16

When Vista came down the stairs in her little red polka dot bikini showing plainly through a flowing sheer dress, I thought I’d mixed the wrong pills and was hallucinating. Turns out she was serious when she said she wanted to use the pool. Indulging her, I put on my swim trunks and escorted her downstairs to the in-house pool. It’s fancy, even by my standards. Made to look like some Roman bathhouse, it’s decked out in imported tiles with reliefs on the ceiling depicting what I assume to be mythical gods, and there are potted ferns every-freaking-where.

Even a rich prick like me has to shake his head at the sight.

“This is where we’re going to do it?” Vista’s eyes are wide, darting everywhere as she tries to soak it all in at once.

“As many times as you want,” I tell her, smirking when she levels me with one of her disapproving frowns that make her forehead wrinkle adorably.

“I’m not even going to dignify that with a response.”

With her chin held high, she takes the lead. There are chairs set up around the entire perimeter of the pool for the residents, and Vista chooses one¸ dropping her towel at the foot and, no lie, when she strips off the sundress, I think I have a stroke.

She has the most beautiful body I have ever seen on a woman. Fit, firm, curvy in all the right places. I love her ass most of all. At the pond, I had my fingers buried in those cheeks so hard she probably had bruises for days after, and I’ve been anticipating when I can do it again. Despite her determination to keep me at arm’s length, I can’t get her off my mind.

Approaching the edge of the pool, she dips her toes into it to test the temperature. “I’m assuming you know how to swim?” she asks sarcastically over her shoulder.

“Like a fish.” Dropping my towel at the foot of the chair next to hers, I stand facing her with my arms folded over my chest.

“I think we’ll start with a couple laps to get your blood pumping.”

“I can think of a few other things that will get my blood pumping.” She casts me another look over her shoulder and I wink at her, which only irritates her more. Or so she pretends. Personally, I think she likes it when I play with her. I know I do.

“So laps. I think one or two should do it. Just remember to take it easy. The water provides a natural resistance. You won’t realize how tired your muscles are until you get out of the pool.”

“I know how it works, princess. Are you planning to join me?” Taking the hem of my shirt between my fingers, I pull the material over my head and toss it aside with my towel. When I look up, I find Vista’s eyes on my chest, openly staring.

A small smile forms as I walk toward her. “If you want it, don’t be ashamed to ask for it.”

Blinking up at me, that deer in the headlight look she has from being caught quickly morphs into a death glare. “I’m not asking.”

“Maybe your mouth isn’t,” I say, leaning down and placing mine next to her ear, “but your body definitely is.” Turning my face toward hers, I let my beard scrape gently across her flushed cheek before placing a light kiss beside her mouth. Her lips part slightly, and I hear the sharp intake of breath at the contact. She wants me. I don’t know why she resists so hard.

“We already did it once. What’s one more time?” I hold her gaze in mine for a few beats before backing off. “When you’re ready to live again, let me know.” Then I dive into the pool and let the water envelope me.

My breath momentarily evaporates as my lungs constrict and my body adjusts to the change in temperature. Kicking my legs, I push myself through the water at a furious pace, making it to the opposite end of the pool in a matter of seconds. I haven’t been swimming like this in a while, unless hot tubbing with super models counts. It’s nice to be back in the water, the smell of chlorine everywhere.

When my hands touch the smooth tiled wall, I flip deeper beneath the surface. Once I’m turned around, I kick off, using the wall to jettison me back to the opposite side and returning even faster than I went.

When I come up for air, I see Vista’s feet on the concrete lip in front of me. Wiping water from my eyes, they travel up the length of her toned legs to her flat stomach and round breasts. When I reach her face, I’m not surprised to find her scowling.

“I told you to take it easy.”

“Didn’t I?” Lifting my arms out of the water, I prop them on the edge of the pool.

“No, you didn’t. You completely ignored my instructions.” Huffing, she stands there, looking out across the water and taking deep breaths to compose herself. “Look, maybe you don’t care if you recover or not because you don’t plan to go back to playing soccer, but I do. Healing properly takes time and patience, and if you think you’re in pain now, just wait until you’re fifty.”

Normally, I like riling her up, but this time something about her tone makes me bristle. “I appreciate what you’re trying to do, Vista, I really do. But it’s my body and I know my limitations. Don’t forget, I’ve been here before. Numerous times.” Dropping my head back, I dip down into the water, soaking my hair.

“That’s the point though, isn’t it? You’ve been here numerous times. Isn’t that the reason you have a fully stocked medicine cabinet?”

She’s so smug, looking down on me as if she’s the authority on my life. I just fired my father from that role. I’ll be damned if she steps in to fill his shoes. “Do you know what I think, princess?” I ask, smiling slyly back at her. “You’re so busy handling everyone else’s business that you keep forgetting to live your own life.”

My hand shoots out before she can realize my intention. She jumps when I grab a hold of one of her hands that hangs at her side, and the scream she belts out when I give it a yank, sending her sailing forward into the pool, bounces off the walls.

“You son of a bitch!” she splutters when she breaks through the surface. Her dark hair is plastered to the sides of her face, and she frantically rubs at it to clear it of water.

Laughing, I float just out of reach in case she gets any bright ideas and tries to slap me. “What’s wrong, princess? I thought you liked when I make you wet.”

Growling, she sweeps her hands through the water, tossing waves of it into my face. Thankfully, I see it coming, giving me just enough time to turn my head away. “I don’t think you want to start a war with me, princess,” I warn her.

“You don’t know what I want,” she returns with another wave.

I shake my head, feeling water pooling in my ear. Such a defiant brat. I love it. “If that’s how you want it...Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Spreading my arms out, I drag them back in fast, gathering up so much water that when I release it toward her I can’t see her through the thickness of it. I repeat the process a few more times, giving her no time to recover. She wanted a war, so I’m giving it to her.

“I give up! I give up!” she yells, her voice garbled from a mouth full of water.

Freezing with my arms out and ready, I give her a look of warning. “What was that, princess?”

“I said I give up!” Dragging her hands over her hair, she slicks it back from her face. Her makeup is long gone and she looks completely worn out. I feel a twinge of guilt when she looks up at me and I see that her eyes are bloodshot.

“Are you really done or just playing possum?”

“I swear,” she says, holding up her right hand. “I’m done. You made your point.”

Satisfied, I float over to her and slip my hand around her waist. She looks like she wants to protest as I pull her to me but when I cradle her face in my hand, her words stall out. “Do your eyes hurt?”

She seems confused by my concern but her body is way ahead of her brain. She’s already molding to me, her hands cuffing my biceps and her chest and stomach flattening against mine. “They’re a little irritated from the chlorine. I’ll put some drops in them when we get back.”