AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m always well behaved, Daddy.”
He gave her a knowing look. “How did your talk with Xavier go?”
“Good, Daddy. He apologized. He wasn’t feeling himself. He was worried about me.” She watched him with concern. “I asked if he wanted to stay for dinner and a movie.”
“That’s fine, Duchess. I’m not upset with you for wanting to spend time with your friend.”
“Really?”
He leaned in and kissed her lightly. “Really. So long as he remembers who you belong to.” He lightly tapped her ass.
Before she could say anything, a whoop interrupted them and Elias rushed past to cannonball into the pool, splashing them both.
“Hey!” Brick said, picking her up and carrying her a few feet away, as though the water might harm her. It was charming and seriously overprotective.
“Sorry!” Elias didn’t sound sorry, though. In fact, he looked kind of smug as he turned and started swimming.
“You okay?” Brick looked her over, and when he wasn’t watching, she rolled her eyes. When he set her down, she grinned and started running towards the pool.
But a wide arm landed around her waist, pulling her up short.
“No running around the pool,” he barked.
Slap! His hand landed on her ass in warning. Her eyes widened. Not because it had really hurt, but the fact that he’d done it outside when Elias was right there.
He was insane. It wasn’t like she was going to slip and crack her head open.
Actually, there was a possibility that would happen. She couldn’t seem to remain steady around him. Going up on tiptoes, she whispered in his ear.
“Last one in is a rotten egg?”
A finger wiggled at her. “I don’t think so, brat. We’re going to walk over to the stairs and go in calmly and quietly.”
“Jesus, man, what are you, a hundred? Let the girl cannonball in,” Sterling said as he walked towards the pool. Brick shot him a quelling look that had him raising his hands in surrender. “Or not.”
He kept a tight hold of her hand, as though she was a toddler that might take off if given the slightest bit of freedom.
Huh. Seemed apt.
The cool water was soothing on her feet as they stepped in. When they were waist deep, he drew her close, pulling her with him out to the deep. Elias and Sterling were both swimming laps.
“Do you want to swim laps?” she whispered, not that they were paying her the slightest attention. In fact, they seemed to keep sharing these odd looks.
She wondered . . .
“Will you promise to stay in the shallow end if I do?”
A huff of breath escaped her. Then she pushed back away from him, catching him by surprise as she dove back then twisted under. She swam away in long, firm strokes that took her to the end of the pool. When she turned around, she found him standing right where she’d left him.
And he didn’t look happy.
Whoops.
He crooked a finger at her and she swam back slowly. When she got close, he grabbed her around the waist and drew her into him to whisper in her ear. “You’re lucky we’re not alone, Duchess. Or you’d pay for that stunt.”
A shiver ran through her.
“Point taken. You can swim just fine. I still don’t like the idea of you swimming without me.”
