Two strong arms snaked around her waist from behind, yanking her against a hard, drenched chest.
A sharp scream ripped from her throat, but it was quickly cut off when her back slammed into the cold stone wall, the impact knocking the breath from her lungs. Her front was now flush against Simon's rigid body, his touch like fire, searing through the wet fabric of her clothes.
"Caught you, little fish," Simon's voice was dark, gravelly — dripping with pure, predatory hunger.
Stella's pulse thundered, her stomach coiling with a dangerous mix of fear and uncontainable desire. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" she gasped, her hands pressed against his hard, defined chest as she tried to shove him off.
Simon only chuckled — low and sinister — like he was enjoying her struggle. His dark brown eyes were now pitch black, void of any warmth, as they bored into hers. Possession. Obsession. Hunger. That's all she could see.
"I was giving you a head start," he murmured, his thumb tracing lazily along her jaw, before dipping down to her throat where her pulse raged beneath her skin. "But you really thought you could outrun me?"
Stella's glare sharpened, masking the heat she felt in his presence. "I did outrun you."
Simon's grip tightened, his hand digging into her waist as he leaned in, his nose brushing against her cheek. "And how's that working out for you now?" His hot breath fanned across her skin, sending a violent shiver through her body.
Simon didn't give her a second to process — not a moment to think. One minute she was gasping, and the next, she was hauled up against his hard, soaked body, his arm snaking under her thighs as he carried her straight into the pool.
"Simon—what—" she barely got the words out before his large hand shot up, grabbed the rubber band from her hair, and ripped it off, sending her locks tumbling down her back. The band flung somewhere into the room, forgotten, and then his mouth was on hers.
Stella gasped, her entire body reacting to the roughness of his kiss. It wasn't gentle. It wasn't sweet. It was desperate, consuming — a man starved of her — as if he was fighting an internal war and she was his only salvation. Her hands balled into fists, trying to resist him, but the moment his teeth bit down on her bottom lip, she snapped.
A broken moan escaped her as she kissed him back just as fiercely, her hands tangling in his soaked hair. His taste — dark, addicting, and laced with danger — flooded her senses, and it wasn't long before she was clutching him like her life depended on it.
Suddenly, Simon yanked her back by the hair, exposing the column of her throat. His gaze, heated and ravenous, dropped to her neck, and she saw it — his fangs, sharp and glistening in the dim light.
"Si—" she barely got the word out before his mouth latched onto her neck, sinking his fangs deep into her flesh.
"Ahhh!—Simon—" Stella's cry of pain turned into something wickedly pleasurable as his fangs pierced her skin, draining her slowly. Her entire body jerked, overwhelmed by the burning ecstasy his bite brought. Her hands clutched his hair as her head fell back against the stone wall.
"I want you, little fish," Simon growled, his voice dripping with dark hunger as he tore his drenched shirt off, exposing his chiseled chest and abs.
Stella's breath hitched — holy.
Water streamed down his hard muscles, making his tanned skin glisten under the dim light. But it wasn't just his body that made Stella's core clench painfully — it was the tattoos.
Dark, inky dangerous tattoos sprawled across his thick arms, snaking from his wrists to his biceps, crawling up his shoulder, and disappearing beneath his collarbone. Symbols she couldn't understand — but they reeked of darkness.
"Then take me," she rasped, her voice thick with need as she fisted his hair, crashing her lips onto his. There was no hesitation — no holding back. She wanted him as much as he wanted her.
A low growl vibrated from Simon's chest as his large hands gripped her waist. Stella didn't wait — she took his hands and placed them on the hem of her soaked shirt, her body practically vibrating with desperation.
Simon's body stilled for half a second — and then something snapped. With a feral snarl, he ripped the shirt clean off her body, the sound of tearing fabric echoing in the bathroom. Stella gasped, her back arching as cool air met her flushed skin.
"Fuck," Simon rasped, his dark brown eyes nearly black as he drank in the sight of her. Her black lacy bra was soaked and clinging to her skin, her hardened peaks practically begging for his mouth.
"You're killing me, Stella," Simon growled, his voice raw with need. Without warning, his mouth descended onto her neck, biting, licking, and sucking hard enough to leave dark marks behind. Stella gasped, her hands flying to his shoulders, but she didn't stop him — she wanted this.
"Simon—ahh!" she cried when his teeth grazed her collarbone.
"Mine," he growled darkly, his hands yanking her soaked pants down, leaving her in just her bra and panties. His hands squeezed her bare thighs possessively as his mouth traveled lower, down the valley of her breasts.
Stella's breathing turned erratic. "Simon…please," she whimpered.
Simon's control snapped. "Fuck it."
In one swift movement, he switched off the waterfall and gripped her hips, hoisting her up. Stella immediately wrapped her legs around his waist, pressing her soaked core against his raging hardness. She gasped at the friction, her head falling back.
"Goddamn it, Stella," Simon growled, slamming her back against the cold stone wall. His grip on her waist was almost bruising, his pupils dilated with pure, unrestrained hunger. "You have no fucking idea what you do to me."
"Then stop talking and show me," Stella gasped, her voice breathless — a challenge wrapped in pure desire.
A dark chuckle rumbled from Simon's chest. "As you wish, my little fish."
Without wasting another second, his hand shot to her bra clasp. With a quick flick, the black lace fell into the water, leaving her bare before him. Stella barely had time to process the exposure before Simon's mouth latched onto her left breast, sucking hard.
"Ahh—god!" Stella's back arched, her nails digging into his shoulders as his tongue flicked over her hardened bud. His other hand squeezed her neglected breast, kneading it with a desperation that drove her insane.
Her body writhed against him, hips grinding into his hardness that strained against his wet jeans. She could feel it—hot, hard, and pulsing for her. Simon growled against her skin, his teeth grazing her nipple before tugging it between his lips.
"Simon—" she gasped, her head lolling back. "God, yes—"
Her words were cut off by a sharp gasp when Simon bit down on her nipple, not hard enough to hurt, but enough to make her entire body jolt with pleasure. "You taste like fucking heaven," he rasped, switching to her other breast without mercy. His mouth was rough, demanding, and utterly unforgiving.