Chapter 53. Hot Tub Standoff

BELLE

“What the fuck are you wearing?”

I jumped at the sound of his voice, whirling around to meet the eyes of my mate, who was sitting on the couch in our room. I hadn’t even heard him come in and was surprised he was here.

He was never back this early. I had assumed I would be spending another night by myself.

I had just exited our closet after changing into one of the bikinis Minnie had gotten me. I planned on going to the hot tub for a while. I was incredibly tense.

All I wanted to do was lie back and relax in some nearly-too-hot water for the next several hours until all my limbs felt like noodles.

I even had a copy of Twilight—Minnie had insisted I borrow it after finding out I had never read it before—and was more than ready to lose myself in a story about werewolves and vampires that wasn’t my own.

And most importantly, I needed a distraction. One that kept me from obsessing over the man sitting in front of me.

“Oh, hi,” I repl