Papillon

Chapter 8: Swimming In Ice

Francis

The moonlight didn't just love Bella Ryder. It existed for her. 

She was so annoyingly beautiful, it ached. Cat-shaped cobalt blue eyes that shone like diamonds in the dark that I wanted, with every bone in my body, to stare at all the fucking time. But I just couldn't. Not looking at her gave me some fucked up sense of control over myself around her.

She was uncontrollable and I was control–except when I was around her.

Hands braced on the wall on either side of me, I watched as she swam around in the cool water, laughing to herself. Letting loose, literally getting her hair wet–that was a look that suited the preppy little diva.

"This is nice," she hummed, running her hands through her hair.

"I told you."

"I'm living a little," she whispered in that low voice.

Merde.

A bartender made her way over to me, a little surprised at my swimming attire, and asked for my drink order. The legal drinking age here was 18 and I was 17 but the second I flashed her a smile, she'd conveniently forgotten all about that little restriction. I turned back to Bella just in time to see her roll her eyes.

"She didn't even ask me," she pouted.

"You're too young to be drinking," I returned.

"So are you."

When the same bartender returned with my drink, batting her eyelashes, it didn't escape my notice that she applied a new layer of lipstick on her mouth. Jesus, I was underage. She looked to be in her twenties but if she was serving me an Old Fashioned, she probably thought I was of age.

"On the house," she purred in a slight Portuguese accent.

Our trip was all-inclusive so everything was taken care of, I would just have to use the Ryder name. Christian refused to let me pay for shit too. He just claimed it was all perks of being affiliated with the company. Never mind that Christian was the company, so it was his money. Arguing with him was fruitless, though. The world revolved the way Christian Ryder wanted it to–no questions asked.

"Thank you," I nodded.

"You know, you could catch a cold from... this." She waved a finger at me, pointing at my drenched body, shirt clinging to my chest. She stared at it for a moment too long.

Bella moved closer to me and placed a gentle hand on my chest. My entire body tensed at the contact, my gaze flicking to her. But for once, I was looking at her and she wasn't looking at me. It was then I realized the show wasn't for me, but for the poor girl who was just harmlessly flirting with me. For some reason, Bella needed to lay claim. 

I couldn't say I particularly minded. In fact, a hot rush travelled down my spine when her legs brushed the inside of my thigh. I'd be foolish to think she was jealous, and so I convinced myself that Bella was an alpha and couldn't handle anyone else in her space.

"We'll be fine, thank you so much." She smiled sweetly at the bartender, who apparently just realized there was another person in the pool with me. The woman straightened, shot Bella a cold smile, and walked away.

Bella's smile fell the second the bartender turned her back but her hand didn't leave my chest. In fact, she moved closer.

"Is she a girl you'd kiss?" She asked.

My blood ran hot. "You seem to be very interested in who I'm kissing."

"I find you interesting," she returned. She was always so unapologetically honest, bold, and unforgiving. I liked that most about her.