Chapter 3: Wet

I knew I had told myself that I would never follow wherever he went after the dinner we shared, but looking back, I'm grateful for accepting his invitation to visit his resort. The place felt like stepping into the Garden of Eden.

As we entered the lobby, a few staff members were present. His secretary offered his services, but this jerk immediately dismissed him, raising my eyebrows.

He led me to the beachfront, which didn't seem much different from mine, except for the surfboard decors and the name of his resort, 'BB Beach Haven'. Whatever that stood for.

"It's very... natural," I commented, my eyes taking in the surroundings with a glimmer.

There was no doubt that business would thrive under Valerian Blackwood's leadership. He excelled at decision-making, managing his company with precision and equality.

The design of the place was a stark contrast to my own resort. Everything exuded a natural vibe, from the wood-dominated interiors to the dark varnish reflecting his surname.

"Like the place?" I turned and saw him leaning on the banister, showcasing the garden in the middle of the resort—a calming and soothing nature trail.

The garden was adorned with a variety of flowers in different colors, creating a rainbow-like ambiance. The pond under the bridge housed fishes, the clear water a perfect complement to the serene setting.

But out of all the beauty his resort has, the most captivating sight was the owner himself.

Shit! I scolded myself for indulging in thoughts of his perfection.

Avoiding his piercing gaze, I shrugged and remarked, "It wasn't that bad," subtly signaling that I wouldn't shower him with too many compliments. "It's... good."

As he approached with confidence, I feigned interest in something else.

"This! This is fabulous," I cleared my throat. "What is this?" I turned to him, catching his grin.

"Great diversion, Ellie. But that's a sign, baby," he said, standing a meter away, his smugness evident in every angle.

I glanced at the sign, which bluntly read, 'do not feed the fish'.

Am I for real? I mentally cursed myself for the embarrassing situation.

I heard him chuckle under his breath. He seemed to be enjoying this. If only the floor could swallow me up right now.

Composing myself, I turned away from him and chose a direction. I had no idea where it led, but all I could think about was keeping my distance from him and hiding the redness on my face.

"Where does this lead?" I asked as I ascended the stairs, still unable to face him.

"Infinity pool," he replied curtly.

"Infinity pool?" I repeated, my jaw dropping when I reached the platform.

"I thought people would love the idea of spending time here if they didn't want to get wet in the saltwater. This part of the resort could be their best choice," he explained, gazing at the same view I was seeing.

From where we stood, we had a panoramic view of the endless ocean expanse, the stretch of sand from west to east, and the horizon where the sun dipped into the sea.

Standing by the pool, I could see the faint reflection of my face on the clear water, which vanished when Valerian switched on the lights of the pool.

"What do you think?" he inquired.

"It's..." I hesitated, wanting to temper his expectations, but the beauty of this part of his resort was undeniably a chef's kiss. "I think this is the best part."

"You think so?" He asked, standing behind me.

The tension in my body heightened. I could feel his warmth coming to me, waking what's in between my thighs.

This wasn't how it was supposed to go. I took a step forward to maintain my composure, but he was right behind me, exerting a gravitational pull that I couldn't resist.

"I think we're done here," I stated, halting whatever storm we were brewing.

I turned on my heel, but unexpectedly, the heel of my shoe broke, causing me to stumble.

My breath caught, shock coursing through me as I teetered on the edge of the pool, eyes shut in anticipation of the cold water.

A strong hand caught my waist, pulling me back from the brink.

As I regained my footing, my body collided with his firm chest, still recovering from the accident.

"Whoa," he chuckled, keeping me close and secure in his arms. "Watch those ankles."

I met his emerald gaze as our faces drew close, a mere breath away. One wrong move, our lips would touch.

"Still clumsy, aren't we?" he teased, boosting my ego.

I wanted to defend myself, but the sensation of his hand against my back sent a jolt through me.

His gaze lingered on my lips, leaving my throat dry in anticipated. I know this feeling and I hated it.

Dipping his head, he closed his eyes. But before our lips could meet, I pushed him.

And this time... I fell into the pool.

"Ellie!" His muffled voice called out from under the water.

Returning to the surface, I pushed back my hair and glared at him.

"Nice," he snickered, squatting in front of me. "Keep avoiding me, and you'll find yourself in even bigger trouble."

"You were trying to kiss me, idiot!" I exclaimed, splashing water on his face. "Now I'm all wet!"

He shielded himself with his arm, wetting his white shirt. "You're always wet for me," he joked.

"Pervert!"

"You brought it up, baby. Don't blame me."

"Will you stop calling me Ellie or baby? I have a name, Elodie," I corrected him, extending my hand. "Get me out of here."

"Only if you call me Val," he teased, a small smirk playing on his lips.

I scrunched my face and splashed him with water once more. "Alright, Val, can you get me out of your damn infinity pool?"

"Say please, baby."

"Can you just 'please' pull me out, you dogfucker?"

He burst into laughter, something that happens so rare. "Okay," he said, extending his hand.

Too bad he was too kind.

"Oh, fuck!" he exclaimed as I grabbed his hand and pulled him into the pool before I freed myself from the water.

I caught him off guard. My eyes witnessed the surprise on his face before he sank into the pool. Pretty funny.

"Elodie!"

"Now that's my name, you jerk," I grumbled, crawling to the ledge and checked my drenched purse. "Great."

"That wasn't the worst way to get back at me, was it?" He asked, pulling himself out of the pool. His side smirk was still evident on his smug face even when wet, looking hot as he pushed his hair back and flicked his head like a dog.

"It's not enough," I mumbled, pushing myself up.

He and his three-piece suit were soaked. His brown hair lay flat above his head, droplets falling from the tips of it. He pulled his necktie off and tossed his jacket aside.

I gulped at the sight of his shirt being see-through. My eyes could see what he hides underneath his clothes. I've seen it countless times, but it never failed to make me gag every time I caught a glimpse of it. He's freaking hot.

What the hell?

Shaking my head, I pushed that thought away.

Feeling the heaviness of the water on my blazer, I took it off. Now, what am I going to tell Bree once she sees me showing up looking like this?

"You just had your partner drowning in your freaking pool," I grumbled and flicked the water off my hand.

He took a couple of spare towels from the cabinet and handed me one. Instead of taking it, I started marching—limping towards the stairs where we came from, planning to just leave him.

Meeting him was a huge mistake!

This is all Bree's fault.

I can manage and save the resort myself. It will survive without needing Valerian's help. I can do it. I should've listened to myself instead.

"Ellie, baby, where are you going?" I heard him ask as I approached the stairs.

"Go to hell," I mumbled.

I frowned when he wrapped a towel around my waist. Then my feet couldn't touch the stairs, I was suddenly lifted from the ground and locked in the arms of the last man I ever wanted to touch me again.

"Put me down!" I yelped, gripping tightly onto his shirt in surprise.

I tried to make him let go of me, but I got stuck on him like glue.

Great, now all the staff are looking at us.

"Sir, would you need some help?" His secretary stepped in, looking at us with confusion.

"We're fine, Chen. Just check the pool area," the jerk replied and left the lobby, striding like a model.

"This is so embarrassing. Everyone's looking at us. Can you just put me down? I can walk by myself."

"Shut up or I'll make you."

"Are you threatening me, Mr. Blackwood?"

A grin flashed on his face, showing his teeth that I used to find beautiful because it highlighted more than just his beauty, but also his true heart. No, scratch that, it doesn't matter what kind of charm he has, I just don't care!

"Depends on how you take it." He winked at me, depositing me on a golf cart.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked when I noticed that he took the opposite course to the exit of the resort. "This tour is over, Mr. Blackwood. I'm heading back to my place, and I need to change."

He ignored me and kept his eyes straight.

"Hey! Didn't you hear me? I have to—"

"Your chest felt nice. It's a good thing that they're still soft and round," he cut me off, letting those words roll off his tongue. There was a sense of desire in his cocky comment. "Makes me feel excited."

Hugging myself, I looked at him in horror. "Pervert!"

"How am I a pervert? I've already seen all of you, licked every inch of you. Baby, I even came inside you more than a hundred times. Talking about your perfect boobs is just minimal," he said, grinning widely.

"I want to kick you in the face."

The vehicle stopped in front of a luxurious two-story villa. I'm guessing that this is where he stays, and there is no way I'm getting inside that.

He stepped out and jogged to my side. He rested his left arm on the roof of the cart and leaned close to me, openly gazing at my chest that I covered in an effort with my arms.

"I want to show you something better than the infinity pool. Come with me?"

"Are you planning to drown me for real this time?" I scoffed. "No thank you, but I still have a resort to manage." I pushed him so I could make my way, but he stood his ground.

"We've got a lot to talk about, Ellie," he said, standing up straight and pulled me by my hand.

"I am not interested," I huffed, tugging at my hand trapped in his grip. "Let go, or I'll kick your balls."

"No chance," he shot back, that cocky confidence of his making me want to strip it bare. But damn, it's like I'm the one getting stripped down by his intense gaze. "I'm pretty sure you can't hurt me, baby."

Just as I was gearing up to protest, he grabbed the back of my head and planted a rough kiss on my lips.

I wanted to push him away, give him a good slap, but damn it... I ended up kissing him back.