Page 49 of August 20

He stopped and waited for her at the other side of the pool. She popped up in front of him, blinking the water out of her eyes. The high wall of misconceptions about him was no longer between them.

Her bright brown eyes stared unblinking at him as she gasped for breath. "You saved Skye."

There was no hesitation. She looked him straight in the eyes.

His heart pounded. She finally believed him.

She floated toward him. Catching her guard down, he hooked her behind the neck, pulled her closer, and claimed her mouth. He growled, having wanted to kiss her for fucking days. Ever since, he'd married her and gotten the sweet taste of her.

Her lips softened. He opened her mouth, taking her deeper.

She tasted like a breath of fresh air after having fought for weeks to keep his distance from her. His fingers tangled in her wet hair, holding her in place.

Her body floated against him. The water only enhanced his arousal. Her bare legs skimmed his thighs. Her arms wound around his neck.

His cock hardened between them.

Brooke jerked her head back, blinking rapidly. He strummed her face with his thumb.

"Later," he whispered, letting her go.

He swam to the other side of the pool, needing to gain control again. One taste of her, and he was ready to plunge his cock deep inside her.

He pulled himself out of the pool and strode into the locker room. Standing under the overhead heater, he let the forced air dry him off as he pulled on his clothes. He sat on the bench, worked his socks back on, and pulled on his boots.

Brooke came in, hugging her middle. He stood, took in the goosebumps on her skin, and walked out of the locker room to wait. If he stayed, he'd have her up against the lockers.

He stood at the entrance. On the other side of the counter, Bane lifted his chin as he talked to Daisy in front of the computer.

His half hour was over. Bane had made sure they had privacy.

While he'd intended to bring Brooke over and enjoy the time away from the house, he hadn't planned on making any moves on her. Their half-ass conversation had gone further than he thought it would. Whether the timing was right or Brooke finally opened herself up to see the truth, she knew what had happened to him to lose Skye.

She also knew what he wanted. He'd removed every barrier. He'd put her right where he wanted her.

Now, it was up to her to accept their marriage. It was her move now.

She could throw a fit about not wanting to sleep with him, or she could willingly walk into the bedroom.

Either way, he planned to have her.

Chapter Twenty Six

Brooke stood behind Skye in front of the mirror in the bathroom. "Only a little spritz."

Skye wrinkled her nose as all her strength and coordination went toward pushing down the plunger on the No More Tears bottle. In the last few weeks, her niece has taken the initiative to do her hair.

She credited the other second graders at the elementary school for Skye's sudden interest in grooming herself. Peer pressure started early. Hairstyles and fashion would, unfortunately, play a part in Skye's daily life until she graduated and realized that it was better to be unique than part of the crowd.

As hard as it was to stand back and watch her struggle, she was proud of Skye's effort. Too soon, their nightly routine would be done separately. Skye would no longer need help shampooing her hair. Brooke would no longer need to make sure her niece used soap.

While there were times she looked forward to gaining a few minutes here and there to have by herself, she wasn't ready to have Skye reach her preteen years. It hadn't been that long ago when she remembered being that age—and she was a little snot to her grandma.

"Okay, that's enough." Brooke held out her hand. "Let me see the comb, and I'll get the snarls out of the back."

"No, I'll do it." Skye moved away from her. "You pull my hair."

Brooke smiled at Skye's reflection in the mirror. "That's because you have knots."

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