Prologue

PROLOGUE

MACI

K ayla wasn't lying. This place is paradise. I stand at the floor-to-ceiling window of the modern kitchen. She called this her dad's little spot away from the city, but it's more like a mansion. Everything is sleek and modern, letting me forget about Mom and her new boyfriend and all that crap. Even the coffee tastes better out here. Kayla's in a nearby town, grabbing some snacks. She didn't want to wake me, her text said.

It's just us. We're going to forget our problems, watch some movies, play some board games, and generally have a good?—

I almost drop my coffee when I spot him rising from the other side of the pool. He must've been under the surface, holding his breath, sending his thick, muscled body through the water. The water glistens off his body as he hauls himself up, and water sparkles down his naked body.

His back is broad and muscled, his ass tight, his legs firm. His shoulders catch the sunlight, emphasizing his strength. He pauses, the light glistening in his salt-and-pepper hair. I find myself moving to the edge of the window. I'm not hiding , exactly, but I don't want him to think I was sneakily watching him. He must not realize we're here. We got in late last night.

Just as I reach my "not hiding" spot, he turns, showing me the rest of him. His body is so big, covered in muscles, his chest rising and falling calmly. He looks beyond the house, most likely at the forest that grows all around us, separating us from the rest of the world. His thing is huge, even soft. I shouldn't be looking.

He dives back into the pool, moving far more gracefully than a man his size should be able to. This time, he stays on top of the surface, moving fluidly, as my mind burns with what I just saw. All of him. Every naked inch of my best friend's dad.

Lukas is the CEO of a large tech company. They dabble in everything: social media, gaming, movies. So it makes sense that with his workload and responsibilities, he'd be as free as possible when he came here. Considering the PR nightmare his company's currently going through, he probably relishes this break from the madness.

If he knew I'd seen him, he'd freak. I've got to act normal. I've got to pretend I don't want him. Pretend my body isn't aching and pulsing with deep need. The sort of need I've never felt before.

I almost run into my bedroom and slip my hand down my body, remembering Lukas' nakedness and something else, too—the look in his eyes. Maybe I'm tricking myself. Perhaps I was too far away to judge his looks , but somehow, I saw something in his eyes. Hunger. Longing. For a few silly seconds, I let myself believe he was longing for me .

Finishing my coffee, I go into the living room, grab my laptop, try to work, and fail. All I can think about is my best friend's dad.