Perfect. Not what I needed right now.

After moving past them quickly and skirting where the crystal blue water met the sloping black floor, dodging various Mysticals of different factions all laughing and enjoying themselves in our sanctuary, I took the right entrance to the back hallways, heading for the adult pools. There were three, varying in temperature.

He wasn’t in any of them.

Sighing, I turned around and headed toward the spa-like area, but had to again pass by the Kings at the massive opening to the main pool. Keeping my head down, I wove through the white plastic chairs and took the left entrance, the middle one leading only to the brat section. In this segment were a variety of small areas with spelled hot tubs including a few alcoves that housed many tubs, while others for privacy had only one, and sauna rooms, those areas having doors with tiny windows.

I checked those first and saw numerous Mysticals using the rooms to do — ahem — a selection of different activities, but I still didn’t see Ezra. Moving from opening to opening, I began checking the hot tubs, again seeing a variety of happenings occurring. At the last room, beginning to lose hope in finding him, I stepped into the entrance, squinting through the steam.

Stopped dead.

The room was tiny. It held just one hot tub. It had merely one gold spark of light, allowing for intimacy or relaxation. It also had only one occupant.

Ezra.

He wasn’t in the tub.

Nor did he have on a stitch of clothing.

I had never seen him naked before. Vampires were private. Even more so than me.

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My heart rate instantly doubled as my eyes scanned everywhere they could at once, my gaze definitely not one of a best friend. His back was turned to me, so I couldn’t see his face, but I knew it was him. He must have just exited the tub because water glistened all over his body. His black and red hair was wet, not spiked as usual and appearing darker in the dim lighting. His shoulder and back muscles worked under his gleaming mocha skin as he dried his left arm with his towel. His muscles were defined, running down either side of his spine, his waist tapering in with not an ounce of fat to be seen.

And then there was his ass.

I know my jaw slacked as I stared at what had to be the most perfect backside.

My goodness, God has truly blessed this Vampire.

All I wanted to do was take each of those mocha globes — with plenty of muscle definition, but not flat like some men’s — and squeeze hard before sinking my teeth into each one. Then repeat. A couple of times. His legs were built well, too, long with toned muscles, but…yeah, my eyes weren’t moving from his ass. Time kind of lost meaning for a while until Ezra began drying his stomach.

Not even glancing back, he muttered, “If you’re done staring, I would appreciate it if you would get the f**k out.”

My whole body jolted and my hammering heart actually stuttered, then thumped back into the wild gallop. The lust that had consumed me was still very much alive within my scattered wits, but there was also plenty of room for panic. Breath hitching, my muddled thoughts screaming run, I lurched out of the entrance before he could see me, quickly putting my feet into motion. Away from temptation, away from him knowing that I wanted him so badly that it had caused me to act out against him to hide my true feelings.

My eyes instantly glowed, providing better illumination to get the hell out of there as fast as I could. Speeding past rooms with steam billowing out into the hallway, swirls of vapor my dust, I flew into the main pool area. My gaze darting for the fastest possible exit, I heard Antonio’s voice to my left. “Lily, come here for a moment.”

No time for that. Run!

I put my feet in motion again, haphazardly moving through the crowd, which seemed to have only grown. Peering in Antonio’s direction, I saw him physically jerk. “Maybe later, Antonio.” He was sitting with the Kings and Cahal, along with an air Elemental and Shifter, both of whom I didn’t recognize. Blinking, I realized my eyes were still glowing, but I couldn’t seem to stop them, so I only shook my head. “I’ve got a thing I have to do.” Like, f**king run!

Something hard smacked into my legs. Grunting at the pain, I jerked my attention around even as I started falling. I felt warmth under me, which was the Elemental sitting on the chair I had jogged straight into, my body toppling straight over him and flying side-over-side before my face, and front, had smacked against the cold, hard floor.

Everyone around me blinked. Stared. Unnatural silence surrounded me.

I didn’t care, my gaze flying to the hallway I had exited, making sure Ezra hadn’t come out yet. He hadn’t. Quickly, I started to lift myself from the unforgiving ground.

Antonio asked into the quiet, “Lil, what are you doing?”

As I stalled in a push-up position, my glowing gaze found his intent golden one. “What you taught me to do.” I shoved myself up and, not giving a shit, started racing through the Mysticals, who were beginning to resume their conversations. My mind screamed at me to run faster, but I couldn’t. I wouldn’t risk someone seeing I was too fast for a Shifter.

It seemed like it took forever getting to our room, but as soon as I was inside I didn’t know what to do with myself. I paced for a few minutes, running my hands through my hair. Jumped for a minute or two. Then gave up, flopping back on the bed and tossing an arm over my eyes. I had no clue what to do about Ezra, but I was grateful he hadn’t caught me.

We were best friends. We had a damn pact, exclusively for no funny business. Sex inevitably wrecked things. In the end, one person always felt like they got gypped some way or another. At least, it had always been that way for me and my sexual partners after Dominic. Someone always got hurt, the end result never pleasant even if the going was.

I didn’t want to wreck anything with Ezra. Our friendship. But my body was traitorous, my mind constantly bringing me back to his lips and his erection. And now, there was the image of his damn perfect ass to contend with. Lying on this bed wasn’t helping either, since his scent was all over it. I groaned. “Dammit.”

The door opened and closed, and I froze on the bed. “Pearl? Jack?” Please, God.

“No, it’s me,” Ezra’s deep rumble rolled through the room. “Going to the pools?”

“Huh?” I tried to think peaceful thoughts — a tree with fat leaves in the middle of summer and a cool breeze — attempting to regulate my heartbeat and libido. Keeping my arm firmly crooked over my eyes so I couldn’t see him, and remembering I was wearing my bathing suit, I mumbled, “Oh, yeah. I was thinking about it.”




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