Read Riveted (Art of Eros #1) for Free Online

eyes locked on him, never letting go of his hand. Her eyes focused on the questions in his eyes.
    “Really? Well, I think someone needs to cool off in the pool before she gets so turned on by me she starts to break a sweat.” With that said, he let go of her hand, stood up, and peeled off his t-shirt.
    Holy Heaven, he’s cut to perfection. Nice pecs and ripped abs...a sculptor’s dream.
    He leaned down and placed his hands on each side of her hips. “You have three seconds to take off your clothes before I get you wet.” His voice, heavily laden with that mesmerizing Scottish accent, suggested an image of hot sex.
    Mara barely had a chance to rip off the sarong and throw the hat to the side before Mac grabbed her hand, stalking with her in tow toward the pool. She gave a squeal, trying to keep up with him, down the stairs and into the pool.
    Mac took the stairs into the shallow end, submerging them in the warm water together. Mara let the water surround her and started to float away, but his arm anchored her to him by the waist, her back to his front. She loved the way his arm gripped her, unwilling to let her go. His warmth spread through her and she felt safe from head to toe. The soft whisper of wings fluttered in her stomach once again, a foreign feeling of excitement.
    As his fingers slid across her stomach, she flinched but she was toned yet feminine in his grip. Her firm ass against his stomach got his blood pumping, among other things, as she could feel him rise to the occasion.
    “And where do you think you’re going?” he whispered in her ear before turning her around to face him. Their noses were inches away from each other. Her breathing became shallow as he touched her jawline with his thumb. “I hope you put sunscreen on that beautiful face. I wouldn’t want you to turn into a cooked lobster out here. However, there are other parts of your body that I would like to make hot.”
    Startled, it took the air out of her lungs. He could be so tender with her, yet possessive and sexy. He cared about a little thing like if she got burned or not, but obviously he had sex on the brain. Most men did. She never had that kind of attention from a man in...well...when was the last time anyone called her beautiful?
    Surprised by the shock on her face as he made mention of her beauty again, he didn’t understand the emotions behind it. “Let’s play a game. Hmm? You know ‘Simon Says,’ right? Well, this is ‘Mac Says.’“ Mischief played his eyes. Mara caught on right away.
    “Well, Mara says you have to catch me first!” With that, Mara spun out of his arms, diving into the clear blue water. Naturally, he let her go so he could catch her again. She didn’t swim too far before a hand gripped her ankle just before she reached the other side of the pool facing the ocean.
    Mara shot up out of the water with a hearty belly laugh. She turned in time to come face to face with Mac, who wore a huge shit-eating grin. He had her pinned with her back to the side of the pool, his arms underneath hers. Her heart sped up. She was actually giddy, but with a mix of fear. Her body tensed like it always did with a man in such close proximity to her. Mac’s hair was slicked back from the water, wide eyes written with the intent and curiosity of a panther ready to strike at his prey.
    ~
    Hearing her laughter speared straight through the middle of his chest. That laugh reminded him of when his sister was young. Fascinated by the little girl inside the woman who liked the game of being chased and caught, he could visualize what she must have been like as a child, her hair flowing behind her, running through a meadow being chased by her father. Almost immediately, her body went rigid and the light left her eyes. What would make her react like that after such playfulness? What was he going to do with the woman in his arms? He decided to push her a little to see her reaction.
    Mac leaned closer to Mara’s ear, “Now that I’ve