Breathe for Me

chapter Four



Xander didn’t get home ’til midnight. He refused to give into temptation and go knock on her door, so he made sure it was too late to be able to. She’d be tucked up in bed now—most likely with her fiancé.

He felt like punching something.

He tensed as his anger doubled. Violence wasn’t his thing—he’d seen enough of it when he was a kid. That he could be feeling violent because of a woman? That really wasn’t right. Why the hell this one woman bugged him so much he didn’t know—but with one look she’d gotten under his skin. Maybe Logan had been right. Maybe he needed a holiday.

This morning she’d run away from him before he’d gotten the answers he wanted. But her eyes had gotten bigger with every second she’d gazed at him. Hell, she’d been drinking him in. Yeah, it was a shot to the ego to have a woman with lips as luscious as hers looking like she wanted to suck up everything he had to give her.

His body had a hell of a lot it wanted to give her.

So where was the fiancé if she was that frustrated? He knew need when he saw it, and she was all but crippled with need. And part of Xander liked to offer help when and where it was needed. He smirked bitterly. Oh he was such the lifesaver? Rescue guy. Physical rescue only. She needed physical.

He stalked into the building. Stay away Xander, stay far, far away.

He glanced at the desk. Terry sat staring at his monitor. The guy didn’t even look up as Xander strode by. So Xander stopped, pivoted and strode back.

“What’s keeping you so glued you don’t even notice when someone walks past your nose?” He walked around the desk so he could see the screen the jerk was fixated on. “Something going on?”

In one black and white square, a lone figure stood by the inky part that was the pool. He tensed. She was there again? In her swimsuit, her pearly legs looking long and too slender. Her fingers tapped some rhythm on the outside of her thigh. He could almost see her talking to herself. Talking herself into it?

She was concentrating hard on the water. He frowned as he watched her take a small step closer to the edge. But she was in no hurry. In fact, he’d say she was reluctant. Terrified?

Fury surged through him. What the hell was she doing up there alone at this hour? He’d worked as a lifeguard at beaches and pools, as summer holiday jobs for years. He’d seen fear and he saw it now. She shouldn’t be trying to teach herself to swim. She might panic and end up in trouble. There was a security camera at the pool but the deep end was deep and she wasn’t all that tall. Not barefoot.

“Always happens like this. She never actually swims.” Terry said, not looking up from the screen.

“Not ever?”

Terry shook his head. “That’s why I didn’t mind letting it slide. She’s only there five, ten minutes tops and then she goes. Never actually gets wet.”

“Not even a toe? Does she put her hand in?”

“Nothing.”

This wasn’t good. He glanced at Terry. The guard was looking a little too keen at the screen for Xander’s liking.

“And she’s always alone?” He ground out the question.

Terry nodded.

Somehow Terry having a secret with the sassy sweetheart bothered him. Did Terry know she was engaged? Did she flirt with all the guys? Was she that much of a tease?

Xander’s blood rebelled at the idea. What was with his instinct? Was it that off?

“It’s against the rules,” he snapped. “You shouldn’t let her. You don’t stop her I’ll report you.”

“What’s gotten into you?” Terry finally tore his gaze away and spun on his chair to look at Xander.

“She clearly has a problem. You want a drowned woman on your watch?”

Terry shifted on his seat. His gaze sliding away from Xander’s. “I was watching over her.”

Xander’s muscles tightened even more. “And how are you going to pull her out quick enough when you’re all the way down here?”

“I know, but…” Terry frowned.

“But what?” Xander growled.

“She’s going to be disappointed.”

And Terry didn’t want to disappoint her? Xander felt even more irritated. “She’ll get over it.”

But Xander felt bad too. Little Miss Blue Eyes was the kind who had all the guys gunning to do things for her. To her.

He glared at Terry. “Go fix it. Tell her she should swim half an hour before closing. Hardly anyone’s there then either. I’ll mind the desk for you.”

Terry stared back at him. “You want me to tell her now?”

“Go.”

Terry did.

Xander stayed in position, eyes fixed to the screen. She was still by the water, rubbing her hands on her upper arms like she was cold. Other than that she was immobile. Frozen.

He saw her spin as Terry came in. She hurriedly reached for her towel. A stupid amount of pleasure surged into his veins when he saw she didn’t look at Terry anything like the way she’d looked at him. But satisfaction turned to discomfort when he saw the impact of Terry’s words on her. Her narrow shoulders slumped, she clutched the towel closer. Even in the grainy images from the security cam he could see the distress cross her face—and the way she then proudly tried to hide it.

Xander walked away from the screen. It wasn’t his business. She had someone in her life who ought to be supporting her. It wasn’t his problem if her fiancé was falling short.

But it did piss him off.