Chapter 82: Dragged Around By Women
A genuinely terrified yelp escaped her lips as the ground vanished beneath her.
Her arms flailed wildly in the air, grasping for a handhold that wasn’t there.
’Fuck!’
She pitched backward, her body angle tilting dangerously over the open water of the deep end.
Wren changed his stance, planting his feet firmly against the stone. His right arm shot out across the gap between them in a fraction of a second and he caught her.
"Don’t fall off..."
His thick arm looped securely around her narrow waist with his grip firm as if he didn’t want to let her go.
With a smooth effortless pivot of his powerful torso, Wren hauled her forward, completely halting her downward momentum.
He pulled her flush against his chest before a single drop of water could touch her.
The sudden deceleration knocked the breath completely out of Leah.
She crashed against him.
The soft, delicate curves of her body pressed tightly against the hard wet muscle of his abdomen.
"Hmmm~"
The cold water dripping from his grey swim trunks soaked instantly into the front of her sleek designer swimsuit.
Her hands instinctively flew up, gripping his broad, wet shoulders to steady herself as the world stopped spinning.
Leah looked up at him with her heart hammering frantically against her ribs. The anger and jealousy that had been consuming her just seconds prior instantly drained away, entirely replaced by the sudden overwhelming proximity to his face.
The heat radiating from his skin felt incredible as hs arm felt like a heavy steel band around her waist, completely supporting her weight with zero effort.
She stared into his calm blue eyes.
"You’re a bad bestie," Leah called him softly.
Her voice was breathless, barely a whisper over the sound of the rippling water as she pushed her lower lip out again, trying desperately to maintain her pout despite the massive flush creeping into her pale cheeks. "You ignored me... again."
Wren looked down at her.
The corners of his eyes crinkled slightly.
He flashed a devastating easy grin that completely disarmed her remaining frustration.
’Ignored? Again?’ Wren thought, what was going through her head?
"You look beautiful in that swimsuit, Leah," Wren commented casually with his deep voice wrapping around her like a warm blanket.
The compliment hit her point-blank. Leah’s cheeks burned a bright, vibrant pink as the stubborn, angry pout instantly transformed into a highly triumphant smug smile.
’Of course I do...’
She completely forgot about the slip. She forgot about Priya standing awkwardly a few feet away and she even forgot about Dani lying on the floor.
Wren was holding her. Wren was complimenting her. She had won his attention away from the others, and he was staring right at her.
She opened her mouth, ready to deliver a sassy confident reply about how expensive the suit was, and how he should be grateful she wore it for him however Wren didn’t give her the chance.
His grin widened just a fraction with a spark of mischief flashing in his blue eyes.
He effortlessly moved his legs, subtly adjusting his grip on her waist and then he completely pivoted his weight, using her own remaining momentum against her, and physically threw her directly over the edge of the pool.
Leah’s green eyes went wide with pure, unadulterated shock as her feet suddenly left the ground.
She flew backward through the air, suspended entirely over the deep end.
"Wre—!"
She shrieked his name with her voice echoing sharply across the enclosed garden but the word was violently cut off mid-syllable.
SPLASH!
Leah hit the water back-first.
The impact sent a heavy plume of white spray high into the air, soaking the nearby ferns.
The clear sapphire water swallowed her completely, the ripples violently rocking the calm surface of the pool as she sank beneath the surface.
Wren stood on the edge of the tiles, entirely relaxed.
He rested his hands on his hips, an amused smirk playing on his lips as he watched the frantic bubbles rise to the surface.
A second later, Leah broke the surface.
She gasped for air, aggressively pushing her soaked, heavy purple hair out of her face.
The smug triumphant smile she had worn just moments ago was entirely gone, replaced by pure outrage.
The expensive gold chains of her designer swimsuit glinted in the sunlight as she treaded water, glaring absolute daggers up at him.
She sputtered, coughing up a small mouthful of chlorinated water.
"You jerk!" Leah yelled with her voice ringing off the stone walls.
She slammed her hands against the surface of the pool, violently spraying a heavy concentrated wave of water directly at his shins and chest.
Wren didn’t flinch as the water slapped his skin. He just stood there, letting the droplets run down his chest.
"If you’re so tough," Leah challenged with her competitive streak flaring up as she aggressively wiped the water from her eyes.
She pointed a manicured finger up at him. "Why don’t you come down here and teach me a lesson yourself, huh?!"
Wren chuckled as he casually lifted a hand, wiping the stray drops of water off his broad shoulder.
"Well I’d rather not stoop down to your level." Wren said, dodging another splash of water to the face.
However he didn’t jump in.
Instead, he slowly turned his head. His blue eyes drifted away from the rippling water of the pool, tracking smoothly across the sun-baked stone deck.
His gaze locked directly onto Priya.
Priya was still standing completely still near the edge of the coping, her arms wrapped defensively around her stomach.
She had watched the entire interaction play out in a state of muted shock... the smooth catch, the sweet compliment, and the ruthless betrayal of tossing the heiress into the water like a sack of potatoes.
The exact second Wren’s gaze landed on her, the casual amusement in his eyes changed into a gleam and Priya’s blood ran completely cold.
She knew exactly what that look meant.
Wren smiled at her.
It wasn’t the warm, reassuring smile he had given her in the water during the lesson... It was the smile of a predator who had just found his next target...
"No," Priya whispered, her dark eyes widening as the realization hit her full force.
She took a frantic step backward, her wet foot squeaking loudly against the tiles.
She held both of her hands up defensively in front of her chest, shaking her head as genuine panic flared in her system.
"No... no... no, Wren, don’t you dare," Priya pleaded with her voice rising in pitch as she took another rapid step back toward the dense tropical ferns. "I was helping you! I was the instructor!"
Wren didn’t listen.
He took a slow, deliberate step forward, closing the distance between them with a relaxed stride.
Priya tried to turn and run, but her footing on the wet tiles was too unstable, and she was simply too slow.
Wren closed the gap in two massive strides. He didn’t bother trying to sweep her off her feet, and he didn’t execute a complex grapple to trap her arms.
He just reached out, his large hands easily taking hold of her waist.
He completely immobilized her.
"Mmm~"
Priya gasped with her hands flying down on instinct to grip his wet wrists. For a split second, as his fingers dug into the soft curves of her waist, her panic completely short-circuited.
The feeling of his firm grip pressing heavily against her bare skin completely overwhelmed her defensive instincts as the vivid memory of his mouth molding over hers, the way his heavy hand had felt claiming her breast just minutes prior, flashed brightly in her mind like a physical blow.
’You pe-pervert, stop thinking about that!’
Her knees felt weak and her breath hitched in her throat.
She almost moaned loudly at how good his hold felt with her resistance melting away as a soft yielding look crossed her beautiful features.
"Be soft Wren..."
She stared up into his blue eyes with her fingers softening their grip on his wrists.
Wren smiled at her warmly... it was a smile that acknowledged the silent surrender in her gaze and then, before she could even process the heat pooling heavy in her stomach, he effortlessly lifted her completely off her feet.
"Hey—!" Priya squeaked with her eyes going wide as her bare legs kicked uselessly in the empty air.
Wren simply turned, took one large step toward the edge of the coping, and unceremoniously dumped her straight into the deep end of the water, right next to the sputtering heiress.
SPLASH!
Wren turned his attention away from the sputtering, furious girls in the deep end of the pool and looked back toward the dry, sun-baked patch of tiles near the wooden changing cabana.
Dani was still sitting exactly where he had left her.
She hadn’t moved an inch toward the water. Her knees were pulled up tightly to her chest, and both of her small hands were clamped firmly over the center of her forehead.
She had managed to completely wipe the trickle of blood away from her nose, leaving smeared pink streak across her cheek, but her eyes were wide and completely unfocused.
’What’s her issue?’ He thought, he merely wanted all of the girls in the pool so that he could join them.
She was rocking back and forth slightly on the stone deck, muttering quietly to herself.
"I’ll never wash my forehead again..." Dani whispered.
She stared blankly at a nearby potted hibiscus plant. "Never. It’s sacred now... I have to protect it..."
Wren rested his hands on his hips with the cool water dripping down his broad back.
She was treating a simple, casual gesture like it was a life-altering religious experience.
’It can’t be that serious,’ Wren thought as he ran a hand through his hair. ’It’s not like my lips are the Holy Grail or something.’
He was about to ask if she needed a towel to clean her face properly when a sudden warning instinct flared at the back of his neck.
"Host, dodge." Nyx warned and Wren casually tilted his head to the left.
A heavy, concentrated blast of pool water shot past his ear, missing the back of his head by barely an inch.
The water splashed harmlessly against the wooden slats of the cabana, leaving a dark wet stain on the timber.
"Oh, come on!" Priya yelled from the pool.
Wren looked over his shoulder. Priya was treading water in the deep end with her dark hair plastered wetly against her cheeks.
Her hands were still cupped together from her failed sneak attack, and she was glaring at him with a deeply frustrated pout.
Beside her, Leah was busy squeezing the excess water out of her vibrant purple hair, still fuming from being unceremoniously tossed in.
Wren just chuckled, entirely unbothered by the hostility. He turned his body slightly, looking back down at the dry deck.
"You want to swim with them?" Wren asked, gesturing vaguely toward the water with his thumb. "The water’s nice."
Dani finally blinked with the question snapping her out of her trance.
She looked up at him, her cheeks still burning a vibrant feverish red.
She slowly lowered her hands from her forehead... degenerate confidence returning in a rush as she realized he was actually inviting her to join the fun.
Dani planted her hands on the tiles, leaning back slightly with a shameless bold smirk spreading across her face.
"I would," Dani declared as she tapped a finger against her temple. "If you give me another kiss on my forehea—"
Sploosh!
Before Dani could even finish the sentence, a massive wave of pool water crashed directly into the side of her face.
The impact was loud, the sheer volume of water nearly knocking her backward.
Dani gasped, her eyes snapping shut as the cold, chlorinated water soaked her hair, ran down her chin, and completely drenched the front of her shirt.
Leah stood waist-deep near the edge of the pool with her arm outstretched from executing the brutal throw.
Her green eyes were narrowed into dangerous, hostile slits. The intense jealousy that Wren had briefly placated earlier was back with a vengeance.
"What kiss are you two talking about?!" Leah demanded.
She glared at the shorter girl.
’What the hell has she been doing with Wren behind my back?’
Dani sat frozen on the deck. She slowly brought the back of her hand up, wiping the stinging water from her eyes and then she blinked, the tropical sun reflecting off her soaked hair.
Her expression began to visibly tremble.
The horrific realization set in. The heavy wave of pool water had forcefully washed her face.
The lingering warmth... the sensation of Wren’s lips on her forehead... that sacred divine blessing she had literally just sworn to protect and never wash away had been violently scrubbed off by the heiress’s attack.
Dani’s jaw dropped open. The shock morphed instantly into gremlin rage.
"You fuckers!" Dani screamed.
