“Perfect.” He gave me a mischievous grin. “That just means we’ll have more time to enjoy this place before we have to get on our way. Now start undressing.”
My stomach did a flip. “Excuse me?”
“How else am I supposed to wash your clothes? With you still wearing them?”
I knew my face was flushed, I could feel the heat creeping up my neck to my cheeks. Liam must have seen it too because his pupils widened ever so slightly as he took a step toward me, tilting my chin with the tip of his finger.
“Why are you nervous to be naked in a hot spring with me, Cerise?” His voice had gone low.
“I’m not.” I tried to sound confident, but my voice wavered.
Liam leaned in, his lips barely brushing mine. “Prove it.”
Let go. Just live in the moment,I urged myself.
With a deep breath, I pulled away, turned around, and walked to the shore, unbuttoning my shirt along the way. I stopped at the edge, tossing it behind me. Keeping my back to Liam, I kicked off my boots, nudging them aside with my foot, then undid the button of my pants, sliding them down my hips.
I could sense the heat of his gaze on me, could feel the tension growing thicker in the air.
Standing in my underwear, I bit my lip as I unhooked my bra, slowly slid it down over my arms and dropped it. Taking my time to torment him, I peeled my panties down inch by inch, revealing my bare bottom and kicking them aside.
Liam groaned behind me.
Completely bare, I walked into the water as I unbraided my hair and finger combed it, still not looking at Liam.
The water was utterly delightful, the heat soothing my aching muscles, and I couldn’t help but moan at the feel of it. Liam made a choked sound in the back of his throat.
Smirking to myself, I dove below the surface and swam, reveling in the way the warmth felt along my skin. I broke the surface, tilting my head back and smoothing my hair. I was deep enough now, the water rose to just below my collarbone. Opening my eyes, I looked to the shore.
Liam was frozen, his fist clenching the soap so hard I thoughtthe bottle would shatter. My eyes trailed from his hand, up his body, pausing on his chest heaving. I met his gaze. His pupils were blown, his eyes filled with molten lust.
“I fear you are going to kill me,” he said quietly as he unbuttoned his own shirt, still holding the soap in his fist.
It didn’t take long for him to strip to his briefs. There was no hiding the erection he was sporting and I held my breath as he pulled them down and his cock sprang free.
Oh. Oh my.
Liam was…big. Long and thick and…I didn’t even have the words to describe how stunning he was. Every single inch.
He gave me a smirk, then sprinted to the edge of the pool, diving off a small outcropping of rock a couple of feet above the surface of the water. I watched his lithe muscular body as he swam toward me beneath the surface, coming up a couple feet from where I stood.
He tossed me one of the bottles. “You’d better hurry before I pin you against those rocks over there for torturing me.”
“Oh? Torturing? I didn’t realize I had that much power. I was just doing as you said and undressing so I could bathe.”
He was already lathering his hair and my eyes caught on the way his biceps flexed with the motion. “Cerise. Soap. Now.”
“The fun professor is bossy now, hmm?” I couldn’t help but tease him.
“You’re about to find out just how bossy I am, sunshine.” His voice had an edge to it and my thighs involuntarily clenched at his authoritative tone.
“I thought you were going to wash our clothes.”
“Later.”
I moved to the shallower end of the pool, turning so my back was to him, and poured the viscous liquid into my hand. It smelled of vanilla and something floral and I sighed in contentment as I was finally able to rid myself of the last few days of muck and grime.
How long had we been separated from the group now? A week? Two? I had no idea.