Page 87 of Catching Trouble

I was ‘fun-time Chloe’—always up for a laugh, always the one making things sparkle. But Maxime had seen me at the coffee machine, without any of that, and he hadn’t flinched. He didn’t look away when I let the mask slip.

Not that the rest of it wasn’t real—Iwasfun, and okay, maybe even a little kick-ass. But everyone had a soft spot. A tender place they try to keep hidden.

Mine? I just wanted to belong. To be loved without needing to be perfect.

And then somewhere near the top of the cliff steps, I’d faltered. Sophie had carried on, her focus set firmly on her comfy bed. But Maxime? He’d stopped and reached out, taking my hand.

He didn’t let go until we reached the villa.

Checking that I’d removed all my bronzer, I splashed my face with cold water, then returned to my bedroom.

As I passed by the window, a light from across the garden caught my attention. I nudged the thin curtain aside, and my chest fizzed. It was from Maxime’s room. An image of him wrapped in his white sheets, a sheen of perspiration across his tattooed chest, whipped into my brain and I swallowed.

I ran the soft fabric of the curtain through my fingers.

Did he sleep naked?

Did he tie his hair back when he slept? Or did it fall around his face like at the club?

Did he think of me at night as much as I thought of him?

And more importantly—would he mind if I joined him?

I bit my lip, smiling at my naughtiness. Though Maxime and I had got closer tonight, he hadn’t asked me to stay, and I wasn’t about to hang around hoping for an invitation.

No. I’d do better getting myself a dose of cold water to calm the fire in my body.

The gentle lapping of the pool reached my ears through the open window, and I smiled. Why not? My shower remained unrepaired, and using the outdoor one would risk waking everyone.

I’d slip into the pool instead. Cool my blood. Push out some quiet laps and try to remove Maxime from my mind temporarily.

Yes, my bikini and towel were still on the line, but nobody would see me. It was so hot, my underwear and top would dry the second I got out. With a smile, I headed to the door.

Two minutes later, I stood at the edge of the pool, gazing into the inky depths. Someone had turned off the underwater lights. I knew it sounded irrational, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something nefarious dwelt under the pool’s smooth surface, just waiting to get me.

I was fine in deep water by day. But if I couldn’t see what I was jumping into, why would I take the chance?

I narrowed my eyes against the shadows in the garden, scanning for the light switch. Only something entirely different caught my eye in the corner.

Maxime’s net frame—strung with a shiny new net. He must’ve put it back after he and Sophie returned from fishing. I walked towards it, the still-warm terrace stone heating the soles of my feet.

When I reached the frame, I ran my hand over the taut twine and the knots holding it together. The fibres dragged against my skin, just coarse enough to catch on the ridges of my fingertips. It felt earthy and practical. An image of Maxime casting his net nudged, uninvited, into my mind. Maybe it was a good way to describe him, too.

I tugged at one of the loose threads and it came away easily. Maybe Maxime hadn’t knotted it as tight as he’d shown me. Something low in my belly throbbed as I remembered him tying the line around my wrist and pulling it snug against my skin.

There’d been something about the chafe of the fibre. The quiet focus on his face as he worked. The surge of need that ran through me when he tugged it tighter.

I’d replayed that moment over and over in my mind, biting down on my lip every time.

Some nights, it was all Icould think about.

As the heavy scent of honeysuckle wrapped around me, I smiled. My heart hammered in my chest, drowning out the distant hiss of the sea, and I pulled in a shaky breath.

Dare I ask him to do it again?

Almost on autopilot, I walked to the kitchen, pushing away the glass door. I took the length of twine with me, only stopping to pour a glass of water. I padded down the hallway, coming to a stop outside Maxime’s door.

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