CHAPTER TEN
Priest returns Rock to me an hour or so later. Valentina takes her husband’s arm and waves, promising to catch up with me again later.
“How’d that go?” Rock asks, watching them walk away.
“I like her. She’s a lot less terrifying than Tawny,” I whisper. Lifting my gaze, I stare him straight in the eyes. “Although I do have some questions for you when we’re alone later.”
The corner of his mouth twitches. “I can only imagine.”
“Let’s go find Heidi. I want to see how Alexa likes the pool.”
He takes my hand and we move closer to the pool, finding Heidi in the shallow end with Alexa in her arms.
“She seems to like it,” I call out to get Heidi’s attention.
“Yayayaya!” Alexa babbles, reaching for my hand. Heidi floats her over to us and I playfully splash some water at them. Alexa squeals and slaps her hands in the water even faster.
“Have you seen Murphy?” Heidi asks. “He was worried she’d be scared of the water, but she’s loving it.”
“He’s on his way,” Rock assures her.
Heidi turns and points to a table in the corner. “We set up over there. Charlotte and Trinity are around somewhere. Wrath returned from where all the other Wraths went.” She grins at her joke about the SAA meeting. “I’m not sure where my brother is.”
We bump into Teller and Murphy on our way to the table.
“Oh my fuck, is that Heidi?” Murphy stops in his tracks, staring slack-jawed at Heidi as she carries Alexa out of the pool and over to a small group of women with children about Alexa’s age.
“What the fuck is she wearing?” Teller grumbles.
I scowl up at him. “A suit that she looks lovely in.”
“Did you do this to her, Hope?” he asks.
“Yup. She’s almost twenty, Teller. What would you like her to wear to a pool party? A bag?”
He sweeps his gaze over me. “You’re covered.”
“Watch yourself,” Rock growls from behind me.
I fix my stink-eye stare on Teller. “I’m also thirty-something.” Dipshit. “Don’t make me tell Charlotte you’re giving Heidi a hard time,” I warn.
He laughs but doesn’t have a chance to respond before Murphy slaps his arm.
The look on Murphy’s face is all possessive, protective male who’s not fucking around as he beckons Teller closer. “She’s still self-conscious since having Alexa,” he explains in a low, threatening voice. “So if you say one damn thing about what she’s wearing, I will seriously fuck you up.”
Teller blinks and stares at his best friend while I bite my lip and try not to laugh.
“I’m not joking,” Murphy adds.
Teller holds up his hands. “Okay. Okay. I’ll just pretend my baby sister’s not on display in front of the entire organization. No problem, bro.”
“Fuck off.”
“Murphy.” I grab his arm and pull him closer before he hauls off and punches Teller. I lean up on tiptoes. “I know Carter’s busy, so bring Alexa over to us. We’ll watch her for the afternoon so you two can have some grown-up alone time if you want.”
Murphy hesitates. “You sure you don’t mind? Don’t you want your own alone time?”
“We had alone time earlier and I’m sure we’ll have more later.”
Teller groans, but Murphy’s already stalking over to the pool and tapping Heidi on the shoulder.
A couple of the girls try flirting with Murphy, but he brushes them off. He takes Alexa in one arm and wraps his other around Heidi’s waist.
Teller shakes his head. “Can’t even be mad at him since he’s so good to her.”
“You just like starting trouble.”
“I’m a guy. I don’t want to see a chick, think ‘oh, she’s hot,’ then realize it’s my baby sister.” He shivers.
Rock cocks his head and stares at Teller. “What the fuck’s wrong with you?”
Charlotte sneaks up behind her man and grabs his shoulders, jumping up to kiss his cheek. “Were you checking out girls?”
He turns and sweeps her into his arms, staring down at her. “No, I was looking for you.”
Charlotte throws her head back laughs. “It’s all good. You can tell me the truth. Found a couple guys who fill out their shorts quite nicely for me to look at too.”
Now she has Teller’s full attention. “That right?”
They take off for the pool, teasing each other while Rock and I shake our heads.
“She’s probably the best thing that ever happened to him,” Rock says.
“I love that she gives it right back to him.” I watch them playfully teasing each other for a few seconds. “He’s good for her too, I think.”
“It’s like having children who never grow up and leave,” he says. He’s smiling, though.
I lean against him and pat his chest. “You’re a proud papa watching over all his cubs, aren’t you?”
He snorts. “Want to go for a swim?”
I peer up at him. “Honestly, all I can think about is how many kids have probably peed in that pool already today.”
He rumbles with laughter. “Me too.”
In a lower voice, I add, “I will happily climb in our little Jacuzzi tub with you later, though.”
“It’s a date.”
A few minutes later, Rock’s giving me a what-did-you-get-us-into look when Murphy drops a dripping wet Alexa in his lap.
“I’ll send Carter down to grab her,” Murphy promises.
“We’re fine,” I answer, waving him away. Rock glances at me as if he had another answer in mind.
“I feel bad Carter has to be the babysitter for the whole trip.”
“I think he knew what he was signing up for,” Rock says.
Later in the evening, it’s a few degrees cooler, but the thick humidity continues to cling to the air.
“The hotel has an adult pool. Want to check that out?” Rock asks.
We were in such a hurry to make it to dinner, I left my swimsuit on under my dress. “Sure.”
I follow him to a secluded pool in the shadows of the maze-like hotel. Lush bushes with large pink blooms surround the wrought iron fence. The gate whines when Rock pushes it open.
Small solar lights illuminate the stones around the pool, throwing off enough of a glow to see what we’re doing. Rock strips off his shirt and wades into the pool. Turning, he holds out his hand.
“Is it cold?”
He snorts. “Compared to out of the pool, yeah.” He curls his fingers, beckoning me closer. “Come on. I’ll warm you up.”
He watches with a hungry gleam in his eyes while I slip my light, cotton dress over my head and toss it on the chair with his shirt.
“Can you check and make sure my room key’s in my wallet?” Rock asks.
I turn and bend over, searching for his wallet.
“Very nice.” His intimate tone suggests this was a set-up.
“You just wanted to stare at my ass,” I accuse, turning and glaring at him. Too bad I can’t stop laughing.
“Hurry up,” he urges, holding out his hands again.
I gingerly dip in a toe, then my whole foot, then the other.
“Dive in, it’ll be easier,” Rock says. An amused smile plays over his lips as he swims closer.
The water’s kissing my calves when he hooks his arms around me and drags me all the way into the water, spinning us around.
“It’s cold! You lied.”
“It’ll feel good in a minute.” His lips curl into a sexy smirk. “If not, I’ll warm you up.”
Breaking free of his hold, I glide into the pool, swimming for the deep end.
“You trying to outswim me, baby doll?” Rock’s low, rumbling voice drifts over the water.
I turn, floating on my back, gently moving my arms back and forth. “Couldn’t if I wanted to.”
“That’s right.” He captures my ankle and drags me through the water until my legs circle his waist. “We should’ve put in a pool at our house.” He eases me up out of the water and I wrap my arms around his neck, holding on tight.
“Trinity and I were talking about joining the Y to take water aerobics. It’d be fun to have a pool so we didn’t have to leave the property.”
“What about water-fucking?”
“I don’t think Trinity’s into that—”
“Sass-mouth.” He spins us in the water faster and I tilt my head back to look at the stars.
“Uh-oh, are we interrupting?” Someone calls out above us.
Rock groans and stops our movement. The tension in his body returning automatically.
The possessive, protective way he wraps his arms around me sends a shiver through my body.
“Not at all,” Rock answers in a neutral tone. I squeeze my legs around him, but he doesn’t so much as move a muscle. I turn to see who’s joined us and smile at Priest and Valentina.
“Hi, Valentina. Good to see you again.” I hope it’s dark enough to hide the disappointment on my face.
But I knew this was more of a working vacation, so I smile and relinquish my husband’s attention for a few more hours.