"I heard you knocked Mya to the floor today." Asra's voice drifted over my shoulder.
I grinned, spinning around to greet him with open arms. It was evening, and I had just stepped out of the gym after sweating my arse off. After knocking Mya down with Rio as an audience, she had grown agitated. She demanded I went again, but I wasn't hanging around to help a bruised ego. So I did some running on a treadmill before deciding it wasn't enough.
I needed nature.
Before I left, I told Arabella how I did it, and told her that sometimes it wasn't about offense; it was about tactics. If she was smart and covered her vital organs, she could get out of it through it alone.
Unless they forced her from a tree and ripped her apart...
"Yeah, she wasn't happy about it." I mused, wiping my hair from my face.
"Mya is one of my best warriors." Asra cocked his head. "How did you do it?"
"I ain't telling." I grinned, turning to see where my sister ended up.
"You will." He demanded.
Catching sight of her back on the mat with Mya, I rolled my eyes toward my mate.
"I cannot spill my secrets."
"You are a human." He stated.
I gasped, looking down at myself. "I am? Shit, when did that happen?"
His eyes narrowed as I laughed. "Very humorous. Where are you going?"
"I haven't been swimming in a while." Shrugging, I played it casual. "I was gonna go there."
"Alone?"
"Well, yeah." I nodded. "I don't know anyone who swims for pleasure."
His lips pursed with a frown. "Piper did."
I winced, looking away. I missed my friend dearly, and he knew it.
"I haven't been in a few weeks. So I thought I'd do it whilst it was warm." I told him.
Nothing better than swimming in cool water whilst it was hot outside. I have been avoiding it after what happened with Blake.
"The sun is going down. It is going to be cold."
"I will wear clothes."
"Swimming in clothes? Doesn't sound very comfortable."
"I have a wetsuit."
"You do?"
I laughed at his surprised expression. "No, but did you believe me?"
Growling, he moved closer until his hands settled on my hips. "I will come with you."
"You have work." I tutted, tapping his chest. "And dinner."
"You are skipping dinner again?" He cocked his head. "I was told you did not finish lunch."
"I will eat after swimming. You cannot swim with a full stomach." I explained.
"I know that, but it's not good for you."
"Asra, I will be fine." I laughed. "Send one of your goons if you wish. I do not want to intrude on your work time."
"Fine." He huffed. "You go get dressed. Your goon will meet you on the porch."
I grinned, thanking him with a kiss. Turning to walk away, I yelped at the sudden impact of his palm on my ass. Glaring at him over my shoulder, I walked toward the elevator, my fingers wrapping around the metal rail with unease. I still hated this box. Asra watched me until the doors closed, and I assumed he went to get a goon for me.
Once I reached our room-wait, our room. How bizarre is that?
My insides buzzed with butterflies as I got myself dressed in a swimsuit and t-shirt. That lake was magical. I knew it wouldn't be cold. It would only be cold when I got out, and I wasn't planning on doing that until the sun went down.
Rolling a towel up, I adorned some sandals and made my way back downstairs. The elevator death trap dinged on the last floor and I found the foyer practically empty. There was a faint buzzing of voices coming from the dining room side of the house, and I smiled softly as Eve's laughter trailed through the house.
My fingers wrapped around the front door's handle, eager to find out who my goon of the day was. I often had random wolves, mainly female when I was swimming.
My eyes widened with surprise, the door closing softly behind me by itself as I found a man stood there instead.
"You? You are my goon?"
Perfectly plump lips pulled back into a grin, the black hoodie doing little to cover his face. He wore black joggers, black trainers and had the hoodie zipped all the way to the top. Yet it didn't hide the absolute unit of meat that he was underneath. I stared at the slight stubble across his tan jaw before crossing my arms to stare at him.
"I am a perfect goon." Asra grinned.
I laughed, shaking my head. "How can you be here when you have to work?"
"It is six o'clock." He shrugged, the hood falling from his head. "I call that a day."
"True." I hummed. "You have been working eleven hours."
"Exactly." He snickered. "Now let's go. I have to protect your every move."
We filled the walk with giggles and growls of frustration. I made it my mission to wind Asra up. I jumped over logs, strayed from the path and got distracted by pretty flowers or trees. Which is what I was doing right now.
Half way up a tree branch, my fingers wrapped around the bark as I tried to poke a strange-looking piece of moss.
"Look! What is that? Is it a frog?"
"Frogs don't climb trees, Ailia."
"How do you know?" I tutted, stretching my body higher.
A frustrated growl sounded from behind me and, within an instant, he wrapped his arms around my waist and forced me over his shoulder. I squawked with surprise, my breath huffing out of me as his shoulder jabbed me in the ribs. His large hand sprawled across one of my thighs, fingers curling dangerously close to my groin. The other hand came to land a sharp smack on my ass, one that had me cursing his name.
"Save the potty mouth for when my cock is tearing you in two." He growled.
I gasped at his bluntness. "Asra! People may hear you!"
He chuckled, the sound vibrating my stomach. "Nobody cares."
I huffed as he carried me that final few hundred yards to the lake. I heard the familiar gentle whooshing of the waterfall and lifted my head from his shoulder. Using my elbow as a prop, I dug it deep into his back until he barked at me to stop stabbing him.
I giggled. "Put me down then."
"Put you down?" He wondered, coming to a stop.
"That would be grand."
"Are you sure?" He asked, and I felt his arm shift to lift me.
"Yes! I can walk." I nodded.
He shrugged, and I stilled at the sudden cooperation. A cool breeze wafted up my shirt just before I felt the impact of... well, wet.
I landed on my ass in the shallow end of the lake, a startled grunt escaping me as the gritty floor bruised my ass. Asra was bellowing with laughter, talking shit about how I asked to me put down. Rolling my eyes, I used his distraction to my benefit and kicked up a large splash of water.
Dark blue eyes snapped to mine, his laughter being cut off within a split second. He glared, baring his teeth at me. I mimicked him, sneering at my own blunt ones. It only made him recoil further before a wide grin erupted on his face.
"What?" I wondered.
"Don't tempt my beast or I will have you bare and screaming within seconds."
I couldn't help but blush, dropping my gaze. It was then I noticed my towel, the fluffy, soft, amazingly blue wetness absorber, floating like a turd in a kiddie pool. I shot to my feet, the offending item in my hand as I gasped.
"My towel!"
"That is unfortunate." Asra's tone was mocking.
I glared at him, my chest heaving with annoyance. "How am I supposed to dry myself?"
"Be naked? I won't complain." He shrugged.
"Yeah, I bet you wouldn't." I huffed. "Not gonna happen."
He pouted, and I lobbed it at him, but it flopped to the muddy ground instead. My fists clenched with frustration and I decided I needed to get away from him before I drowned him myself. I stripped, throwing my wet t-shirt beside my poor towel.
Asra watched my every move, his eyes dropping to my bare body. "That is a two piece."
"Is it?" I mocked. "Funny that 'cause I have two parts that need to be covered."
His eyes darkened, moving from my breasts to my face. "I can change that."
"Nu-uh!" I snapped, taking a step back.
The water came to my calves, and I kept moving until it reached my hips. His eyes narrowed, a dark, annoyed expression shadowing his face. I grinned, waving at him before falling backward. The warm water wrapped around my back, lifting me and dragging me further into its depths. I stared up at the orange glow of the sky, smiling as weightlessness took over.
Huh, would you look at that? It was going to be a full moon tonight.
A strange shimmering cast over my body, drawing me in and making my chest ache every time I breathed. The lake's magic was intense tonight, and it was peaceful for a few moments until I heard a large growl. It forced me to lose my composure and drop my legs. I was in the centre of the lake, unable to touch the ground, but I lifted my gaze to seek the sound.
Asra was standing on the side of the waterfall, wearing absolutely nothing. My eyes widened when his dark gaze captured mine, and before I could react further, he dived. His splash was as boisterous as his appearance, and I stared at the spot he disappeared to wait for him to appear. When it didn't happen for a few moments, dread grew in my stomach.
Where was he?
Hands suddenly wrapped around my thighs, and I gasped as they pulled me down. Forced to hold my breath and blink past the bubbles, I felt Asra's hands pull down my bikini bottoms. I found him on the other side of me, smirking when even under water. His hair flew crazily around him and I narrowed my eyes when his arm lifted my bottoms.
I was semi-nude, much to his appreciation.
Two can play the naughty game.
He dropped my bottoms before swimming toward me. Still underwater, I wrapped my hands around his shoulders as he grew closer. He was broad and warm, and he lifted me effortlessly. The moment I was wrapped around him, he resurfaced us.
Gasping for breath, I tapped his cheek softly. "You didn't tell me you could hold your breath so long."
"I am an alpha wolf." He grinned, wiping his hair from his face.
"You're a dog." I cocked my head.
He growled, fingers digging into my bare skin. I giggled as he tickled me, writhing against him, hoping to pull away. He didn't let me, pulling me closer as he stopped the assault. We just floated for a while, the water effortlessly helping him to hold me. I loosely looped my arms around his neck as his stayed around my hips. I felt his fingers move to knead my ass, and my eyes narrowed.
"You beautiful man, you took my pants." I pouted, acknowledging how handsome he looked wet.
"So, I did." He mused.
"Now I have no towel, and no bikini bottoms or dry clothes." I faux-frowned.
"Such a shame." He cocked his head.
He moved closer to kiss along my throat, and my body erupted in goosebumps. My fingers flexed into his hair as he licked away the moisture, sucking on my skin and leaving trails of bites in his wake. I couldn't help but moan when his tongue trailed across the mark he gave me, and a sudden burning started in my stomach when he continued.
"Asra..." I gasped.
He hummed, nibbling softly at the skin. I jerked, bumping my groin off his stomach as my eyes fluttered closed. Moaning softly, I let my head fall back and his mouth moved further down, kissing along my chest. My thighs tightened around his waist as the heat burned and he growled softly into my skin. The friction between my thighs burned, and I found myself rubbing against him.
"Asra." I gasped when his hand moulded my ass.
"Yes?" He pulled away, voice deeper than usual.
My mind was a mess, and my eyes shot open. "What are you doing?"
"Kissing you." He growled, meeting my eyes.
"In the lake?"
"Yes."
"The lake."
"Yes."
"Why the lake?"
"It's hot." He shrugged.
I hesitated, unable to think of an answer to that when I agreed with him. Something about being nude in the wide open, yet shielded by the water's surface... I couldn't help but find it oddly enthralling.
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I rubbed myself against his lower stomach.
Daringly, I held his gaze. "So... are you going to take me here, or on the sand?"
He growled, complying by swimming, rather effortlessly, toward the edge. The devilish look in his eye should scare me, but it only deepened my ache. He always looked at me with so much emotion and always reacted too well to my every word and breath. I couldn't help but find everything attractive, and my core ached to be touched already.
He stopped when the water settled across my lower back, and I looked up at him curiously.
"How about half-way?" He grinned.
I licked my lips, ready for him. "Half-way will do just fine."
*****
the honeymoon faze is strong lol