A/N: this scene belongs to Jennifer Lynn Barnes (in the Hawthorne Legacy), I've just altered it to show Jameson's point of view :)
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"You look like you're thinking," a familiar voice said as the owner joined me in the hot tub. Though my gaze wasn't attentive on Avery, I still picked up on her lack of clothing. Or rather, a skimpy bikini that was quite possibly the least I'd ever seen her in.
"I'm always thinking, Heiress." My green eyes stayed fixed on the sky. "That's what you love about me."
From the corner of my vision, I observed Avery. Goosebumps rising on her skin, she shed her robe and slipped into the water. Pink flushed her cheeks.
I angled my eyes toward hers. "Any guesses what I'm thinking about?"
"You're thinking about the ring," Avery guessed.
It was a trick question. While I was, indeed, thinking about the ring, the rear of my thoughts housed nothing except the girl in front of me.
I shifted position, the top of my chest rising out of the water. "The ring," I confirmed. "It's the obvious next step, but getting it from Zara could be a challenge."
"You like a challenge."
I pushed off the side and came closer to her. "I do."
As I neared, I couldn't tell whether her blush had aroused from the steam or solely my closeness.
"Hawthorne House has a vault." I came to a stop a foot or so away from her. "But even I don't know its location."
"How is that possible?" As she said it, Avery's eyes struggled to remain on mine and not the bare panes of my chest.
I shrugged, the water lapping against my shoulders and chest. "Anything is possible."
Avery swallowed. "I could ask to see it." Clearing her throat, she clarified, "The vault."
"You could," I agreed, flashing my trademark smile. "You're the boss."
She looked down, seeming to notice how little of her body the swimsuit covered. "We just have to find the wedding ring your grandfather left your aunt." Pausing, she added, "Then, somehow, that ring will help us make invisible ink a little more..."
"Visible?" I suggested. I bent so that I could catch her eye. Moments passed with neither of us looking away. "Okay, Heiress," I murmured. "What am I thinking now?"
Avery moved forward. The distance between us disappeared as she said, "Not about the ring," Her hand floated to the surface of the water.
"No," I agreed, my voice a low invitation. "Not about the ring." I lifted one of my hands to hers. We didn't quite touch. I let my arm float, a hairbreadth away from her submerged skin. "The question is," I said, "what are you thinking about?"
Avery turned my hand over and it brushed mine. "Not the ring."
With that, she moved again through the water. The rest of the space between us vanished. Avery brought her lips to mine, and I kissed her, hard. Avery's body succumbed to mine, as if remembering me, recognizing me. Quickly, our movements melded into one.
I kissed Avery. She kissed me back.
The passion between us ignited. Since we were in a hot tub, it was quite literally the hottest kiss I'd ever shared.
My hands found their way to the sides of her face. Hers were buried in my hair.
"This isn't real," Avery murmured as my lips began to work their way down her neck, toward the surface of the water. I didn't stop, even as the water drew closer.
"Feels real to me." I was smiling.
"Nothing ever feels real to you," she whispered, but her voice wasn't guarded like usual. It sounded almost carefree. "This... us..." Her lips hovered over mine. "It doesn't have to be anything other than what it is. No messy feelings. No obligations. No promises. No expectations."
"Just this," I whispered, and I pulled her body tight to mine.
As our gazes intertwined intimately, Avery said, "Just this."
