Page 27 of Unexpected Kisses

I place my cooler down and glance up at the others.

“We were about to head into the water. Boys, are you ready to get wet?” Emma asks.

“Yeah. Let’s go!” The youngest boy, Austin, jumps up.

Theo grabs a pair of wings and heads straight for Kenny. “Not before you put on your water wings.”

“I don’t need them anymore, Daddy.” His eyes go soft when she says his name, a marked difference from how he was just looking at me. “I’m a big girl now.”

He turns toward Emma. “What do you think?”

“I think Kenny can go without, so long as she stays in the shallow part.” She looks pointedly at the little girl. “There are four adults here to watch the kids.”

Sarah and I nod as I drop my towel and remove my flip-flops.

“Okay.” Theo relents, and Kenny jumps up and down with the glee of a young child who’s managed to get her way. She grabs my hand, pulling me forward.

“Come on. Let’s go.”

“Hang on, Kenny. Mommy and I need to take off our coverups and you need to take off your shorts,” Sarah tells the little dynamo.

Sarah pulls her coverup over her head, revealing a teal bikini. It’s the most exposed I’ve seen her, and as amazing as she looks dressed, this may be my favorite. I grasp the back of my neck as I scan her curves. I can’t stop the images of my hands gliding smoothly up those thick thighs of hers, across her soft stomach, to her luscious tits which are almost spilling out of the cups. She adjusts the straps, making them jiggle, and I struggle to tear my eyes away.

Glancing around the beach, I decide I don’t want every asshole to see what will hopefully be mine one day. I drag my T-shirt over my head and hand it to her. “Here, you need to cover up out there.” I point toward the water. Theo and Emma burst into laughter, and I feel I’ve missed out on some family joke.

“I don’t need it. Thanks.” She scowls at me, then turns her angry eyes toward her sister and brother-in-law.

Shit! I need to come up with a reason so she’ll cover those damn curves. “You’ll get sunburned. I felt as though I was getting burned just walking from my car.”

“I’m wearing sunscreen. I don’t need to cover up, thanks.” She snips, grasping Kenny’s hand and heading toward the water, leaving the rest of us behind. I admire her shapely ass as she makes her way across the sand. Austin jumps up to follow, and Theo shakes his head at me.

“I feel your pain, brother.” He slaps me on the shoulder and takes Lachlan’s hand to lead him to the water.

I grasp the back of my neck and look at Emma. “Did I say the wrong thing?”

She chuckles. “Not at all. You were being …thoughtful. Right?”

Well, I wouldn’t call it that exactly. But I’ll go with that so I don’t sound like the asshole I seem to have become. “Yeah. It’s not fun being sunburned.”

“And I’m sure that’s all you were worried about.” She laughs and heads toward the water, so I follow close behind.

Austin and Kenny are having a blast, splashing each other and the adults in the process. I notice Lachlan is on the periphery, avoiding the splashes, but he’s watching Austin and Kenny closely with a half-smile and I can tell they’re being careful not to splash him. Theo wraps his arm around Emma and pulls her in close, not taking his eyes from the kids. They talk and chuckle quietly together and I move closer to Sarah.

“Uh, sorry about before. I didn’t want your pale skin getting burned.”

She glances across at me. “That’s okay, but I can look after myself. I’ve been doing it for quite some time now.”

“I get that. But I do consider us at the very least … friends. What sort of friend would I be if I didn’t look out for you?”

She smiles at me then, and I take a full breath. I didn’t like feeling as though things weren’t right between us. “Friends? Is that what we are?”

“I’d like us to be friends at least.” I point to her stomach. “Even once you’re pregnant, I’d like to spend time together. I … uh …” I grasp the back of my neck and her eyes snap to my bicep. I tense it and smile internally when her tongue darts out to lick her lips. “I like spending time with you.” Maybe she’s not as unaffected by me as she portrays.

I drop my arm and her eyes slide back to my face. “I’d like that too.” She glances around, tightness building around her eyes and mouth. “Does that mean you want to be part of the child’s life?”

I’m hoping I’ll be part of both of their lives, but she seems averse to a relationship, so I shrug, playing off the importance. “Whatever works best for you, Sarah. I’m not going back on our agreement or anything like that. You’re the one in charge here.” She nods thoughtfully and some of the tightness dissipates. I need to lighten the mood. I don’t want her to change her mind and look elsewhere for a donor. “So, do you guys spend much time at the beach?”

She glides her hands through the water at her waist. “Oh yeah. We usually try to get down here as a family as many times as our schedules allow during the summer. How about you?”

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