I wasn't sure how long I stood staring after him before he finally dived into the water. My cheeks were warm. I exhaled, realizing I'd been holding my breath. I needed to get a grip. Or a camera to memorialize this moment, because I bet I could make money from a video of him. I could make a fortune... As long as he never opened his mouth.
Daemon broke the surface several feet away from where he went under, water glistening in his hair and on the tips of his lashes. His dark hair was slicked back, bringing more focus on his eerie green eyes. "Are you coming in?" Recalling the red bathing suit I'd decided to wear, I wished I could run away. My earlier confidence had evaporated. I toed off my shoes with slow, deliberate movements, pretending to enjoy the surroundings while my heart threw itself against my ribs.
He watched for a few moments, curious.
"You sure are shy, aren't you, Kitten?" I stilled. "Why do you call me that?"
"Because it makes your hair stand up, like a kitten." Daemon was laughing at me. He pushed back farther, the water lapping at his chest. "So?
Are you coming in?"
Good God, he wasn't going to turn around or anything. And there was a challenge in his stare, as if he expected me to chicken out.
Maybe that's what he wanted - expected. There was no doubt in my mind that he knew he had an effect on girls.
Practical, boring Katy would've gone into the lake fully clothed.
I didn't want to be her. That was the whole purpose of the red bathing suit. I wanted to prove to him I wasn't easily intimidated. I was determined to win this round.
Daemon looked bored. "I'm giving you one minute to get in here."
I resisted the urge to flip him off again and took a deep breath. It wasn't as if I was getting naked, not really. "Or what?"
He moved closer to the bank of the lake. "Or I come and get you."
I scowled at him. "I'd like to see you try that."
"Forty seconds." He watched me with an intense, piercing gaze as he drifted closer.
Rubbing my hand down my face, I sighed.
"Thirty seconds." He taunted from an even shorter distance.
"Jesus," I muttered, yanking my shirt off. I thought twice about throwing it at his head. I raced to shed my shorts when he called out the last taunting reminder.
I stepped toward the edge with my hands on my hips. "Happy?"
Daemon lost his smile and stared. "I'm never happy around you."
"What did you say?" My eyes narrowed on his blank expression. He did not say what I thought he did.
"Nothing. You better get in before that blush reaches your toes."
Flushing even more under his scrutiny, I turned and walked toward the edge of the lake where the drop-off wasn't steep. The water felt great, easing the uncomfortable heat prickling my skin.
I stumbled for anything to say. "It's beautiful out here."
He watched me for a moment and then thankfully disappeared under the water. Water dripped down his face when he popped back up.
Needing to cool my face off, I went under. The cold rush was invigorating, clearing my thoughts. Resurfacing, I pushed the long clumps of hair out of my face.
Daemon eyed me from a few feet away, his cheeks above the waterline and his breath blowing the occasional bubble to break the surface tension. Something in his gaze beckoned me closer.
"What?" I asked after a stretch of silence.
"Why don't you come here?"
There was no way I was going near him. Not even if he dangled a cookie in his hand. Trust and his name didn't go together. I twisted around, dipping under the water, heading for the rocks I'd seen in the middle of the lake.
I reached them in a few strong strokes and pulled myself out of the water, onto the warm, hard surface. I started squeezing the water out of my hair. He treaded water in the middle of the lake. "You look disappointed." Daemon didn't respond. A curious, almost confused look crossed his face. "Well...what do we have here?"
I dangled my feet into the water and made a face at him. "What are you talking about now?"
"Nothing." He waded closer to me.
"You said something."
"I did, didn't I?"
"You're strange."
"You're not what I expected," he said in a hushed voice.
"What does that mean?" I asked as he made a grab for my foot, and I moved my leg out of his reach. "I'm