Chapter 7

Splash!

I dove into the pool, letting the cold water envelop my body, which was clad only in a very sexy, thin red bikini.

A few hours ago, everything was still going according to plan. Heavy bass from the speakers boomed across the backyard. The bright pool lights reflected off the shimmering water. Fifteen of my friends had come over, drinking and laughing. I purposely floated in the middle of the pool, letting my curves stay on full display under the glow of the garden lights.

"Selena, did you wear that on purpose?" Kevin, my classmate, swam closer. His eyes were locked on my chest, which was clearly outlined beneath the wet fabric.

I gave him a faint smile. "Why? Does it bother you?"

"Not bothered, but it makes my heart race," Kevin whispered. Beneath the water, his hand began to move, brushing against my waist.

I didn't move away at all. I knew exactly what I was doing. I wanted Alexander to see this when he came home. I wanted my overbearing stepfather's composure to shatter when he saw the asset he guarded so strictly being touched by another guy.

However, Alexander's unexpectedly early return ruined everything. The sliding glass door to the family room was slammed open from the inside. Heavy, measured footsteps approached the tiled edge of the pool. His suffocating aura of dominance instantly froze the party's atmosphere. The music, which had been blasting a moment ago, suddenly went completely dead, though I didn't see who turned it off out of sheer terror.

"Oh my god, Selena, your stepfather is so handsome," whispered one of my friends standing by the edge, her hand trembling as she held her drink. "Why does he look so hot when he's angry?"

Alexander stood there in his business suit, his dress shirt sleeves rolled halfway up his forearms. His hair was slightly disheveled, and his eyes scanned the pool like a hawk ready to pounce on its prey. His cold gaze locked instantly on Kevin's hand, which was still resting on my waist.

"Every male here," Alexander's voice was low but it echoed through the silence, "get out of my house right now."

"But sir, we were just," Kevin tried to speak, stammering.

"Now," Alexander cut him off expressionless, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Kevin and the others turned pale. They scrambled out of the pool, frantically grabbing their towels and belongings, then bolted through the back gate without daring to look at Alexander again. In less than two minutes, the pool area became dead silent. Only I remained in the water.

I snorted in annoyance because my plan had completely failed. I turned around, intending to swim to the deeper end of the pool to get away from him. I refused to get out and listen to him lecture me.

That was exactly when disaster struck. My left calf suddenly locked up, stiff as a stone. An agonizing pain stabbed through my nerves. A cramp. I lost control of my body, my balance vanished, and I sank straight to the bottom of the pool. Water rushed into my nose and mouth as I tried to scream for help.

Amidst the underwater panic, a powerful hand gripped my arm with incredible force. Alexander dove straight into the pool without even removing his expensive business clothes. He hauled my body to the surface with one powerful heave, allowing me to gasp for air again.

"Do you want to die in such a pathetic way, Selena?"

That deep, cold, snapping voice was the first thing I heard the moment my head broke the surface. The swallowed chlorinated water made my throat burn intensely. I coughed against Alexander's chest, greedily drawing in as much oxygen as possible while my chest heaved erratically.

Alexander supported my body from behind to keep my head above water. My back was pressed tightly against his drenched, broad chest. Driven by the lingering panic of drowning and the unresolved pain in my leg, I moved haphazardly. I tried to turn around to find a more stable hold in the slick water.

"Be quiet, Selena. Stop moving," Alexander growled right next to my ear. His warm breath contrasted sharply with the chilly pool water.

"Let me go. I can manage on my own," I stammered, trying to push his body away.

I fought back, shifting my weight backward to break free from his hold. However, my uncontrolled movements in the water only caused my backside to rub against the front of his trousers. I gasped as I felt something hard and thick pressing against my rear through the thin fabric of my bikini. The contact felt incredibly real, hot, and dangerous.

"Selena, I told you to stay still," his voice deepened, laced with a strained effort to hold something back.

"Don't touch me like this," I cried out, my voice trembling. My face flushed hot instantly. An odd sensation suddenly rippled through my core, making the thin fabric I wore feel even more constricting.

I tried to turn completely around to push his chest away. But the twisting motion in the water compromised my balance yet again. Panicking, my hand reached downward, searching for leverage to keep myself from sinking. The palm of my right hand landed and gripped right over his crotch, which bulged hard beneath his wet dress pants.

Alexander froze instantly, rigid as a statue. His grip on my waist tightened so hard it felt as though he might break my ribs then and there. His ice-cold eyes flared dark, staring straight into mine from only a few inches away. I could see his Adam's apple bob rapidly.

I was paralyzed. My hand felt paralyzed too, remaining right there, feeling the sheer shape and size of his manhood, which had hardened completely from my accidental touch.

"You did this on purpose, didn't you?" Alexander whispered. His voice had dropped to a dangerously low, threatening register.

"It was an accident. Let go of my hand," I said, my breath coming in short gasps. I tried to pull my hand back, but Alexander moved faster.

He clamped down on my wrist, pinning it there, locking my position so that my palm remained pressed against his intimacy beneath the water. Through the wet fabric of his trousers, I could feel a heavy twitch against my skin.

"You started this, Selena," Alexander leaned his face closer. His wet lips almost brushed against mine, which were shivering from the cold and the sudden surge of fear. "Now, what do you think I should do to a bad girl who dares to touch, what belongs to her stepfather?"