Page 11 of Never Gonna Lie (Forbidden #2)

Chapter Eleven

RAVEN

S talker much? Raven, why? That sounds so creepy.

I have officially lost my damn mind. Who says stuff like that ? I internally cringe. Oh god, he’s going to think I’m such a loser now.

Breathe, Raven, breathe.

This is what happens when I try and come off as confident—I make myself sound like an idiot.

James obviously likes it, though, as he barks out a laugh. “Something like that.”

Wait! He’s stalking me? He doesn’t think I’m weird? Okay, that’s hot .

“Isn’t it a bit cold to be swimming?” he asks, his steps slow and purposeful as he moves closer. His black T-shirt and shorts cling to every inch of him as usual.

I smirk. “The pool’s heated.” He knows this; he’s been here enough times .

“I knew that,” he jokes, giving me his megawatt smile that has me quaking at the knees.

I decided last night that if James is going to be here for the whole weekend, I might as well enjoy it while I can. It’s not very often that I get him on his own like this. The night of my birthday was a hard pill to swallow, but I need to get over it at some point, right?

James sits on the deckchair that’s next to me, lying his body down, putting his hands behind his head, and crossing his ankles. “How’s school?”

Sitting down on my own chair, my towel forgotten on the edge, I sigh. “Hard. I don’t know if it’s this specific assignment, but I’m struggling.” I shrug as I lie down and turn my head toward him. “I’ve never been good with written work.”

James turns his head toward me, his eyes darkening as he takes me in.

Is he checking me out?

I’ve never thought I was particularly attractive.

Bright red hair wasn’t something boys at school were ever attracted to.

My curves filled out as I hit puberty, giving me an hourglass figure that’s a bitch to get jeans to fit right—they’re either too tight at the top and fit everywhere else, or too loose—but that’s it. Nothing special. Nothing noteworthy.

But the way that James is looking at me now? It’s like he wants to devour me whole.

Confidence that I didn’t know I had, floods through me as I lace my fingers together and stretch my arms above my head, my white bikini straining against my C cups, and riding up ever so slightly.

I bring my left knee up and drop it to the side.

James’s gaze lands on the small patch of fabric covering my intimate area, and I watch as he swallows. Hard .

His gaze continues to wander across my body, and the hairs on my arms raise.

A thrill runs through me knowing that he’s just as affected by me as I am by him.

After the kiss, I’d lost all hope, especially when he kept insisting it was a mistake.

It wasn’t a mistake. I refuse to accept that it was.

The way my body lit up at his touch? The way I felt him on my lips for days after?

There’s absolutely no way it could’ve been classed as a mistake.

I’d do anything to get that feeling back, but I want it with him .

I’m not the type of girl to beg, to chase. But I’m now wondering if with the right push, he might break. An idea forms in my head, and I don’t know whether I’m crazy or pathetic, but as my dad always says, “If you don’t ask, you don’t get.”

“You okay there, pretty boy?” I purr, sitting up and leaning my arm against the chair, cleavage on full display. “You look a little… flushed.”

A growl sounds deep in James’s chest, and I know I’ve hit my mark. Maybe I can do this?

A muscle works in his jaw as he rubs a hand across his face before raking it through his hair. “Raven.” He drags my name out in warning, yet his pupils are blown wide. He sits up as he continues to watch me, lust swirling in his eyes.

I smirk. “I’m going for a swim.” Pushing myself up, I start walking away, swinging my hips before calling over my shoulder, “Coming?”

Fuck, fuck! What am I doing? Of course, he’s not going to follow me. I’m so stupid. There’s no way he’d foll ? —

James runs past me, throwing his T-shirt at me, and dives into the water in just his shorts.

My mouth gapes open, his shirt scrunched up in my hands, as my brain short-circuits from the scene in front of me .

Huh .

I watch as James’s head pops out from beneath the blue water. He pushes the hair back off his face, and I stand there with my mouth still wide open.

“I’d close that mouth of yours, pretty girl, before I put something in it.”

I slam my jaw shut, not because I don’t like the idea of it, but because I’m now wondering if I’m in way over my head and this little game I’m trying to play is going to get me burnt… badly.

James wades toward me in the water, coming to lean on the side of the pool. “You coming in or what?” He raises an eyebrow and smirks. “It was your idea.”

Fuck!

Nodding my head, suddenly feeling extremely shy, I throw his T-shirt onto the deckchair behind me and walk to the steps, gently easing myself in. My gaze never leaves his once, though, too busy caught up in his captivating eyes.

I glide around the water, enjoying the feel of being submerged. I’ve always loved the water, spending way too much time as a kid in baths pretending I was Ariel from The Little Mermaid .

Maybe that’s why I have such an obsession with James? He reminds me of Prince Eric .

Suddenly, a hand wraps around my foot, and I go under. My arms start flailing around before my head rises from the water. I laugh through the coughing and spluttering. “Ooooh, you’re in for it now, Smith,” I tease, swimming toward him.

James grins. “I’d like to see you try, pretty girl.”

I splash water at his face, and while he’s distracted, I jump onto his back, dunking his head under the water.

I try not to think of how hot his body feels against mine as I wrap my legs tighter.

Strong hands grab my waist and haul me round to his front, bringing me under the water with him.

My legs and arms automatically wrap around his hard body as we push to the surface, laughing.

Wiping the water from my eyes, I place my hands around his neck.

The blues of his eyes are brighter as the water reflects off them, drowning me in them.

Every part of my body hums at the closeness of him.

His intoxicating leather and smoke smell makes me want to bottle it up to use as my own fragrance.

James wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me closer, my breasts squished against his chest as he treads water. We’re both smiling and breathing heavily. He brings a hand up to brush a hair from my face. “Ra?—”

“Raven. James,” I hear called. My eyes go wide, and I let go of James, falling into the water and swimming away as fast as I can.

“We’re by the pool,” James hollers back, more composed than I am.

Getting out of the water, I grab my towel, wrapping it around me. My heart’s pounding as I realize my dad could've caught us . But… fuck, he also just ruined what could have been an epic encounter. I groan inwardly at his bad timing and curse the universe for taking the opportunity away from me.

Dad strolls round the corner, none the wiser that his best friend and business partner was, not two minutes ago, getting up, close and personal with his daughter.

“There you two are,” he chuckles. “You’ve been gone nearly an hour, James. I thought something had happened to you when you didn’t come back.” Dad stops by the side of the pool, looking down at him.

James clears his throat. “Yeah, I got hot while making something to eat, so I thought I’d go for a swim. Raven was just keeping me company. ”

Dad shakes his head as he laughs. “Leave me with all the work while you play, why don’t you?”

“Drew, you know I’m the face of the company, while you’re the brains. You don’t need me,” James chuckles, still making no move to leave the pool.

One thing I’ve always loved about my dad and James is their relationship.

They have such an easy-going friendship; they never argue and usually agree on most things.

That’s why my heart begins to ache in my chest. I can’t do this to him.

If something were to happen with me and James, my dad would never forgive either of us.

I was stupid for even trying to get James to look at me.

“I’m heading inside. I’ve got a headache.”

Dad turns toward me. “Okay, pumpkin. Emma and I are going out for a few hours, something about needing a new dress for dinner.” He rolls his eyes as he smiles.

“We’ll be back later.” He turns his attention back to James.

“Think you can behave for a couple of hours while I’m gone? ” Dad arches his eyebrow.

James looks directly at me, his eyes a dark whirlpool as he mumbles, “Can’t promise anything, Drew.”