Page 43 of Beneficial Misfortune

“I know how to play,” I say as I let myself drop below the water, out of his arms and swim away. I come back up on the other side of the pool, treading water in the deeper end where my feet no longer touch the ground, and find him watching me with a smile on his face.

“Marco!” Addison yells the moment her head pops back up, and Desmond has to swallow whatever he might have been about to say or risk giving his position away.

“Polo!” we both call out in response, making Addison chuckle.

We could easily avoid her forever; while she might swim well, she’s still only five. Of course, we don’t, though. What would be the fun of that? No, we make her work for it, but we let her get us, and Desmond takes full advantage of her eyes being closed.

Honestly, before long, it feels more like a game for him. It doesn’t matter who’s it; Desmond finds a way to be right there as often as he can while still not drawing Addison’s attention.I’d never admit it out loud, but it’s impressive, if not completely embarrassing. Every time he touches me, my body heats as I remember our night together.

He knows exactly what he’s doing, too. Every time our eyes meet, I can see the lust and the mischief that swims in them.

Fuck, how does he make something like simply playing in the pool into something so much more?

Even with Desmond’s sly touches, or maybe because of them, time flies, and before I know it, my stomach is rumbling.

“I think it’s about time we get out, Addy.” The second the words leave my lips, she’s pouting, but I know just how to handle that.

“Or you and Desmond can keep swimming while I start dinner.” She scrunches up her face at my use of his full name, but lets it go when she realizes what I said.

“No!” she shouts, shaking her head as she makes her way toward the stairs to get out. “I want to help cook.”

“Damn, you're good,” Desmond says from behind me. His breath rolls over my neck as he chuckles, and I have to bite my lip to stop from shivering under his touch as he traces a finger up my spine with a featherlight touch.

“Kids are easy. You just need to know what makes them tick,” I tell him with a shrug and almost pat myself on the back when my voice comes out even.

“And what about you? What makes you tick, Kitten?” he purrs, and this time it’s impossible not to shiver.

I don’t even need to open my mouth to know there's no way my voice would be even this time. I can feel the lump in my throat, and as he swims closer, I notice a very obvious bulge in his swim trunks.

I don’t move away, and he takes the opportunity to press closer.

It would be so easy to push against him, to reach back and feel him. Swim trunks are thin material, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t dying to feel the cold steel of the bars that line his cock again.

“Come on, Kat! We have to make dinner before Daddy comes home!”

Addison’s voice pulls me from my daydream, snapping me back to the present, where I find her standing outside of the pool, waiting.

Definitely not the best time to lose myself in him. No, there probably isn’t a good time to do that period.

“Coming.” This time my voice isn’t so steady, but I don’t let myself dwell on it. Instead, swimming toward the stairs, leaving Desmond behind.

I met Addison over at the recliner, where I left my dress and towel off. Desmond doesn’t get out right away, and I feel his eyes on me with every move I make. It’s not until Addison runs toward the back door that I hear the water move.

Unlike us, he didn’t use the steps. Instead, he pulls himself up on the side and hops out as if it’s the easiest thing in the world. I try and fail to keep my eyes from his arms and the way his muscles flex and move while water drips down them.

Hot damn.

The water was cool and refreshing, a welcome break from the hot sun, but it’s almost as if it never happened as he stalks toward me.

“I’ll let Dale know he can have the night off.” His voice is low and husky in a way that makes no sense for what he’s talking about but still has me clenching my thighs all the same. “I can’t wait to taste you. I mean, your cooking.”

He walks away before I can reply. Not that I had anything to say. He leaves me to watch him with my mouth hanging open as my eyes trace over the muscles that line his back.

I’m so screwed.

Chapter 14

Having Kat here is both a dream come true and the sweetest kind of torture. I couldn’t believe my eyes when she came down for dinner last night. Father had told me he hired a new nanny, but I hadn’t been paying attention. I never really cared for Addison’s nannies. They were usually either trying to get to one of us or had a stick so far up their ass I couldn’t stand being around them. Like Rose, she was a real piece of work. It’s no wonder Addy hated her so much.

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