Page 51 of To Catch A Rogue

Dangerously.

"I noticed you noticing tonight at the ball."

"I think everyone in the room noticed. Including your friend, Valentin."

"Youarejealous." She gave him a mysterious smile. "Blame Gemma, not me."

Of course he blamed Gemma. He should never have told her about Lark. He'd thought himself safe, for he'd been so certain Gemma would never meet her.

"Do you have the soap?"

It flew at him, and he snatched it out of the air with a smile. He scrubbed the coal and blood off his skin and soaped his hair, ducking beneath the water to sluice it off. It wasn't until he came up, scraping the water from his face and hair, that he realized she was staring.

"I think you promised to wash my back, did you not?"

"Charlie," she growled.

He winked. "I can return the favor, if you want."

Inching closer, he stalked her through the water, holding the soap as peace entreaty.

She splashed him full in the face, and he choked as water hit the back of his throat.

"Damn you, Lark," he growled. "I had my bloody mouth open."

Movement shifted in the steam as she turned to run. Acting on instinct, Charlie lunged forward and caught her, his arms wrapping around her waist as he plunged her beneath the surface.

He barely had time to catch his breath before he went under too, because there was smooth, slick skin pressed firmly against him, and somehow his hand slipped, and there wassoft, slick skin in his palm, a gentle curved weight that scalded his hand, her nipple—

He came up, hands held up in surrender and heat flooding his cheeks. There was no sign of the soap. "Sorry. Didn't mean for that to happen."

Lark glared, one hand covering her breasts.

Then she splashed him in the face again, only this time he saw the impish tilt to her lips. The minx was playing with him.

At least he knew the rules ofthisgame.

A full-scale war erupted, water flying up around them in curtains. Lark was utterly ruthless, and he found himself blinded, searching for her as she drenched him.

He captured her wrists, water churning around them. "Are youtryingto drown me?"

"If I was trying to drown you, I'd be succeeding," she shot back, and launched upwards, her hands pressing on his head.

Charlie caught of glimpse of her pale breasts and went down spluttering. "Bloody—" He came back up and captured her waist in his hands. More pale, naked skin he probably wasn't meant to see sent him under in shock again. Water swamped him, and then he wrapped his arms around her like a steel trap.

Lark squirmed, and—

Fuck.

They were chest to chest now, breathing hard, and her legs were dangerously close to wrapping around his hips.

Something else was hard too.

He let her go, sinking beneath the water up to his eyes and trying to ignore the insistent surge of his cock.

Lark stared back as they slowly circled each other.

"So that happened," he breathed, as he broke the surface.