#Chapter 230 – Water

Victor reaches out a hand, snatching me as soon as I come in within his reach and dragging me through the water to him. I laugh as he pulls me against him, delighted at the feeling of being weightless, of being drawn close to him so effortlessly.

Victor tucks a hand behind my back, pulling me against him so that our chests are flush against each other. I wrap my legs around his waist, looping my arms around his neck as he holds me close, his mouth going immediately to my neck and pressing kisses there.

I exhale a long sigh, relishing the feeling of my body against his, of the peace that this pool brought me almost the instant we got here. But still, as my mate’s kisses grow more fervent, traveling up my neck, I push back against him just a little.

“No, wait,” I protest.

“No,” he refuses, shaking his head and returning his attention to my neck. Slowly, he uses the length of his tongue to trace the line of my throat, drawing an eager little shudder from my body. “Now, Evelyn –“

“No!” I say again, laughing, pushing harder against his shoulders, making him look at me. He glares at me now a little, frustrated to be distracted. “Seriously, Victor,” I plead. “We’re still disgusting – we haven’t had a bath in days – can we just take a minute? To clean up?”

“Fine,” he growls. “But it will be a waste, because you’re just going to have to clean up again when I’m finished with you.”

“Good,” I murmur, bringing my face back to his and pressing a long kiss to his lips. I feel his arms tighten around me again as my mouth opens and his tongue slips inside, pressing urgently against mine, letting me know precisely how much he does not care how dirty we are.

“Patience,” I whisper as I pull away, unwrapping my legs from his waist and swimming away from him.

“I never won awards for patience in school,” he grumbles, pushing away from me into the deeper water, almost as if he has to so he won’t grab me again. “Not precisely an Alpha trait.”

“Oh well,” I say, my face all innocence. “Looks like you’ll just have to learn it today.”

I take a deep breath, then, and plunge under the water, relishing the cool press of it on every surface of my body. I let myself sink to the bottom of the pool, running my fingers through my hair, shaking my head to get out all of the dirt and sweat that I know has been accumulating there for days.

God, what I wouldn’t give for even just a tiny bottle of shampoo right now. But, I’ll make do.

As I begin to run out of breath, I reach a hand down to the bottom of the pool, scooping up a handful of the sand that I felt there with my toes. Then I surface, taking in a fresh breath and inspecting the coarse sandy paste in my hand. I smile at it, pleased that – as I suspected – it’s clear, fresh sand like that you’d find at a beach.

asks, frowning

soap,” I say, smiling

away from me. “You’re going to rub that all over me and scrape my skin

into the deeper water. “Come on!” I shout. “It’s a natural

he lets me catch him after a minute,

me. “I’ll do

to spread the cool sand over his back and shoulders. As I work, Victor slowly maneuvers us to the far side of

as I finish up my work, using the sand to

broad muscles. “You’re very good looking,

now, admiring the shape and contour of his pectoral muscles, what bits of his abs I can see

him smile a little,

him innocently. “If I’m going to be mated with someone, I don’t want them to

slides over his lips. “You liar,” he

with laughter. “How is

as well and dragging me closer to the waterfall. “I don’t just ‘do’ – you’re thrilled to

appalled – “a hottie! He thinks he’s a

are you talking to,” he murmurs then, still laughing, close enough to the falls now that they pound just behind him, enveloping us in the mist. “No one

feels the words as well as hears them. “And the whole universe, apparently. Didn’t you hear? We’re astral mates. Apparently,

me anew. But very suddenly they’re past, and we’re in a secret little cove behind them. “Logically, I must be gorgeous, because if I’m your mate,

here, putting his hand on my face and staring at me, the humor sliding away from his expression to be replaced with an earnestness he

shakes his head at

shoulder and his neck, shaking it in denial. “I’m not sad, Victor. I just…I love you so incredibly much. And I’m so grateful that we found each

in the bond between us,

close my eyes then, breathing evenly, wanting nothing more than to stay in this moment with my mate, to feel his body against mine, to simply breathe here in the darkness. And Victor’s breath slows

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