my neck, and I wonder if he would bite me. Strangely, the idea doesn’t spike fear into my body but a shiver to run through it. I wonder what it would feel like; his sharp canines against my neck.
I clear my throat and look away, trying to find a sense of normalcy. “Can you turn around while I get dressed?” I ask in a whisper.
He doesn’t reply. He only turns away from me. I walk out of the water, dry myself with my blanket, and pull on my underclothes.
Just as I finish pulling my black jeans on and I’m half way into my shirt, my damp skin not allowing my arms easy entrance into the sleeves, cold water drenches my back. My shoulders tense as I suck in a clipped breath and slowly turn to face him. He’s smiling as he floats in the lake like nothing happened. He’s like a crocodile inconspicuously lurking within the water.
“That was low!” I say, but he only licks his lips and splashes me again. I heave in a breath as the cold water hits my half bare stomach.
I’m defenseless unless I want to get back into the water, but I’m already dressed. Instead, I try to hurt his ego. “Remember when I said it was embarrassing for a big bad hybrid-vampire to use a little knife to threaten us?” His eyes light up in interest at my mocking tone. “This is kind of like that. Throw in the last splash when my back’s turned and I can’t get you back. How very threatening of you,” I say sarcastically, pulling my shirt down and resting my hands on my hips, trying to hide my nervousness from being exposed to him.
He opens his mouth in a half smile before standing in the water. The water comes to his knees and it takes him less than a second to run onto dry land. Before I even have time to react, he’s hugging his drenched body against my dry clothes, soaking my jeans and shirt. He shakes his hair out onto me to prove a point. Water droplets rain onto my forehead and cheeks.
I twist, pushing against his wet chest, but my hands just slide against him. Slick, rigid muscle flexes beneath my fingertips. I’m laughing and trying to catch my breath that I’ve somehow lost just by making contact with him.
“Forty-four, stop, I can’t even run well in dry clothes, there’s no way I can run soaking wet.” I try to reason with him, but I’m still laughing. He only holds me closer, pressing his wet forehead against my neck.
A tingle runs through my core and settles, making its home there. I keep focused on pulling and pushing away from him when my mind wants nothing more than to stay in his strong arms a little longer.
“What the hell are you doing?” A familiar and angry voice asks, causing my laughter to die on my lips and Forty-four’s arms to slowly fall away from me.
I look up to see Ayden staring at us, his dark eyes wide with anger. His jaw is clenched like he’ll never speak again. He does speak. Furiously. “Do you think you have a right to touch her?” Ayden cocks his head at Forty-four, who brushes against my arm, moving closer to where Ayden stands. I step in front of Forty-four in a casual way to halt his steps.
I lick my lips, trying to pull an explanation from the clutter of my mind. I have no idea where to begin, or even what I can explain with the limited information anyone has given me.
I realize then that Forty-four is nearly naked and was wrapped around me, which only makes the situation worse.
Great.
I take a large breath and walk over to Ayden at the side of the cliff. I steal a glance at Forty-four once I’m several feet away.
It’s dark. However, even in the moonlight, I can tell Forty-four is something unhuman. Something dangerous. His skin is too smooth, his muscles too defined. He’s pulling on a pair of black jeans and the more I think about what we must have looked like the more uncomfortable I feel standing before Ayden.
Ayden’s once warm eyes are now blazing with anger as they look down at me. A look I’ve never seen him give anyone.
“What are you doing here, Ayden?” I ask, hugging my arms around myself.
I know it’s a lame response to everything, but it’s the only question that keeps racing through my mind.