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And yet I can sense her checking me out as I step toward the edge of the dock. My nerves come alive with the knowledge, and the alpha in me preens.
It’s a stupid reaction. I know I’m not repugnant to the opposite sex. I’m used to women looking at me, but with Jules, it feels completely different. My skin heats everywhere her eyes caress my body, and I feel my blood surge south.
I jump off the edge of the dock before the evidence of my desire becomes painfully obvious, and every cell screams in rebellion as the frigid water engulfs me.
It feels like a thousand icy knives stabbing every single inch of me. For three heartbeats, I can’t think about anything except the overwhelming chaos of sensation, and for the first time in days, my wolf is blissfully quiet.
Cold air smacks my face as I kick back to the surface, and I blink the water from my eyes. Jules is staring at me with a mixture of admiration and horror, her dark waves blowing in the breeze as her breath forms a halo around her.
“You coming in?” I ask, my teeth starting to chatter.
She seems to remember that she committed to the plunge and fumbles with her clothes. Goosebumps spring up all over her perfect golden skin as she shucks off her sweatshirt and slides down her pants.
Underneath she’s wearing a daring sapphire one-piece that hugs every inch of her supple breasts and the soft curves of her hips. It’s a good thing I’m treading in near-freezing water. Otherwise, I’d have an instant hard-on.
I nearly groan when Jules turns around and climbs down to the top rung of the ladder. Her suit is completely backless, and it rides high up along her thighs, exposing the side of each round butt cheek.
If she weren’t my employee, I’m not sure I’d be able to stop myself from reaching out, gripping her ass, and sinking my teeth into those scrumptious curves.
“What are you doing?” I ask through chattering teeth.
“I’m getting in!”
“You can’t climb in. You have to jump.”
Jules turns around on the ladder, staring anxiously at the frigid water. I can practically taste her nervous anticipation as the water laps at her toes. Then she screws up her face in the cutest expression, plugs her nose, and jumps.
I reach down and grasp her by the waist before she can slide beneath the solid sheet of ice. Her body feels scorching compared to the water, and I resist the urge to pull her against me as her head clears the surface.
Jules’s fingers grip my shoulders as she heaves in a sharp gasp. I read the panic and exhilaration in her eyes and hold her tighter just in case she forgets to tread water.
“Just breathe through it,” I say calmly. “You’ll get used to it in a minute.”
“H-how d-d-do y-you e-ever get u-u-used t-to this?” Her teeth are chattering so loudly I can hear them, and her lips are turning blue.
I want to tell her I’ve been plunging for years, but in fairness, shifters run hotter than humans, so it doesn’t feel as cold to me.
“Breathe,” I repeat. “Your body will adjust.”
“B-b-b-bullshit.”
I can’t help it. I laugh. My chest aches as the frigid water rips through my lungs, but it feels so damn good.
After a moment, I feel Jules relax. Her lips are still blue from the cold, but her breaths are steady, and she no longer looks as though she wants to burst out of her skin.
Jules seems to realize her fingers are digging into my shoulders, but she doesn’t let go. “I don’t see what all the fuss is about,” she says with an eye roll. “It’s not that cold.”
“No.” Then her warm brown eyes meet mine, and I swear I stop breathing. Jules’s gaze drops to my lips, and I tighten my hold on her waist.
“Okay, I lied!” she cries. “It’s fucking freezing.”
Chuckling, I circle around her and grip the ladder, pulling myself out of the water. I reach down to help her up, and she shudders as the cold air laps at her skin. Her nipples are two hard peaks, clearly visible through her bathing suit. I hurriedly drape a towel over her like a cape so I don’t do something I’ll regret.
“Thanks,” she mumbles, self-consciously straightening her sodden raven locks, which are plastered all over her face. Her teeth are still chattering, so I rub my hands up and down her arms to warm her with the friction.
“Come on,” I say. “Let’s get you warm.”
“Aren’t you cold?”
