by Mia Kayla
“I think I’m okay here.” I lifted my hair and secured it to the top of my head in a high bun. It was a muggy day, and if I actually knew how to swim, jumping in would have been a good idea.
“Look at me! I can hold my breath underwater.” Mary stuck her head under the surface, and I walked farther down to where she was, anxiety prickling my skin.
“Mary, how about we swim normal and closer to this side?” Although she had floaties on, I wanted to see her face.
I peered around me and noticed various flotation devices, even a large unicorn. If it came down to it, I’d get on the unicorn and jump right in.
“Becky, do you have a coin? I want you to throw it in the water, and I’ll dive for it,” Sarah said, her slick dark brown locks sticking to the side of her face.
I shook my head. “I don’t. And I don’t want to leave you guys out here.”
My eyes searched the vicinity and landed on some pebbles on the outskirts of the backyard by the tree house that could rival a small house.
I pointed to Sarah. “Watch Mary for two seconds.”
I ran toward the grass, bent down, and picked up the biggest pebble I could find. I raced back to the edge of the pool.
And panic seized my chest because in the next second, Mary was gone.
“Sarah! Where’s Mary?”
Her floaties were up at the surface, but she was nowhere. Sarah dived and swam to the deep end of the pool, and my feet could not get to the end fast enough.
Mary was lying facedown, floating, arms and legs stretched.
I didn’t think.
I reacted.
I jumped in.
Chapter 24
Charles
I heard the frantic screams coming from the backyard, and I dropped my briefcase and ran. Ran so damn fast that I almost tripped on my own two feet.
Mary was sitting at the edge of the pool, extending a life preserver, while Sarah struggled at the end of the pool, her head bobbing up and down … wait. Not Sarah. Becky.
It took a second to analyze the situation.
Sarah was trying to save Becky, who bobbed up and down and was taking my eldest under in the process.
Sarah spat up water, going under again, coming up for air and reaching for Becky, who was flailing and splashing, her body and hands erratic.
My instincts kicked in, and I jumped in, fully clothed.
“Sarah, I have her,” I shouted, motioning for Sarah to get to the side, to safety.
I treaded to Becky, reaching for her waist, but she struggled and pushed at my chest and went underwater. I pulled her up by her swimsuit, but she slapped at my hands.
“Becky … stop!”
I spit out the water that had been splashed in my face and reached for her waist again—with force this time. In the process, her hands pushed down my shoulders as she tried to elevate herself above me to cough out the water in her lungs.
I closed my eyes and held my breath as my head was submerged. Then, I popped back up, and determination set deep in my skin. With one hand wrapped tightly around her, I swam us both to the side. I lifted her out of the water, where she dropped on all fours, coughing and choking up water.
My body felt twenty pounds heavier, as my polo shirt and pants were weighted down with water. A second later, I bent down, heart still racing but knowing that my kids were okay. I had to assess Becky. Who knew if she needed medical attention? The fact that she was coughing meant she was breathing, which was good.
“You’re okay,” I repeated to her, but I felt as though it was mostly for me.
When the coughing ceased, she took big, deep, breaths.
“Hey …” I said, my voice hoarse.
She stood and jumped on me, startling me. Arms around my neck, legs wrapped around my waist, sobbing uncontrollably into my neck.
I was surprised at the contact.
And my heart broke, hearing her endless cries.
My arms went around her, and I squeezed her tightly against me. “You’re fine. I have you, Becky. You’re fine.”
Her sobs accelerated, and she ducked her head into the crook of my neck.
I backed up and sat on the lounge chair behind me. “Sarah, get me a towel.”
When Becky’s cries heightened, she was practically convulsing, but my grip only tightened.
“Becky … everything will be okay.”
I wrapped the towel around her, around the both of us, and tucked her in closer. Words flew out of my mouth, fast and furious. I didn’t know if it was my adrenaline talking or what, but when my hand made it to the crook of her neck, keeping her in place, I knew in that moment that I never wanted her to leave, that in my arms was where she belonged.
“I’ll take care of you. You’ll be okay.” Because she would be. I’d make sure of it.
Her body molded into mine, and I gripped at the wet fabric of her swimsuit, digging my fingers into her waist.
Suddenly, an overwhelming emotion washed over me, making my breathing rampant, and a lump formed in my throat.
Relief.
Yes. That was what it was. Undeniable, full-on relief that she was safe.
Fuck, if I had lost her …
I couldn’t even let my mind go there. It was too impossible, too overwhelming.
Brad walked out, eyes wide, a moment later. “What happened?”
Panic struck his features, but I shook my head.
“Everything is okay. Can you get Sarah and Mary inside? Sarah can fill you in.” I pointed back to the house.
He picked up my shell-shocked Mary, still very wet, and carried her inside. She soaked Brad’s clothes, but he didn’t care. Sarah followed him in, giving us concerned glances as she went.
Once we were alone, I kissed Becky’s forehead, brushing her hair from her face. I let the relief flood me and just reminded myself that she was still here. Still breathing, heart still beating, blood still pumping. Still beautiful, still perfect, and still in my arms.
But I couldn’t dispel the idea of losing her. I wouldn’t be able to survive another loss … and not any loss—her.
And that was when I knew … I loved her. With my whole heart. Even with her secrets and my fears and the unknown, that love only burned brighter, stronger inside of me.
There was no going back from these feelings. I’d been in love before. And when I was in love, I loved fully and completely. It was how I was built.
She pulled back and struggled to get up, swiping at her eyes. “Where’s Mary?”
“Becky. Stop.” I readjusted, so I had a better hold on her. I wasn’t ready to let her go. “Mary’s fine.”
As soon as the words left my mouth, she cowered into me, tucking her neck into my shoulder, sobbing again.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know how to swim, and it was stupid of me … I’ll go. If you want to fire me … I’ll leave.”
She was talking nonsense now. Fire her? I didn’t want her to leave—ever. I wanted to hold her, keep her, care for her.
I held her for minutes that felt like hours. Eventually, I stood, tightened my hold on her, and marched into the house, past the kids and Brad, whose eyes widened as I proceeded up the stairs and into my room, dropping my ass on the edge of the bed.
Who knew how long I held her? But I held her until her sobs subsided. Until those cries eventually ceased. Until the sun set through the blinds in my window.
I kicked off my shoes and backed us into the headboard of my bed, pulling her into me, her head still tucked in the crook of my neck. We were both soaking wet, so I pulled the blanket over us.
As I took in my room, I realized this was the second time she’d been in this room, and the thought brought me back to Natalie’s death. The feeling of unbelievable heartbreak hit me in the gut, and I pulled Becky tighter to me. She was comforting me now, without even knowing it.
I listened to the even sounds of her breathing. Though I couldn’t see her face, I knew she was still awake.
“He tried to drown me,”
she finally said, her voice a light croak.
Every muscle in my body tensed. My breathing slowed, and I needed to know that I’d heard her correctly. “What?” My fingers went to the base of her neck, massaging.
“When I tried to leave him the second time, he tried to drown me in the lake. He took me to the place I feared the most, and I was helpless.” A sob escaped her, and I held her tighter. “That day, I thought I was going to die. And I almost did. I was almost there … until he hit me so hard, punched my back to get the water out.” She paused again and then uttered, “I wanted to die.”
The fury almost choked me, and my temper flared. I gritted my teeth as I squeezed her against me. My lips thinned into a straight line, and my body numbed with increasing rage and shock.
“I was with him when I left foster care. He was the first guy to come into my life and love me. At least, I thought it was love … it was the only love I knew.”
I swallowed the bile in the back of my throat.
I want to kill the bastard.
“The first time he hit me, I was in shock. He apologized and cried and begged me up and down that he didn’t mean it. And the cycle would repeat again. Where love and fear were distorted in my head.”
My body battled to stay still. I had an uncontrollable urge to get up and find this guy and teach him a lesson for ever touching a woman this way.
“The first time I left, he stabbed me in the ankle. Third try was a charm though. I got away. But I had to. I knew I would never live to see a fourth.”
I pulled back, unable to take any more, framing her face in my hands. “No one will hurt you again. Ever.” I leaned in, our faces a breath apart. “I never want you to be scared, okay? I never want you to worry if he’ll find you ’cause he won’t. He won’t.” My thumbs brushed across the apples of her cheeks.
“He said he’d find me.” Tears fell from her cheeks again, harder this time. “And I’m just afraid that … that the people around me, the people I love, will be collateral damage.”
Love.
“He won’t. I live my life to protect my family.” Out of all my qualities, this was my strength. My innate need to take care of the people around me. It was what I loved to do; it was what I had been born to do. “My loved ones.” I swiped at her tears escaping her eyes. “Don’t be afraid … I’m here. And I’ll make sure everything is okay.”
Our eyes locked, and something passed between us. I didn’t know when she’d decided to trust me. All I knew was that she did because a moment later, her arms went around my neck in a tight vise, her soft body crushing against my hard one.
I held her in the silence, knowing I’d never let anything happen to her. I made that promise to her tonight, but I also made a promise to myself. I couldn’t help what had happened to Nat, though I’d blamed myself for years. In the end, there was nothing I could do.
With Becky, I would use all my resources to keep her safe. This I was capable of.
I eventually adjusted us, laying her head on my chest, brushing my fingers through her damp hair.
“Thank you for telling me.”
I knew how much she had given of herself tonight, and she had to know she was in safe hands.
Her fingers made tiny circles on my chest. “I wanted to tell you. For the first time … I want to let someone in. I want to be happy.”
My lips made it to her forehead. “I’m glad. Everyone deserves to be happy.” Myself included.
Sleep took us both eventually, but when I woke up hours later, it was late in the evening. My gaze traveled to the clock on the far wall, noting that it was two in the morning. The worry and concern from earlier disappeared and was replaced with something utterly different.
Desire.
There was no way I couldn’t be aroused. I tried to think of anything else because now was not the moment to get horny.
But it was hard not to when her body was pressed firmly against mine, her soft breasts against my hard chest. Her swimsuit had dried, but it was like Saran Wrap against her body, and I could feel every inch of her body against mine.
If I slipped her swimsuit to the side, I could feel if she was wet.
She lifted her chin the moment the thought filtered through, her eyes fluttering open from her heavy slumber.
And now, I was hard.
I was sure she could feel my bulging erection against her stomach. It pulsed and prodded and wanted to be released.
My eyes flickered to her lips and then back to meet her eyes.
I gritted my teeth, grinding my molars. Not now, asshole. Now was not the time to think about how her body fit perfectly against mine. How we were in a right position to …
“I’m sorry,” she said, her face falling again.
For what? Making me hard? She couldn’t control how my body reacted to her.
She added, “I don’t know how to swim.”
Ah, okay.
“It was stupid of me to let the girls be in the pool, but Mary was so happy and excited, and Sarah said it would be fine, but I’m the adult—”
I pinched her chin. “Stop crying.” My voice was whisper soft against her skin.
She kept on, so disappointed in herself, “If you want to fire me, I understand. I take full responsibility.”
What absurdity is this woman talking about? Fire her? Not likely.
“The girls are fine,” I insisted. “You’re fine.”
“No …” She shook her head, her eyes pained.
And then I kissed her to shut her up but mostly because I wanted to.
There was a shift in the air. A shift in the mood. My lips froze against hers, tentatively asking permission. I was shocked that I’d even made the move. I breathed through the next seconds, and when her lips moved against mine, I took that as an invitation.
If anything, she hit the accelerator. My body followed her direction, though my mind told me to slow down, but I couldn’t. She was too soft in my arms, too pliable, too warm, too sexy. One of my hands moved to cup her ass while the other threaded fingers through her hair, and I tugged lightly, exposing her neck.
My lips dragged a path up the creamy span of skin to her mouth.
I devoured her lips, flicking my tongue to taste and savor her mouth. Becky tasted exquisite, and I wanted to taste all of her, every inch of her body.
She rubbed against me, riding my length behind my clothes, our lips never breaking contact. I groaned. My breathing quickened, but so did hers.
My fingers slipped under her suit to the bare skin of her ass, pushing it against my hardness.
Becky let out a longing moan, and I almost lost it.
“Charles … I need you.”
I moaned against her mouth as my name fell from her lips.
She tugged my hair, getting up on her knees and inching closer against me, where there was no span of space between us. The towel slipped off her shoulders to her waist, and suddenly, all I wanted was to see her undone.
My fingers moved from her ass to the front of her swimsuit, slipping between the folds.
Oh fuck.
She was soaked.
“Shit …” I groaned.
When I slipped another finger in, she gripped my shoulders, our lips losing contact as she sucked in a breath. I pushed in and out of her faster, harder, watching her chest rise and fall with her quick breaths, and tiny moans left her body.
She was glorious, eyes at half-mast, lips slightly parted, breathing rampant and shallow. She bit her lip to prevent her moans from escaping, resting her forehead against mine. “Charles …”
I grinned. I’d never get tired of her calling my name. I wanted her to scream it louder. “Baby, take it. I want to see you come apart.”
I knew when I hit her sweet spot because her head fell back and her eyes clenched shut.
It didn’t take long for her breathing to accelerate and for her to spasm against my fingers, finding that climax that sent her soaring.
And what a damn glorious sight to see. Sh
e was beautiful, head lifted, neck stretched to the ceiling. Her fingers dug roughly into my back, and there was no doubt I’d have marks tomorrow.
When she was finished, she collapsed into me, head tucked into my neck, panting. I decided that was the sexiest sound she’d ever made, and I wanted to hear her make it often.
When her heartbeat slowed to a normal pace, she pulled back, bit her bottom lip, and smiled. “What’s happening?” she whispered, shy all of a sudden.
We were happening.
She stared down between us, my painful erection pushing against the seam of my pants. “Your turn.” She reached for the buckle of my pants, but I stilled her.
“Not now.” I tipped my head back against the headboard and pulled at her hand.
“Oh.” Her eyes went wide.
Then, I knew the moment that she thought I was rejecting her because her face fell, and she got up, taking the towel with her.
I gently pulled her down. I wasn’t like her ex. I imagined he was a take, take, take kind of guy. I wasn’t going to take her here. I wanted to wine and dine and romance her first.
“Can I just hold you? Just hold you for tonight?”
Her smile was small but sweet, her eyes lighting up. After a tip of her chin, her cheek rested against my chest, and I held her through the night, our breathing in sync.
I couldn’t remember a time I’d slept so soundly.
Chapter 25
Becky
Three days had passed since I’d snuck out of Charles’s room before the girls got up for school. Since then, we had been doing the same routine every day. Same but different because Charles’s hands were on me every chance he got. When he handed me my coffee in the morning, he pulled me in and nuzzled my cheek. It always sent my heart into crazed flutters, but it was the best good morning a girl could ask for.
This switch in our relationship was welcome but scary, beautiful and unnerving. I felt like I was going to turn into a puddle of goo on the floor from his affection. Like when he kissed me while I scrambled eggs, or every time I went to the fridge, he’d reach for my waist and pinched my side. He was playful and loving, and I couldn’t wait until our date tonight.
