The Mentor (Necessary Lies Book 1) by Alison Ryan

above me and moonlight shining down on the lake. It was bitterly cold, but I had to admit, I’d never breathed in such clean, crisp air. Had it not been for the circumstances, I might have loved Lake Tahoe.
    I left my towel on a chair inside the house and walked quickly to the tub, stopping to turn on the jets on a switch nearby. The frigid air stung my skin. I dipped my feet in first and submerged the rest of my body quickly.
    It was heaven.
    The rest of the house encircled the hot tub and the covered pool. I didn’t know what rooms looked out onto it, but I guess it didn’t matter. No one was here but me. And Nolan, wherever he’d gone.
    Nolan Weston. What was it about him? He was gorgeous. But there was more. I supposed I was attracted to the mystery of him. He’d reached out to me. Held me in his arms, tried to comfort me. But why? What was his angle? Who was he? And who was my father?
    I knew the answers were ahead of me. But right now all I wanted to do was think about Nolan and his body. I couldn’t get it out of my head, no matter how much I wanted to.
    The water was hot and I could feel my skin turning pink. I knew I shouldn’t stay in long, especially after having two glasses of wine. I’d read a terrible story once about a couple who’d drank a ton, climbed into a hot tub, and were found dead the next morning. Hot tubs and alcohol didn’t mix.
    But I needed the jets. I was flustered in a way I’d never been flustered before. The thought of Nolan’s naked body wouldn’t leave my mind. His arms over his head as he’d stretched. I’d never seen shoulders like his, a broad back that tapered down to a lean waist and perfect ass. His thighs were muscled and toned, his calves the same. And when he’d turned around and I’d seen… Well. Any woman who’d had the pleasure of his company was never left disappointed, I knew that now.
    His cocky attitude matched what was in his pants. No wonder he was so self-assured.
    I positioned my body so that one of the powerful jets of the hot tub was hitting me just right. God, the sensation. As I thought about Nolan I couldn’t help but close my eyes and imagine the jets were him.
    Underneath my bikini top I could feel my nipples harden. I couldn’t remember a time I was more aroused. I slid one wet strap down and pulled my right breast out to touch myself, imagining my own hands were Nolan’s, imagining what he’d do to me if only he wanted me as I wanted him.
    I knew I would come quickly, but I wanted to build the sensation, make it last. I imagined that’s how someone like Nolan Weston made love. He didn’t do things quickly- he was someone who would work me slowly, take me to the edge and pull me back again. He’d be methodical and good with the details. I’d beg for more quickly, so eager to have every single part of him, but I imagined he would be the one to resist the temptation to finish. He’d want me to…
    I was coming. My orgasm washed over me like a giant wave, my body pulsing under my own touch and the relentless jets. I couldn’t help it, I audibly called out his name. It was so intense in that moment and when the pleasure finally subsided I was left feeling empty and a bit melancholy that it hadn’t been real.
    As I leaned my head back against the tub, my wet hair hanging over the edge, I happened to look up at the sky. It was a blanket of stars and a full moon. More stars than I’d ever seen anywhere in my life. The silence of the night was overwhelming. I felt like the only person in the world. Tears stung my eyes. I was so fucking lonely.
    As my eyes wandered from the sky back to the house, I gasped.
    Nolan was standing at the window to his room. I hadn’t realized it, but it appeared his bedroom had a sliding door that led right out to the pool and the hot tub. I didn’t know how long he’d been there or what he’d seen. But it was very clear he saw me now and that had he been standing there a while he certainly would have witnessed