Page 27 of Don’t Hate Me (Secrets of Ravens Hollow #2)

As I step out of the shower and wrap a towel around my middle, Orlando comes into the bathroom and holds up a pretty pale blue floral bikini.

I raise a brow. “Are we going to lie out in the sun today? I already told you I’m not dressing up as a doll for you.

” I smirk back at him from the mirror. He’s dressed in swim trunks, his chest on full display, and I get a little lost checking him out.

His lips curl at the sides playfully. “You make such a pretty doll. But no. Today you’re going to learn to swim.”

I spin back to face him, my heart leaping into my throat, my eyes feeling as wide as saucers. “Ah, hell no.”

He takes my hands in his, lacing our fingers together. “Sloane, you don’t strike me as the kind of girl who is afraid of much, but water scares you because no one ever cared to show you how to swim.”

“I’ve never needed to know. I spend my whole life in my club, there is no water there,” I sass back.

“Not anymore.”

“If I learn to swim, I might get away,” I snip back, trying whatever I can to get out of what he thinks is a brilliant idea.

“I’ll take that risk to have you not be scared of the water anymore.”

I search his face. He’s got the look of determination in his eyes I’m starting to understand means he won’t back down. “You’re really serious about this?”

He nods, his hands gripping mine a little tighter.

With a frustrated sigh, I drop my towel, biting into my bottom lip, hoping maybe I can distract him with my tits.

His eyes run all the way down my body, and his lips twitch up at the sides, but all he does is hand me the bikini. “I’ll see you out on the pool deck in five.” He leaves me alone, walking away with a stupid smirk.

“Controlling asshole,” I huff out under my breath, not caring if he hears me or not.

I planned on going my whole life without learning to swim.

Until the other night when I wanted to escape him, it was never necessary.

I slip on the tiny bikini that he handed me and stare back at my reflection in the mirror.

This scrap of fabric is hardly ideal for a swimming lesson.

He’s lost his mind. But with a lack of anything else to do and knowing how stubborn he is, I hobble out to the pool for my first ever swimming lesson.

I decide to give my ankle brace a miss because once I’m in the water I won’t need it anymore anyway.

I find him already in the pool, his gorgeous chest gleaming with water droplets that only seem to accentuate his muscles. He knows I’m checking him out as well, and he grins back at me all playful. He moves over to the stairs and holds a hand out for me to take.

“It looks cold,” I complain, trying for a last-ditch attempt to avoid getting in there.

“It’s heated.” He smirks, knowing my tactics.

I roll my eyes. “Of course it is.” The water does look mighty enticing, the sun’s reflection glistening like crystals, but I’m just not sure I’m ready for this.

Tentatively I take a step onto the first stair.

He’s right, the water is the perfect temperature.

“Maybe I could just sit on the stairs and watch you swim.”

He reaches for my hand, his fingers intertwining with mine as his expression becomes more serious. “I’ve got you.”

I clutch his hand so damn tightly as I take the next step into the pool, my pulse racing as the water comes up to my thighs.

“You can do this, treasure.” His voice is soft and kind, and I want to believe him, but I’m just not so sure. When I jumped into the ocean the other night, it was because it was the lesser of two evils. Now I know I’m safer on land.

Sweat coats my palms as my scared eyes meet his. “I’m not sure I can.”

He offers me a half smile, helping me one more step down so we’re face to face, and the water laps at my middle. He runs his finger up my arm, trailing all the way up my neck, and pulls me toward him, kissing my lips softly. For a moment I’m swept away with him. “Try not to overthink it, Sloane.”

“Have you met me?” I mutter, anxiety churning in my stomach.

He laughs, knowing it’s the truth. I overthink everything. “Do you trust me?”

“Not for a second.” I grin devilishly.

His head tilts to the side, not entirely insulted at my dig. “Sloane, can you trust me to do this for you? I promise you’re safe with me.”

“Okay.” I go against my better judgment and answer him. But the truth is, he has proven himself to me repeatedly this week. I’m starting to believe he only does want to take care of me and keep me safe. And this offer to help me learn to swim is very thoughtful.

“We don’t have to swim. How about we start with just trusting the water and floating?” he suggests.

My brow pops up. “That sounds even worse than trying to swim.”

He throws me a look as if I’m being dramatic, and I know his patience is wearing thin. “Turn around and trust me.”

With a heavy sigh, I spin my body away from him, closing my eyes up tight.

His hand comes to my lower back where he supports me. “Relax, Sloane.”

I try, but my body is so damn tense.

He gently helps me back into the water, supporting me with both his hands. “Relax, stretch your arms out, tilt your chin up a bit, and take a deep breath.”

Water is all around me, and I feel like I’m going to sink right to the bottom. I suck in a breath, but it feels shallow. My head starts to swell with all the things that can go wrong.

“I’m still holding you.” His voice rumbles over me. “The more you panic, the more you sink. So just float, let me support you until you feel safe to go alone.”

I try to listen to his soothing words, letting my body bob in the water, his hand on my back feeling like my life support.

“Good girl, perfect,” he encourages me, and something in the way he praises me makes me believe I can do it.

My muscles relax, and I let the water feel like more of a comfortable bed surrounding me.

“I’m going to move my hand back just a little, but you have this, you’re already doing it alone.”

I feel the sudden loss of his hand immediately, but I keep my breathing calm and try to relax. For a while I float, feeling calmer than I have in so long. The water blocking out all sounds, even the constant chatter in my head. This is actually nice.

“Perfect, now try small kicks, gentle ones starting from your hips, not your knees; feel the subtle power emanating from your core. Think fluttering, like a butterfly.”

I start to move my legs, and I go under immediately, water washing over my face. Panic grips me, but just like he said he would be, Orlando is right there, scooping me up in his strong arms and pulling me to his body.

“Baby steps.” He smiles softly, brushing the matted hair from my eyes. Quickly he kisses me, distracting me, and I melt into him.

“Okay, baby steps,” I agree, knowing I can do this.

He sets me back on the stairs. “Try and move toward me. Reach forward with your arms, then pull back in the water like you’re scooping or pulling yourself along. You can try a basic stroke, like freestyle or just doggy paddle. Keep it simple and don’t forget to kick.”

I suck in a deep breath and push myself forward in the water, knowing he will be there to catch me if I can’t do it.

I go for freestyle, trying to accelerate toward him, my legs kicking behind me.

Every time I get close to him, he takes a few steps back.

And eventually, we’re at the other side of the pool. ”

“See, look at you go.” He beams, happy for me.

“It’s easier when I know you’re there to catch me.”

“She does trust me after all.” His smile turns smug.

I hang onto the side of the pool beside him, letting my legs just paddle through the water as I try and get a feel for it. “I trust you to not let me drown,” I mutter back, a sassy-as-fuck smirk on my face. Can’t let him go and get a big head about this shit, now can I.

Grinning, he watches me paddling, way too invested in me learning to swim. “Is your ankle okay with all the movement?” he asks, concerned.

“It actually feels nice to move it around in the water, lighter or something, it relieves the pressure of the swelling.”

“Good. How about you try swimming back to the other side. I will be right behind you if you need me.”

I suck in a deep breath and push myself off the wall, moving my arms and legs just the way he showed me. It’s not long before I reach the other side. A small amount of pride swells within me knowing I can do this. Once I get to where we started, I take a seat on the steps for a break.

Orlando joins me. Taking my hand, he kisses the back of it.

“Thank you.” I offer a half smile, grateful for his help.

He pulls me closer for a proper kiss. Dragging me onto his lap as our kiss deepens, my legs go to either side as I straddle his lap.

“We can practice every day if you like, until you’re confident enough to test out the ocean.”

I can’t help the small smile that paints my lips at the idea.

“I would like that.” I kiss him again. I’m not really sure how we got here like this, but I don’t want it to stop either.

Being stuck in this place must have really done a number on me, because the longer I’m here on this island with him, the more I begin to like him.

Not just want him, but really like spending time with him.

“Is there anything else you want to learn? I’m a good teacher.”

I shrug as I think on it. We do have a lot of spare time, and as fun as it is to fill the days with us fucking, there is probably something more useful I could be doing with our time. “I never learned how to ride a motor bike; do you have one of those?”

His brow rises. “The big bad Sloane Stryker, youngest sibling of the infamous Stryker MC, can’t ride?” He chuckles playfully like he can’t believe it.

I hit him across his chest for making fun of me. “It’s not funny. My brothers wouldn’t let me learn, they said it was too dangerous. And then I just gave up on trying because Onyx was constantly driving me round anyway, so what was the point? But it’s always bugged me.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” His head drops closer to mine, and he kisses the side of my face. “Right now, though, I think I should teach you how to fuck like a mermaid.”

“What do mermaids even fuck?” I laugh, unable to help it. What the hell is he going on about this time?

“Probably.” He tugs at the sides of my bikini, and the bottoms come undone. He wastes no time in playing with me, his fingers slipping through my folds, before he pushes two of them inside of me at once, and I can’t help but groan. “This one does.” His lips twist up at the sides devilishly.

With his other hand, he frees his cock from his board shorts, and I take hold of him. He’s impossibly hard, the feel of him alone sending a thrill of anticipation right through me. I start to ride his hand shamelessly, wanting more than just his fingers inside of me.

“So fucking greedy, aren’t you, my little mermaid.”

I kiss his lips again, our eyes locking as I pull back just a little. “I never considered fucking in a pool before.”

“And now it’s all you can think about.”

“Yes. Maybe I need one of these in the club.”

I see the way he recoils at the mention of my club. He hates the idea that I will ever go back there. But I will, and I don’t care how many times I need to tell him how important that place is to me, I will get back there. Even if I have to drag him with me. I lean over him, kissing down his neck.

He pulls his fingers free, and I move my hips over his cock, the tip teasing me ever so slightly before I lower onto him, gasping as his massive cock fills me. It feels so good being this close to him. So right, even though I know it’s not.

He unties my bikini top and palms my tits as I ride him.

Water sloshes all around us, but we don’t care.

I feel like I’m on summer vacation with the man of my dreams as the mid-morning sun warms our skin, even though I know it’s more like the man of my nightmares.

But somehow, he’s not anymore. Things have changed so drastically in my time here with him.

For a split second, his gaze fixates on something behind us out to sea or at the jetty, and I go to turn my head to see what he’s looking at, but he kisses me, distracting me in the best way possible.

I melt back into him, not caring what the hell is going on around us.

Right now there is only him and the pleasure he’s bringing me with his massive cock.

And like he knows I want more, he runs his hands over my body, gripping my hips, helping me to ride him more vigorously. “That’s it, treasure, cum all over my cock. I’m desperate for you to.”

“Yes,” I moan. My breathing turns just as feverish, and I pant as he takes me to a new high. From this angle his body rubs on my clit every time my body meets all the way down with his. It’s fucking pure pleasure and has me lit up all over. Wanting more, needing more.

His fingers bite into my skin, and we kiss repeatedly as our bodies move as one.

“Fuck, Orlando,” I whisper into his lips, my whole body trembling. My hands move up his muscular shoulders and run into his hair, pulling him closer to me. My eyelids flutter closed as my orgasm takes over, and I ride his cock until the waves of euphoria stop crashing over me.

He holds me just as tight as he grunts out his own release. I’m so damn relaxed I could stay here with him like this for hours, just holding him close and riding his cock until my pussy can’t take it anymore.

“What the fuck, doll face.” What sounds like Romeo’s growl comes from behind Orlando, and my eyes spring open to see the three of them all moving onto the deck. Onyx, Reef, and Romeo.

My heart races for a whole other reason. Where the fuck did they come from?