Page 11 of Triton

But I had told him no. Something he probably wasn’t used to hearing.

I inhaled him like a drug, getting high on his testosterone. He smelled minty, like a cool mojito on the rocks. I wanted to drink him up and suck himdown.

I finally forced myself to peel my body off his chest. “Good to see you, too.”

God, did I just say that? I am such a dork. I can’t even flirt.

He winked at me. “I’d like you to meet my kid sister, Holly, and my mom, Emily.”

The girl with long dark hair the shade of Erik’s reached out her arms to me. “Oh my god! Aria Clements! I’m your biggest fan. I mean it. I do synchro too! My dream is to attend Stanford. You are myidol!”

I reciprocated her hug. “You are so sweet.”

Their mom also hugged me. Erik had her eyes and smile. “Nice to meet you, Aria. We’re honored to take your class.”

“Thank you for coming today.”

Holly and Emily walked over to Isa, and she handed them their tails. Erik turned around and dropped their bags near a reclining chair, lowered his large, muscular frame down into it, and relaxed back, with his hands behind his head, like he was about to watch a movie.

Oh hell no. I refused to put on a show forhim.

I went over to the stash of tails and grabbed the largest bright pink one I could find and strode over toErik.

“Class starts in five minutes.” I threw it at him, and he caught it with onehand.

He pulled his sunglasses down and smirked at me. “Babe, mermaid fitness is for ladies. In case you can’t tell, I’m aman.”

Maybe I should tell him to prove it tome?

I could tell he was a man by that huge bulge in his board shorts. “This isn’t a women’s Olympic event—the class is open to both genders.”

He pushed his sunglasses back on his head. “I’ll just watch. I only signed up so you wouldn’t be able to kick me out of the poolarea.”

I laughed. “You signed up for the class, not to check out a bunch of women in bikinis. Put on your tail and dive into that pool, or I’ll call security. You aren’t staying at the Del. The pool is for hotel guests and participants in the class. It’s your choice.”

He raised his brows toward me and stood up. Before I could blink, he had ripped off his white T-shirt. Despite an effort to control myself, my jaw literally dropped, and heat spiraled through my body. Holy hell, he was fine. Abs, abs, there were abs everywhere—I counted at least eight. His perfectly crafted broad shoulders melted into incredible biceps, and he had a beautiful V-shape indentation down to his crotch revealing his sexy happy trail.

He tossed me a towel. “I’m naked under these shorts. Hold this around me so I can put on thetail.”

I let out a self-deprecating laugh. Naked? The thought of him in his birthday suit accelerated my pulse. Despite my fake confidence ordering him around, his powerful presence turned my insides to mush. I wrapped my arms around his waist, holding up the towel, willing my eyes not to look at his crotch. He dropped his board shorts, and I couldn’t help myself. I stole a glance, his huge cock staring back at me as he pulled up thetail.

I felt like such a pervert. His eyes gleamed when he caught the destination of my gaze, but thankfully he didn’t call meout.

When he had dressed, he took the towel from my hands. “Thanks for the help. Let’s dothis.”

And with that, Erik waddled over to the side of the pool and gracefully dived into to the deepend.

The ladies, who had now gathered in the pool, applauded and catcalled Erik like they had just been privy to a secret showing of Magic MikeLive.

I joined the class wading in the pool, and Isa swam up to me. “Damn, girl. He makes a beautiful Merman.”

I shook my head. “Don’t remind me. He’s so hot . . . I don’t think I can resisthim.”

“Then don’t! He seems sweet, I mean he brought his mom and his sister. Who does that? Go out with him. Have fun. I met my hubby at a frat party. You never know how this could turnout.”

I pursed my lips and nodded. I admired Isa. She seemed so fun loving and happy. No one would ever describe me as fun loving. Driven, yes, but serious. Focused. Some synchro psychopath. Over the years, I’d seen so many therapists, trying to understand my madness. The best explanation they could give me was that the absence of my father coupled with the cold parenting style of my narcissistic mother had turned me into a perfectionist. This was a bad thing that led to my bouts of depression. I always felt like people only loved me for what I achieved, not who Iwas.

Whatever the cause, no matter how much I fought it, I had one desire. To be the best and avoid failure at all costs. But sometimes I wished I could take a magic pill and get out of my head. Enjoy life, fall in love, relax and focus on being happy in the present instead of existing solely for the promise of a fulfilling future.