Tragic Beauty (Beauty & The Darkness #1)(14)

I wonder if this is how Cinderella felt.

When I walk downstairs, Gavin is still standing in the same spot, gazing out. I walk up next to him, but he doesn’t move. It takes me a moment to realize he’s watching me through the reflection in the glass. His eyes are fixed on me, roaming quietly. His gaze lingers on my arms that are crossed over my breasts and I think I see something of a smile play along his lips, then he opens the slider.

“After you,” he says, his eyes dark but unmistakably playful.

I walk past him onto a large covered patio, knowing his gaze follows me. It’s cold, and once I clear the overhang I feel the crisp, cool rain along my bare skin. I can’t help but squeal and run for the shallow area and lunge in. Behind me, I hear a chuckle followed by a loud splash in the deep end.

I sink completely into the warm water. When I surface, the chilly night air and falling rain tickles my face. All around it glows like magic, like the pool is lit from someplace deep within the earth. The heat floats along the surface and drifts up towards the stormy sky. The clouds are glowing too, the full moon doing its best to peak through the cracks. Out over the pool, there’s nothing but darkness, making it feel like we’re on the edge of the world.

Gavin appears, surfacing from the water. He swipes his hair back, his lashes wet and dark against green eyes that look like sparkling emeralds in the eerie light. I thought he was sexy before…

With a few easy strokes of his arms he moves closer, standing not too far away from me. “Good?” he asks.

I nod and grin. Actually grin. I think I surprise Gavin as much as myself, because his mouth falls open a little.

“I think that’s the first smile I’ve seen from you,” he says.

I turn away, oddly embarrassed, and wade over to sit on the steps. The water laps at my neck and shoulders while I do my best not to stare at the dark-eyed man near me.

“When I can’t sleep,” he says, turning to float on his back, “I’ll go for a swim. Always helps.”

I wonder what would keep him up at night. Stress? Pressure? I know his job has lots of perks, but being famous the way he is, I’m not na?ve enough to think there are no downsides.

He flips over and makes his way to the side, where he leans back and stretches his sculpted arms out along the ledge. With a tilt of his head, he looks at me. “How is it you never learned to swim?”

I shrug. “Never had the chance.”

“Where’d you grow up? Kansas or something?”

I shake my head, but see he’s waiting for more.

“A little town north of here,” I say.

“Where?”

Something in my gut keeps me from giving the name away. Los Ramos isn’t that far, and for all I know, Shayne might be a friend of his. So I just say, “No place special.”

By the way his eyes narrow on me, I know he doesn’t like my answer. “You’re being vague again.”

I look down at my hands floating in the water, knowing that’s all I can give him.

There’s silence now, nothing but the sound of falling rain and the slow ripple of water against the side of the pool.

“What’s going on with you?” he asks. “You in some kind of trouble, or running from something?”

I shake my head, still staring at my hands.

“Fine,” he snaps. “But I think you’re lying to me.” He shoves himself off the wall and disappears under the water and off to the deep end, away from me.

I suppose I deserve it.

I move off the stairs and float around for a bit, watching Gavin do laps. It’s difficult not to stare at him, the way his body glides through the water, causing barely a ripple.

After a while, he makes his way past me and settles onto the stairs. I take a dunk underwater and rise, and feel his eyes on me again.

“Alright,” he says, his tone softer. “What can you tell me about yourself?”

He’s trying. He’s trying so hard.

So I give him something. “I love horses.”

His eyebrows lift. “Yeah? So you ride?”

I nod.

“Have any of your own?”

I shake my head. “I want to though. It’s my dream. I want to rescue them.”

He nods, like he’s mulling the information over.

I move to the edge and rest my arms on the cool stone, a nice contrast to the heat of the water.

I glance his way and see he’s staring off into space, like he’s somewhere else. “I grew up with horses,” he says absently. He takes in a sharp breath, as though suddenly returning from wherever he was, and turns to me. “We had a few ranch horses. Cattle, too.”

For some reason, those words make my pulse quicken. It’s not what I would’ve expected from him.

“Used to ride a lot when I was a kid,” he goes on. “But not anymore. Always did like them, though. Powerful animals. Beautiful, too.”

The more I get to know him, the more my heart aches in this weird sort of way. I try not to think about it and lean my head on my arms and close my eyes. The rain has softened even more, but I can still feel the drops falling onto my face, still hear the gentle pitter-patter as they land in the water.

“Is it my acting?”

I lift my head and glance to Gavin, not understanding.

“My acting…” he says again, “for why you think my movies are just alright.”