Page 18 of Daring Wicked Love (Wicked Dade #2)

“Holy shit!” I gasped for air as I broke through the water’s surface. “Way to go, Fred! A perfectly good hair wash day down the drain.”

Frederic blinked droplets from his eyes, his dark hair stuck to his forehead. “You think this is my fault?!”

“You fell backward and dragged me in with you. This is entirely your fault.”

“You attacked me like some feral barn cat.”

“Because you wouldn’t give me back my sketchpad!”

His jaw twitched. “You’re lucky that I had enough sense to toss it the other way, or it would have been ruined . ”

“If you’d given it back in the first place, then none of this would have happened.”

He splashed water in my face before I could dodge it. Wiping water from my eyes, I readied myself to attack him again, whatever it took to wipe that shit-eating grin off his face.

“Don’t worry, by the way.” He smirked with a deliciously devious glint in his eyes. “Your cowboy kink is safe with me, partner .”

I flipped him off. “Remind me to poison your dinner tomorrow night.”

Nothing prepared me for the sound of Frederic laughing. Not a chuckle, not a half-assed attempt at a laugh, but a full-blown, throaty laugh that took my breath away.

It was as if I was witnessing a solar eclipse, a moment in time that was so precious and rare that I wanted to hang on to every second of it.

He seemed so carefree and happy that I couldn’t help but get hopelessly lost in the moment. Everything else fell away. It was just the two of us, soaking wet in a pool; the rest of the world and its problems no longer existed.

My heart stuttered when he pushed his hair from his forehead and his gaze found mine.

Despite the warmth of the water, thanks to the newly installed thermostat, goosebumps riddled the lengths of my arms as Frederic’s expression morphed into something unrecognizable.

Tension sat in the gap between us.

I couldn’t help but watch the way his eyes dipped to my lips. My nipples hardened, pushing against the thin wet material of my dress, and a tightness coiled in the depths of my stomach that not even squeezing my thighs together helped.

I wondered if he knew how much my body reacted to him just looking at me.

“Your brother seems nice,” I offered lamely, whatever it took to get my mind away from unhelpful thoughts that involved my ten-year-older-than-me boss. “Is he the youngest out of you all?”

His throat bobbed. “I don’t want to talk about my brother right now.”

Shit, think of something else.

“I don’t have any brothers, just a sister,” I rambled. “I told you that already, didn’t I? Oops, my bad. Gee whizz, it must have been crazy living in a house with three brothers. Testosterone flying everywhere, I bet.”

He remained silent, narrowed eyes watching my every move like a lion stalking its unsuspecting prey.

More worryingly was the fact that I liked it.

“I should go.” I wadded toward the edge of the pool. “It’s late, and it looks like I am going to need to wash my hair again, no thanks to you.”

“Truth or dare?”

I blinked in surprise. “Are you seriously asking me to play truth or dare?”

He nodded.

“Aren’t you a little old to be playing games like that?” I teased, despite the thundering of my heart echoing between my ears.

“Humor me,” he smirked, “or let me guess? You’re too scared to play.”

He may as well have poked a sleeping grizzly bear, because the overly competitive side of me was instantly awoken by those five little words.

“Oh, it’s on. Truth.”

“Good, I’ll start you out easy, but if you refuse to answer, there is a price to pay,” he said. “Why did you get fired from Cherry Cosmetics ?”

“And here I thought you knew everything about me,” I taunted. “I wasn’t fired, per se. Budget cuts. My department was only a small section compared to the rest of the company; pretty sure they sell everything from beauty products to dog food.”

“I’m aware of the owner and their lack of smart business strategies.”

“My manager said it is only a matter of time before the whole company goes down in a fireball. They are just trying to delay the inevitable by doing mass layoffs.”

Frederic nodded. “She’s not wrong. I reckon the whole company won’t survive the next six months.”

“My turn. Truth or dare?”

“Truth.”

“How long were you married for?”

I didn’t need to look at him to feel the sudden change. The very temperature of the pool turned frigid. Maybe I’d gone too far, but call it curiosity or just plain nosiness, I wanted to know more about him.

Frederic exhaled slowly, his brows knitting together as he leaned back against the wall of the pool, his shoulders disappearing into the water.

“Sorry,” I said. “I shouldn’t have asked you about her.”

He shook his head. “It’s fine.” Running a hand down his mouth, he finally looked at me.

“We met in university. We dated on and off throughout those years, nothing overly serious. But when we left, Maura wanted to make it more serious, especially when Dade Diamonds started to show signs of success. We got married when we turned twenty-five and separated when we were thirty-two.”

I let out a low whistle. “Seven years is a long time.”

He cracked his neck from side to side. “Don’t I know it.”

“What happened between the two of you?”

“That sounds like another question,” he said. “Last time I checked, it’s my turn, Pixie. Truth or dare?”

“Truth.”

“Playing it safe, I see,” he toyed. “Fine. How many sexual partners have you had?”

I swallowed hard. Just hearing him even say the word sexual made my insides tighten. “Do one-night stands count?”

His lips flattened as he slowly dipped his chin.

“Then eight in total. Five of them were one-night stands that, looking back, were not worth it, but hey, a gal needs to blow off steam and let her vibrator charge once in a while.”

I was suffering from the condition of word vomit. I couldn’t help myself. Usually, I had no issues with men. I knew how to walk and talk in a way that they were attracted to. But with Frederic? The second he looked at me in the way that made me feel seen, my whole mind turned to melting butter.

Dipping my head back, I soaked my hair, hoping it would cool me down.

Frederic cocked a brow. “You have a vibrator?”

“Is that another question?” I replied. “Because last time I checked, it was my turn, or am I mistaken?”

A low chuckle rumbled in his throat. “Fine, I pick dare.”

There were a million and one ideas, very, very bad ideas, rushing upon me at once. The pounding in my chest, the growing heat between my legs, was making it difficult to think of a dare that didn’t involve me and him together — naked.

Ever since the day at the local swimming pool, I thought about his hands on my hips, the way his thumb teased my skin. And then again at Wayline Bay, the way he pulled me in close for that photo with his hand remaining cemented on my waist.

I wanted more.

I wasn’t ashamed to admit I masturbated to the daydreams of more.

Holy hell, I was no better than a horny lust-struck teenager.

He lazily ran his hand along the surface of the water. “Anytime you’re ready, Pixie.”

I could dare him to leave, to get out of the swimming pool far away from me. It was the safest option, the best way to keep the lines between us blunt and visible.

“I dare you to take off your shirt and trousers,” I said instead.

Fuck being rational. Right now, I wanted to lean into the wind. I wanted to explore the devilish glint in his baby blues.

He didn’t bat an eyelid as he pulled his soaking shirt up over his head.

Hard chest muscles and strong arms stole my attention. Dark hair covered his pecs and ran down the center of his stomach right to the hem of his trousers. The perfect trail that demanded to be explored until the true treasure in his boxer-briefs was found.

At this point, I saw no need to hide the way my eyes hungrily devoured his naked upper body.

Frederic was so downright fuckable it wasn’t fair.

Slowly, he worked his way out of his trousers. “It’s my turn now. Truth of dare, Orla?”

A dull ripple ran through my core as he said my name. I exhaled unsteadily. “Truth.”

“You know I didn’t take you as the scared type,” he teased with a smirk. “You’re clearly a talented artist, so why did you apply for this job?”

“A gal needs money to be able to pay her rent. Being an unknown artist doesn’t pay bills. I hope a day comes when I can make money as an artist and spend the rest of my life doing what I truly adore, but breaking into the world of art is proving more difficult than I imagined.”

“Is that why you wanted to meet the owner of Nirvana Gallery ?”

“Working with her, having her showcase even one of my paintings could make my career. She’s hosting that event for new artists, and I am manifesting that she will love what I show her.”

“She’d be a fool not to,” he said, my core aching at his words of praise. “But maybe don’t show her the semi-naked one of me with a cowboy hat.”

I tipped my head back and laughed into the night sky.

Why did I have to leave that stupid sketch tucked into the back of my pad? It was drawn in a moment of weakness after reading way too much Yellowstone fanfiction.

“My turn again. Truth or dare, Fred?”

“I’ll be brave for the two of us. Dare.”

“I dare you to take my dress off.”

Time itself stilled.

I was pretty sure that the two of us could hear my heart trying to shatter through my ribcage as he waded through the water to me.

A vein bounced to the surface on his neck, his jaw set harder than stone, and for the briefest of seconds, I saw doubt form in those icy blues.

Shit.

Shitting shit.

Before I got the chance to take it back, to swallow the words and run far away, Frederic’s expression transformed into a man starved. His hands reached under the water and grabbed the hem of my wet dress, pulling it up over my head before my next breath.

He inhaled sharply.

Following his gaze, the sudden realization that I hadn’t put on any underwear after my shower hit me harder than a ton of bricks. I was completely naked. Nipples hardening to the point of painful pleasure, Frederic’s jaw popped as he too spied my bare, aching pussy.

A fire blazed to life in his eyes as he feasted on the sight of me.

And damn, if it didn’t make me feel powerful.

Beautiful.

Wanted.

“Truth or dare?” he rasped.

“Dare.”

“ Merde, tu me rends faible, ” Frederic strained, hands curling into white-knuckled fists. “I dare you… I dare you to let me kiss you.”

Words failed me, leaving me to do nothing except nod.

Hands found my waist, igniting my nervous system into sensory overdrive as he pulled me into him.

My nipples rubbed against his chest, the sensation making me groan instantly. Frederic in return sucked air through his teeth, his hard cock pressing into my stomach as he ran a hand so-damn-slowly up my spine until it curled around the nape of my neck.

Daringly, I placed my hands on his biceps, his hard muscles twitching under my palm.

My body was on fire.

He tilted my head back, gently forcing me to look up at him. “This is a bad idea.”

“Some of my best ideas are the bad ones,” I whispered. “But you never know it’s a bad idea until you try.”

Blood surged between my ears, my lungs spasmed as he leaned down until his lips were a whisper away from mine. He smelled like mint and scotch; I resisted the urge to close my eyes and savor the feeling of his breath tickling my lips.

“I’m sorry, Orla.” His hands dropped to his side with a pained look pinching his face. “I can’t do this to you.”

Any protests I wanted to sound fell dead on the tip of my tongue as I watched him get out of the pool and disappear into the house.

In my life, I was well-versed in rejection, but it didn’t stop the brutal sting of being rejected by him from hurting any less.