The steam rising from the infinity pool seemed to turn to ice as Marcus' muscles coiled tight, his instincts and a seasoned brawler taking complete control of his nervous system. Trapped in the cold, naked grip of the GEM director, he felt a surge of pure, unadulterated fury.
"Let go of me," Marcus hissed, his voice dropping into a lethal, gravelly register that could have stopped a charging beast. "I am giving you three seconds to take your hands off my waist, Kaelan, if you value your life and your position in that laboratory. Do not test my patience tonight. I am not one of your experiments."
But Kaelan did not retreat. Instead of loosening his grip, the Director of GEM tightened his hold, his fingers digging deliberately into the small of Marcus's waist with a hydraulic strength that defied his lean, tailored appearance. Kaelan's chest pressed against Marcus's back, a solid wall of warm, wet skin that seemed designed to provoke.
