Billionaires Dollar Series

I wrap my arms around his neck and press my chest to his-no more access. He carries me through the water, his body strong and hard against mine. “You insist on doing this on weekend mornings too, huh?”

“I was in the water two hours later than usual today,” he muses. “Because of you.”

I rest my head against his shoulder. “That’s okay. You’re not swimming for competitions or tryouts anymore. You’re allowed to relax.”

His hands tighten around my thighs, moving us gradually into the deeper section. “Discipline is everything,” he says. “My father taught me that. Manners maketh man, they say, but that’s wrong. It’s habits.”

He tips my head back and kisses me, soft, searching, gentle. His lips taste clean and warm. “And you’re destroying mine, Skye.”

My smile is crooked. “I’m not going to apologize for that, you know.”

“I’d never ask you to.”

I kiss him again, and he stops walking, my body molding to his. Sweetness turns to heat, softness to pressure, and by the time I break away I’m breathing heavily.

So is Cole, his eyes dark.

I clear my throat. “Guess what?”

“You’ve abandoned your swimming lesson? That’s all right. Your instructor agrees.”Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

I laugh. “No. I’ve decided to turn the novella about the bookstore into a full-length novel.”

“You have?”

“Yes. It has all the right ingredients.” I lean back, dipping my hair into the water. “Even if no one wants to read it.”

“False modesty is a sin, you know.”

I smile up at the vaulted ceiling and float in the water, supported by his arms. “You’re right. I’ll stop.”

“Brooks & King wants the first chapters next week, right?”

“Yes.” Hearing him say it sends shivers down my arms, even though it’s been weeks since I’d received the phone call. They’d loved my query letter and said they’d looked forward to reading the finished product.

“I wrote an article too,” I say.

“You did?”

“Yes. About the renovation of Between the Pages, and about Eleanor. If I can make it interesting enough, maybe I can build some hype for the reopening.”

Cole laughs and the sound makes me smile. “Baby, the opening is months away. We just broke ground on the hotel!”

“So I’m just a tiny bit excited,” I say teasingly. “Is that a crime?”

He wiggles his fingers, tickling my sides, and I struggle fruitlessly to break free. “Cole!”

“No, it’s not a crime.” He kisses me swiftly before releasing me, pulling away with a leisurely backstroke. “Blair texted earlier. She wants us three to go out to dinner tonight. She says she still hasn’t met you properly.”

“I’ve met her three times!”

“Yes, but apparently meeting someone properly has to include dinner. Who knew?”

I swim after him. “Of course I want to go. Your sister is awesome.”

“That’s what I thought you’d say,” Cole says morosely. “I’ve been replaced.”

I splash him, and he looks at me accusingly. “Terrorist.”

“Vandal,” I counter.

“Vandal?”

“Yes. Did you think I wouldn’t notice the rip in my panties last night? They were brand new, too. All lace.”

His smile is wolfish. “I have no regrets.”

“Brute,” I say. “Never stop.”

“I won’t.”

I swim after him, the temperature of the water perfect now. “I don’t have any going-out clothes here at yours. I’ll have to stop by mine before we meet up with her.”

Cole dives clean under the surface and I watch as he clears the distance between us easily, strong arms working.

He emerges right in front of me. “Just move in with me already,” he says. “You’re here practically every night. It’s going to happen, you know. It’s only a matter of time.”

“You’d go insane,” I tease. “There’d be hair ties everywhere. Can you imagine?” It’s not the first time he’s suggested moving in together, always jokingly, and I’ve always responded in turn. We’ve only been dating properly for two months, after all.

“For you, I’d endure endless hair ties.”

“How chivalrous.” I turn on my back, floating in the water. “Maybe you should invite Nick along tonight. They like each other, don’t they?”

“Absolutely not.”

“They hate each other,” Cole says happily. “I’ve tried to get them to see eye-to-eye for a decade, and trust me, it’s not going to happen.”

I frown at him. Hate is not the feeling I’d picked up the one time I’d seen them interact. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. Now come on, baby. You’re stalling.” Cole grabs his swim goggles from the edge of the pool. “Do you want these?”

“Yes.” I swim after him, mentally steeling myself. Cole’s been teaching me how to forward crawl, and though I’d felt clumsy in the beginning, I’m improving with every practice. I doubt I’ll ever have his powerful grace doing it, but I’m willing to try.

Cole smiles at me as he puts my goggles on. “Give me at least ten laps before we go to brunch.”

“Fifteen,” I say.

He grins and pushes off the edge of the pool. “Fifteen, then. Have I ever told you how much I love your competitive nature?”