Chapter 15
“I wanted to see what she’d do,” Matt said with a shrug.
“I’ve had enough of this!” Gavin growled. “You are grounded until I say otherwise.”
“W…what?” Matt cried. “But… but I was just joking…”
Tears filled Matt’s eyes, and I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel bad for the kid. It was only water, a harmless prank. But I certainly wasn’t going to intervene in Gavin’s parenting.
Adam rushed out of the villa, witnessing the scene, a towel in hand.
“Get to your room, Matthew,” Gavin ordered. He then glared at Adam. “Take him to his room.”
“Yes, Alpha,” Adam said, bowing his head.
I took the towel from Adam and walked over to Gavin, gently drying off his back as I listened to Matt cry.
“But Dad, you never play with me anymore,” Matt whined. “I just wanted to have fun…”
“This is not the way to get my attention,” Gavin said firmly. “We will discuss this later.”
As I patted Gavin’s back dry, his shirt had become transparent due to the water, revealing the strong muscles beneath. My mind flashed back to the night in the VIP suite when I had run my fingers down his back. I hadn’t realized how muscular it was until now. The urge to touch it again was overwhelming.
Without thinking, my hand wandered under his shirt, feeling the ridges and creases of his back. I sensed his body stiffen as my fingers explored his skin. Using my other hand, I discreetly moved the towel under his shirt, as though I was just drying him off. His breathing seemed to become heavier, matching the quickening of my own.
The silence between us felt heavy, so thick that I could hear the sound of my own heartbeat. I bit my lip as my fingers traveled downward, nearing his lower back.
“Mattie, what’s wrong?” A feminine voice called from nearby. I quickly pulled my hand away, snapping back to reality.
My face burned with embarrassment.
What had just happened? How had I lost control like that? And why had he let me?
He quickly adjusted his shirt and cleared his throat. Without looking at me, he grabbed the towel from my hands. My arms fell to my sides, and I stared at the ground, hoping my face would stop burning.
“Dad grounded me,” Matt answered the woman.
“What did you do now, Mattie?” the woman asked.
“Just wanted to have some fun and squirted them with water,” Matt confessed.
“I was just taking him to his room. If you’ll excuse us, Madam Irene,” Adam said, ushering Matt inside.
When I heard the name Irene, my gaze lifted, and sure enough, there she was, standing before us with a concerned look in her striking eyes. Irene was undeniably beautiful, and I felt my chest tighten at the thought of Ethan being with her.
She wore a form-fitting pink dress, her long blonde hair braided down her back, and only a hint of makeup—she didn’t need much to look perfect, which irritated me even more.
She watched as Adam took Matt inside and then frowned at her father.
“What was that about?” she asked.
“Your brother and his tricks,” Gavin muttered. “That boy needs more discipline.”
And because fate loved to torment me, Ethan walked around the corner, completely oblivious to the tension in the air. At that moment, Irene noticed me and frowned, tilting her head slightly before looking at her father with a questioning look. But my gaze was too focused on Ethan’s to notice anything else.
He froze entirely when he saw me standing beside Gavin, and his eyes darkened with irritation.
I bit my lower lip, staring back at him, and I swear I heard a low growl escape his throat. This caused Irene to turn her attention to him. She frowned at him, then looked back at me, the questioning look still in her eyes, followed by brief worry as she folded her arms across her chest.
“Who is this woman?” she asked Ethan. “Do you know her?”
