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“Oh.” I wasn’t sure if I was relieved or a little sad he wasn’t suggesting we skinny dip. He’s your boss! Of course, he’s not suggesting you go skinny dipping, you perv! I scolded myself. “Okay. I’ll go swimming.” I had a feeling we were both surprised I’d agreed so easily.
“Great.” He winked. “Go get dressed, and I will, too. Meet you back here in five?”
“Five? Five minutes?” How am I going to get ready in five minutes?
“Good.” He smiled like he didn’t notice the slight distress in my voice. He leaned down, and when his lips touched the front of my forehead, a small purr-like sound slipped past my lips. Before he could take his mouth off my forehead, I scurried away like a frightened little mouse. I stepped into the bedroom he had pointed at and shut the door.
Swimming? With Malcom? What am I doing? I wondered to myself.
I was supposed to be putting space between us, but instead, I was going to go swimming. There was no stopping the erratic way my heart thumped with excitement against my ribcage.
The whole thing was stupid.
I knew better.
Knowing that, I was going swimming with Malcom. I turned to get dressed and stopped in my tracks. The bathing suit on the bed was a black one-piece. It contrasted against the light blue bedding of the queen-sized guest bed.
A one-piece.
I could do that.
It wasn’t like he had chosen anything indecent for me. It wasn’t like I would have changed my mind if he had chosen some kind of itty-bitty bikini. I picked up the swimsuit and quickly got ready. I knew without looking down my body that the thing fit me like a glove. I had never been more thankful for the extra time I had taken in my sister’s shower. Something had come over me this weekend to shave almost everything from my shoulders down. But as I glanced at my reflection in the full-size mirror that leaned against a wall, I was really freaking glad I had.
The man had really great taste if he had picked this out for me. Not to mention a great eye for sizing. The suit was high cut at the sides and back but high in the front.
If I tossed on my shorts, it would simply look like I was wearing a tank top.
I picked up my bottoms and pressed my lips together.
Maybe I should just go out there with the suit and only the suit on. He had chosen it for me. I wanted to show him what a great job he did. I wanted him to know how much I appreciated daddy. No! I shook my head. I couldn’t think of him that way! In a moment of weakness, I slipped my shorts on and hurried out the door along with the towel he’d had ready for me on the bed.
Right or wrong, I was going to make it my mission to make sure Malcom remembered what having fun was like. One day, when I was long gone and out of their lives, he would remember me with a smile on his face, and hopefully, tonight would be one of many times he’d seek out the opportunity to have a good time.
13
MALCOM
The smile on my face died when I watched her come out.
“Fuck,” I cursed under my breath. I had no idea what I had been thinking when I planned our night together. It was supposed to be my chance to show her that I wasn’t the fucking ogre I had been pretending to be the last six months. That I could be as fun and easy-going as Casey and Jett.
But I hadn’t wanted to come on too strong.
I had chosen a one-piece bathing suit for her, but fuck me, I had a feeling our girl could make a fucking potato sack look sexy as sin.
“Ready?” she asked, and I didn’t miss the way she tried to subtly check out my body. I was in black swim trunks and a gray tee I had found, because again, I didn’t want to come on too strong.
“Ready.” I nodded and opened the pool house door. The sun had just started to set and was painting the sky an abstract of colors that shouldn’t have worked together but in that moment blended and mixed perfectly. Like us. We were like a sunset, blending and meshing perfectly when we were together. It would beautiful. Like art and nature all at once.
Casey, Jett, and I would pair perfectly with Rosa if she gave us half a chance.
Nerves suddenly struck me.
Reality was a motherfucker.
Tonight had to go great. Perfect. If not, if I fucked up, I didn’t just screw up my chances but Jett’s and Casey’s, too. I’d be the one responsible for ruining the future that felt brighter and more meaningful than it had in a long time.
“Mal?” She called, snapping me out of my thoughts. My eyes found her immediately. She stood staring at me as the pool glistened behind her. “Thought you wanted to have fun?” she asked with a small shy smile on her face. I wasn’t sure if she knew her hand was extended for my taking, and just like that, something inside me relaxed.
