His Naughty Lessons
Chapter 115: Test Run

Chapter 115: Test Run

** Harper **

Harper giggled out loud as Eli swiveled on his heels and gaped at her in almost horrified shock.

He obviously didn’t expect her to be here. Probably didn’t even expect her to want to talk to him at all, if his quietness around her all day was anything to go by. But that was precisely what she came here to fix.

Resisting the urge to stare at his half naked body too flagrantly, Harper offered a smile as innocent as she could manage and scanned their surroundings. "You promised to show me the presidential suite, so I invited myself," she explained. "And here I thought rooms couldn’t get more impressive than the one I have ... Thanks for the room upgrade, by the way, but now I see what truly stretches the standard."

She took her time to admire the space in front of her. Having been thoroughly blown away by the size and decor of her own suite, the shock was more subdued this time, but the luxury was still palpable. Her eyes lingered on the aquarium centered upon the near wall, the fresh floral arrangements towering over the dining table, the grand piano gracing the far corner behind the sofa. Then she savored the view outside the sliding glass doors — despite overlooking the same stretch of coastline and beaches as her own suite, these doors led to a different world with a full-sized courtyard. Palms lined its low fences, curving elegantly around a private swimming pool walled with stones.

Was that what he stripped down to get ready for when she snuck in?

"Um ... Would you like a tour?" Eli asked after a short silence.

He sounded a bit ... uncomfortable, as if uncertain how to interact with her in private for the first time since the episode on Saturday, or worried that she might ask for something along the lines of "a tour of the bedroom". Harper wanted to simultaneously sigh and laugh, though she held back both so that she wouldn’t alarm him even further.

"How about just a tour of the pool?" she offered. "Looks like that’s where you were about to go? Must be a great treat to be able to take a cool dip in the comfort of your own room, with a full view of the coast at that."

"Oh ... Sure, if you’d like." Another short silence before he turned around to show her the way. "Did you know there’s also an infinity pool in the clubhouse? It’s beautiful, with tall glass windows all around and a fountain at the center. You should give it a try at some point."

Harper raised an eyebrow behind Eli’s back. Knowing him as well as she did, she couldn’t miss the unmistakable hint that practically screamed "go there instead". Way too obvious an attempt at trying to avoid seeing her naked in the water in front of him ... What a stubborn idiot!

But too bad, she knew exactly the right thing to say to convince him. "Not sure if I feel like swimming in the shared clubhouse though ... as lovely as the place sounds." She kept her voice contemplative. "It’s a common area for the whole resort. Who knows who I might run into or who might be watching?"

Eli’s steps abruptly froze.

For an instant, Harper felt a little guilty. She wasn’t the scheming type, and she didn’t want to intentionally provoke him with a hypothetical situation that involved ... other people ogling her. Especially a certain other person who must still be on his mind right now. But she needed some leverage to get through this idiot’s defenses, and jealousy was a good trope to be used to her advantage.

"Isn’t that g— Isn’t everyone else supposed to be at the evening cocktail party right now?" Eli turned around, and the look in his eyes was dangerous.

"Except people like us who skipped?" Harper offered an innocent smile.

"... Right. Well, if you want some private space all to yourself, you’re obviously welcome to come use this pool instead. Anytime you like. I can also give you a spare room key, so you’ll be able to get in if I happen to be in other meetings."

Oh. That worked out even better than she expected. A genuine smile bloomed on Harper’s face. "I’d love that!" She took the offer eagerly. "Mind if I give it a test run now?"

She turned toward the water, lifting her shirt off of her shoulders without waiting for his reply.

With her back to him, she couldn’t see the expression on his face — which was intentional, so that she wouldn’t scare him away by stripping in front of him so blatantly — but she knew what look he must be wearing when she shed her shirt and then her skirt. When she revealed the red bralette with a pretty bow in the back, paired with a thong that he could barely see a scrap of from his current angle.

It was only slightly unfortunate that thanks to her fake complaint, he might also be imagining sharing such a view with ... someone else, and the thought might just be adding that murderous edge back to his expression right now. Oh well, that was the price he had to pay for being such a stubborn idiot.

Harper smirked to herself as she dove with a splash.

The pool was large, more than spacious enough for a few full strokes, and she kicked her legs leisurely, keeping herself afloat at just the right angle for his view until she reached the other end. There she flipped around, darted a quick look back, and she could see his darkened gaze following her every move. She smiled at him before plopping back under the water. When she emerged the second time, she made sure to top it off with a dramatic flair, throwing her hair back and leaving an arc of droplets dazzling in her wake.

"Not coming to join me?" she asked.

Eli’s eyes darkened some more. He pursed his lips, and a few moments passed before he finally asked, "You mentioned there is a complicated story for ... the guy that keeps bothering you. What exactly happened?"

Oh yes, now we’re talking.