Change Of Scenery

ROWAN

The next morning, I awake by the sound of birds chirping and a rose-filled waft of fresh air rolling in from the hills. I sit up in the bed, wiping the sleep from my eyes, giving myself time to adjust to being conscious before sliding off. I allow the heat of the sun to warm my arms for a long pause before turning to change for the day.

I choose a simple white summer dress that flows to my ankles, feeling the tracker in my left ankle as I fix the hem, running my thumb over the raised bump in my skin. And then I head off to breakfast.

Gabriel is already sitting at the long table, sipping at his cup of coffee when I enter the large room, stepping into a beam of morning light that shines through the opened window. He watches me closely as I walk to the chair across from him, smoothing the back of my dress before sitting in my seat. From what I can see, he looks like he's dressed for work, a black jacket tailored to fit his broad frame with a crisp white shirt peeking out from beneath it.

"Good morning." I force a smile.

"Good morning." He says back with a curve of his lips and a nod. "I hope you fancy pancakes because I thought I'd have Johnson prepare something new for today."

"I love pancakes." I drop my hands to my lap and begin swinging my legs back and forth because I don't know how to act around him after what happened between us last night.

A phantom wave washes over my skin when I remember how aggressive he turned after he saved me from death. How he took control of the situation and turned it back on me with a burning fire that turned my conscience to ashes. My neck tingles when I think about how his lips felt against my skin, how his tongue eagerly tasted and took what he wanted. And my core contracts when I remember how his erection throbbed between my legs as he held me down and stared into my soul like he owned me.

"Well good." He snickers, holding my gaze as though he knows exactly where my mind has drifted off to.

Before I have the chance to say something embarrassing, Johnson strolls in with a breakfast cart. He's dressed in another tuxedo with a cyan tie this morning. He's always got a pep in his step for someone who is secluded in this mansion like I am, like he enjoys serving Gabriel and waiting on him hand and foot.

As soon as he pulls off the lid to reveal a towering stack of perfectly fluffy pancakes, my mouth waters from the heavenly spread. He quickly arranges toppings in small bowls in the center of the table so that we can help ourselves to fresh blueberries, perfectly sliced bananas, maple syrup, and several jams and jellies. After setting down a steaming pot of melted butter next to the stack of pancakes, he delivers our plates.

"Your breakfast, Sir." Johnson presents with a flair of his hand, bowing with honor at the side of the table.

"Looks wonderful, Johnson. Thank you." Gabriel folds his newspaper and sets it down on the table before turning to pick up a shiny gold fork.

This time, I don't wait for permission before I help myself to the food in front of me, forking two pancakes onto my plate and mixing melted butter and syrup together on top. Slowly, the syrup drips over the pancakes, and I lift my fork to cut into them both at the same time.

"Did I tell you to eat?" Gabriel's deep voice slices through the space that separates us, halting my movements.

I swallow and silently drop my fork, feeling shame roll off from my shoulders like a scared little girl.

The air is thick with silence for a moment before a chuckle explodes from him. "I'm kidding, you're fine."

My eyes flicker to him as I bow my head to resume eating, flaring inside because he's just made a fool out of me for no reason at all other than to make a joke at my expense.

He lets me get in a few bites before speaking again. "How is the food?"

I don't say anything. I know that if I open my mouth now, I'm only going to say something that will piss him off because I'm pissed off at him, and I don't want to risk antagonizing him further.

"How is it?" He requests again, his tone severe once more, bringing along the usual chill with it.

I purposely shovel another forkful of food into my mouth so that I'm not able to answer him, hoping to sway him to shut his mouth. But it doesn't.

"Answer me, Goddammit!" His fists come down on the table so fast that the plates jiggle, tearing my eyes up to meet his hardened face. The burnt look in his eyes stops my heart, and I feel my throat close.

I've taken it too far. "It's delicious." I pipe up.

He studies me like he wants to say more but decides to let me off, "I've got to slip away for a few hours today, but I figured you could spend the day out at the pool for a change of scenery, if you'd like that."

My heart does a backflip inside my stomach at the mention of going outside. I haven't been outside in a month, and today, the sun is warm. It's a perfect day to spend lounging around the pool. "I would love that." I reply, a squeal of enthusiasm in my voice spilling into the room. "Thank you."

He seems satisfied with my happy smile as he finishes the last bit of pancake on his plate and then stands to compose himself. "If you need anything while I'm out, Johnson will take care of it for you."

I post in the doorway to watch as he gathers his suitcase and then heads out the front door to leave, making sure to wait until I hear the roaring of an engine outside before moving away to make my way back upstairs.

I don't recall seeing a bathing suit in the armoire full of my clothes and I don't know what happened to the one I'd been wearing when I arrived here, but I figure it's worth a second look. But just as I'm about to open the doors, I spot a small shopping bag on the bed. It's white with pink ribbons for handles, with an Italian boutique name I can't decipher. Pulling out mounds of tissue paper, I reach the bottom of the bag, where a dark blue bikini is folded up neatly, and my mouth falls open. Did Gabriel buy this for me to wear for him?

It is a nice suit, and I do like the added touches of the gold hardware on the bottoms and between the cups of the top, but it's way too revealing. I'm not going to parade around in something this tiny, especially after what happened between us last night.

Gabriel did say he would be gone all day, though.

He won't be home to see me in it, so I guess there's no harm in wearing it for a few hours. Mind made up, I grab a towel from the linen closet and secure it around my body before following Johnson's directions that lead outside to where the pool is, stepping through a pair of arched doors off from the lavish living room.

I take a moment to bask in the warmth of the sunlight as it beats down onto my pasty skin, loving the feeling of the sweltering summer heat on my face. My eyes flutter closed as I listen to birds chirping in the distance, singing a cheerful melody that takes me away. I breathe the fresh air in deep, pulling the familiar smells of flowers from a nearby garden into my lungs, savoring every bit that I can because I don't know when — or if I'm ever going to get to experience another day like this again.

I hear the humming of the pool before I see it, following the cobblestone patio past the gardens. The glittering pool is massive in size, surrounded by exquisite patio furniture and a gorgeous outdoor fireplace. There's a whole grill set-up out here, fully equipped with a deep sink, a dishwasher, a full-size refrigerator, and a couple cabinets to store condiments, all compacted in a corner made of thick stone. A pergola houses a huge flat screen TV and a wraparound sectional couch, too, with a wicker table in the center, on top of a luxurious rug.

In the corner, a small waterfall trickles into the main pool, right next to what looks to be a pretty intense hot tub. Shedding my towel and tossing it to a nearby lounger, I sit down at the edge of the pool. At first, I submerge my feet slowly into the translucent water, letting out a deep sigh of relief as the cool water reaches my achy limbs.

Oh, this feels amazing...

Eventually, I slide into the water, all the way up to my waist, walking to the deeper end of the pool and wading through water until it gradually consumes me and I'm forced to perch up on my tippy toes just to keep my head above the surface. My body relaxes instantly, and my worries and cares melt away as the gentle ripples soothe away the tension in my neck.

Quickly, the day slips away from me as I swim laps around the pool, and it's not until I notice a pair of manly feet waiting at the edge of the pool that I realize the sun has reached its peak in the amber sky. Coming to a stop and standing up, my eyes follow the length of bare muscular legs, all the way up past a naked well-defined torso, with chiseled abdominal muscles, before falling into a pair of deep, honey eyes that make my core burn.

Gabriel has a pair of swimming shorts on and nothing else — a total change from the composed suit he'd worn this morning when he left.

I've never seen him shirtless before, so it takes me a second to focus on his face.

"I didn't see you there." I stutter, carefully trying to shield my body from his searching glare, all too aware of the small bikini I'm wearing that doesn't cover much of anything.

"I noticed." He chuckles, "Mind if I join you?"