Sweet as Candy - Karla Doyle Page 0,56
out a bit, just beyond the bottom of the steps. “We’re here to have fun. Come on in the pool and show me some of that great swimming you know how to do.”
“Okay.” Without another word, Macy leapt in, slicing through the water with determined, controlled strokes, all the way to the opposite end of the pool. She grabbed the concrete and turned to face him as he swam up beside her. “Did you see me swimming?”
“You bet I did. That was awesome, kiddo.”
Exertion played a part in the pink tinting the little girl’s face, but happiness was responsible for the glowing smile. “I can swim underwater too. Want to see?”
“Absolutely.”
“Okay.” With that single word, Macy took a breath and plunged beneath the surface.
He filled his lungs and followed. Eyes open beneath the water, he stayed one stroke behind her. Close enough to help her if she needed it, far enough back to respect her self-confidence. Well-earned self-confidence. The kid had swimming chops, no question.
“Was that good?” she asked, when they popped up together in the shallow end.
“Are you kidding? It was amazing.”
Forty-odd pounds of wet kid smacked against his chest as Macy launched herself at him.
He wrapped his arms around her, reciprocating the hug. “I’m glad you’re having fun.”
Standing at the side of the pool, Candace cupped both hands over her heart. She’d never looked happier. Or more beautiful.
Yeah, that marriage idea might not be so crazy after all.
Candace
“You don’t want to listen to the Jays game?” Candace asked, as Jake lowered the radio’s volume.
Rather than answer, he pointed toward the backseat on the passenger side—Macy’s side.
Candace craned around for a peek. “Awe…”
Macy’s eyelids were closed, her rosebud lips slightly parted. Fast asleep, the little angel. Her small hand rested on Jake’s dog, curled up snugly against the booster seat. Adorable.
Candace resumed her previous position, then shifted sideways to look at the handsome man driving her car. “You wore her out with all that swimming and sliding. She had a wonderful time today. Thank you.”
“I had fun too. She’s a pretty amazing kid.”
She reached across and curved her hand over his thigh. “You’re a pretty amazing guy.” Taking advantage of the temporary privacy provided by the snoozefest in the backseat, she slid her hand inside the leg of his shorts and journeyed upward.
He took his focus off the road long enough to shoot her a smile. “This is new.”
“Are you one of those people who’s resistant to change?”
“Not this kind. This new is definitely good.” A groan rumbled in his throat as she curled her fingers around his cock. “I take that back. This new is the best thing in the world.”
“This,” she slid her fist up and down his shaft, “is the shallow end of the pool. But I’d like to slide into deeper water with you later tonight, when the lifeguard isn’t watching.”
“Will you wear that bikini again?”
“Wouldn’t you rather we go skinny dipping?”
“Getting there is part of the fun, sweets.”
She wholeheartedly agreed when the fun included Jake. “If you want me in the bikini, I’ll wear the bikini.”
He took advantage of the red stoplight ahead and looked over at her. “Just like that, no argument?”
“Zero.” She brushed the pad of her thumb over the head of his cock, eased her hand out of his trunks and sucked her finger into her mouth while he watched. Releasing it with a pop, she asked, “Do you have any other requests for later?”
“Just one.” Smiling that mesmerizing smile of his, he reached across and clasped her hand. “Whatever we do, I want it to be like it is right now.”
“Cramped and awkward, with the potential to be interrupted at any second?”
He choked on a laugh, then did a quick check of the backseat to see if he’d woken Macy. Because he cared. Because he truly was an amazing guy.
She lifted their joined hands and pressed a kiss to his knuckles, holding the position until the urge to say three serious, important words subsided. “I know what you meant about wanting the rest of our day to be like it is right now. I feel the same way.”
The smile he flashed was as warm and golden as the afternoon sun.
She couldn’t have avoided falling in love with him if she’d tried. And she had tried. Repeatedly. For the first time in her life, she was happy to have failed.
Candace
Cinching the floral satin around her waist, Candace took a deep breath and exited the bathroom. The carpeted hallway absorbed her footfalls