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I’m trembling, and the humiliation burns through me. Jett keeps his arms around me, grounding me, reassuring me. I don’t know why I do it, but I wrap my hands around him, feeling gratitude that I didn’t drown and die. I press against him, feeling his strong, hard chest against mine. And then I feel it; something hard pressing into my stomach, and instinctively, my hands slide lower and I cup his bottom.
It just happens. It’s unwarranted and wild, but we stand there, chest to chest, and I stare up at him. His eyes are locked on mine, and in this moment, everything else fades away.
Chapter 22
CARI
I lie on my bed, mortified. I made an absolute fool of myself yesterday. I groped my boss after he saved me from drowning. What was I thinking?
Did he know what I did? I mean,of coursehe did. He must have. I had a good grope, in my panic induced stupor. Is he going to fire me for it? Would I even survive the humiliation of seeing him again?
Right now, I can’t trust myself to face him.
The ride home was painfully silent, and I didn’t sleep last night, tossing and turning in the suffocating heat. I didn’t even go down for dinner. He didn’t summon me either. Instead, I wandered aimlessly around the house until I found myself in the library. I curled up on the couch, eventually falling asleep there. Somewhere in the early hours, I tiptoed back to my room, where I’ve been hiding ever since.
Jett was nowhere to be seen, and after a dip in the sea, Brooke was content to play in her tent all day. I joined her, and we read and she played with her beloved elephant and her dolls. I love the tent as much as she does, finding it a place to hide, to disappear from the world. From Jett.
***
The weekend is upon us all too soon. I’m looking forward to the pool party tonight. Jett has plans with Brooke, which she told me after breakfast.
I still haven’t gone downstairs, preferring to have my meals in my room. I wait until they leave, watching the black SUV pull away from the house.
Only then do I feel like I can finally exhale. Going downstairs, I grab a plate of fruit and sneak out to the beach. I settle far from the mansion to have my breakfast alone, book in hand.
But I can’t focus on reading. My mind keeps dragging me back to the beach, to the moment Jett pulled me out of the water. The memory hits me like a tidal wave of embarrassment.
Did I really do that?
Did I really wrap my legs around his waist like some kind of desperate woman? I clung to him, panicking until he had to pry me off, telling me he couldn’t swim like that.
And then, when I choked on too much water, he stood me upright, holding me steady until I regained my footing. When my feet finally touched the sand beneath us, I felt such overwhelming relief that I threw my arms around him.
We were chest to chest.
I don’t remember if he wrapped his arms around me, but I was clinging to his waist, shaking, overwhelmed. And that’s when I felt it. That hard pressure against my stomach. Was it …? Could it have been?
I shake my head, embarrassed at my own thoughts. It must have been my imagination. I was disoriented, in shock, overcome by his strength, his muscles, his …everything.
But then I remember how my hands slid down, how I cupped his—God. I hide my face in my hands. I squeezed his bottom. His hard, sculpted, beautiful bottom.
What must he think of me? Jett dates women like Alicia, glamorous women. Meanwhile, I’m here groping him like some love-struck intern. Thank God I’ve already resigned. If I hadn’t, he’d probably fire me.
I let out another embarrassed groan and hide my face under the pillow.
My phone pings, pulling me out of my misery. It’s Jacques.
Are you still on for tonight?
I am most certainly on for a night out, away from Jett. Away from his presence which seems to infiltrate every cell in my body, even when he’s not around me. Going out with Jacques and his friends feels like a necessity now—an escape. I text back:
Looking forward to it!
By six, I’m dressed and ready. I opted for a dark green off the shoulder dress that fits me snugly. It leaves very little to the imagination, but because it doesn’t expose much—apart from one shoulder—I feel comfortable in it. I’ve never worn anything off the shoulder before but Eliana and Aunt Scarlett insisted I try it on when we went shopping. I reluctantly did, and it looked good, I must say. It complements my hair color nicely.
I stop by Ruby on my way out, letting her know where I’m going. She smiles warmly and tells me I look gorgeous, wishing me a good time. I call a taxi and head to the address Jacques has given me. It’s at a hotel, not someone’s house, and that brings me some relief. I don’t relish the idea of bumping into Abigail or her friends again.
I haven’t brought my swimwear with me, partly because I don’t want to get into the pool. I just want to have a few drinks and talk to people. Take my mind somewhere else, and not think about Jett for a change.