, and Margaret… well, she hadn’t come home in a week.

Slowly, I stepped into the water. The instant the coolness wrapped around my legs, a soft sigh escaped me. It felt soothing, almost healing. For a moment, everything slipped away—classes, work, Ethan’s entitled demands.

Only the gentle movement of water accompanied me, rippling softly each time I drifted my hand through it.

Just for a moment, I could breathe.

I thought I was alone—until a low voice cut through the quiet.

“You seem to be enjoying yourself, Leah.”

My whole body froze. I jerked my head up. And there he was, standing at the glass doorway. The owner of the house. Adrian Hale.

It felt like my heart dropped straight to the bottom of the pool.

“M–Mr. Hale?” My voice trembled as I hurried to the edge, reaching for the bathrobe I’d left on the lounge chair. “I didn’t know you were home. I’m sorry if—”

“No need to apologize.”

His voice was calm, steady. But something in his gaze—something quiet and unreadable—sent a shiver over my skin, leaving me tense and painfully aware of every inch of myself.

He walked toward me, unhurried, confident. Every time our eyes met, my breath tightened. I ducked my head quickly, pulling on the robe, though droplets from my hair soaked into the fabric until it clung to me.

“I just wanted a short dip,” I murmured, trying to sound casual. “It’s really hot today.”

Adrian stopped right in front of me. He looked at me for a few long seconds before giving a single, thoughtful nod. “Is that so?”

I nodded too quickly. “Y-yes. I’ll head back to my room now, Mr. Hale.”

But before I could step away, his fingers wrapped gently around my wrist—soft, but firm enough that I couldn’t move.

“No need to rush.”

I turned toward him hesitantly. “E-excuse me?”

He let go of my wrist, only to start unfastening the buttons of his shirt one by one. His movements were unhurried—almost relaxed—but his eyes never left mine.

I stood frozen, unsure where I was supposed to look.

“You don’t mind if I join you, do you?” he asked, though his tone made it clear my answer didn’t matter in the slightest.

I swallowed hard, cold sweat clinging to the back of my neck. “O-of course not, but—”

Adrian had already stripped off his shirt and pants, leaving only a pair of black swim trunks that clung perfectly to his body. He stepped into the water—one step, then another—before dipping under for a moment and resurfacing right in front of me.

Water slid down his hair, tracing a path over his chest. The late-afternoon light turned his skin almost silver. I dropped my gaze fast, trying to hide how hot my face felt.

“You look tense,” he said calmly. “I figured the water might help you relax.”

I forced a stiff smile. “I usually prefer swimming alone.”

“Swimming alone can be dangerous,” he replied without missing a beat. “You never know when you’ll run out of strength.”

I bit my lips, unsure how to respond. None of his words were inappropriate, yet somehow, they felt like they carried another meaning. He moved closer, slowly, until the water between us barely existed. I could feel the soft ripple of his steps brushing against me.

“You don’t want to swim with me?”

The question made me lift my head, and unfortunately… our eyes met. And once they did, I couldn’t look anywhere else.

“I’m feeling warm too.” His smile was faint, almost intimate. He reached out, brushing a strand of my damp hair with a tenderness that stole my breath. “You don’t mind, right?”

Before I could say anything, his fingers loosened the knot of the kimono around me—undoing it with a swift, effortless motion. My entire body locked up, unable to protest.

He guided me. Slowly but surely, my feet slipped back into the pool. His grip around my hand tightened, as if encouraging me to hold on to him. Until—

“Refreshing, isn’t it?”

We were already half-submerged, drifting together in the cool water. I let him swim beside me, the pool’s chill sinking pleasantly into my skin. In the end, I couldn’t refuse swimming with him. Spending time like this—just the two of us—felt almost… natural. Until—

“Ah!”

I gasped as Adrian suddenly appeared right in front of me. My balance was already shaky, and if his hand hadn’t caught my waist, I would’ve slipped. But the closeness made me even more flustered.

“Careful,” he warned.

“Yes, Mr. Hale.” I looked down, embarrassed. “And… please let me go. I think I’m done playing in the water.”

“Are you?”

He pulled me closer. My breath hitched, and I instinctively tried to keep a sliver of distance between us. “But I’m not done playing with you, Leah.”

His other hand slid over my thigh—slow, gentle, deliberately sensual—pulling a soft sound from my throat. “M-Mr.—”

“Tell me you like it, Leah.”

His voice was low, heavy and commanding. I shut my eyes, trying to breathe, but suddenly the air felt thin and fragile around me.

“You don’t want me to stop, do you?”

He stood too close. Far too close. And in that silver of space between us, I understood something terrifying. The danger wasn’t him. It was me—because I didn’t want him to stop.

“You’re not saying anything,” Adrian murmured, the corner of his mouth lifting. “So… may I continue what I want to do?”

He lowered his head; his gaze fixed squarely on my lips.

“And what… exactly are you planning to do, Mr. Hale?” I swallowed hard. The space between us tightened until I could feel the warm brush of his breath against my skin.

“Kiss you until you’re breathless.”

He said it—and then he took me. No pause, no hesitation. His mouth covered mine with a softness I never expected—warm, damp, coaxing—before a small bite grazed the inside of my lower lip, sending a sharp, dizzy shiver through me.

For a moment, I forgot how to breathe. Maybe to him this was just a kiss. But to me, it was the kind of kiss that shattered whatever sense of reason I had left.

“Breathe, baby,” he whispered, his mouth barely brushing mine.

My eyes fluttered wide in disbelief, and just as I tried to pull back—just to find a sliver of space—Adrian caught me again. He drew me in, claiming my lips once more, deeper this time. The kisses turned urgent, consuming, and then the tip of his tongue slipped past my lips—mapping slowly, deliberately—until—

“Dad?”

We broke apart instantly.

“You’re home already?”

***

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