“Nope. That’s all him.”

“Thanks, for everything.” I kiss her temple.

She smiles up at me and those big blue eyes melt my insides. She’s amazing.

A few minutes later, we’re all in the pool, except for Reis, who makes a show by enthusiastically stretching out for the game on the side of the pool.

“You guys are goin down!” He jumps into the water, splashing us.

Taylor giggles. It’s so good to see her like this. She’s spent too much time worrying. And if I can help it, she won’t have to anymore.

Her eyes meet mine across the pool, those deep blue eyes that cut straight through me. Her tan skin glistens against the lapping water. She’s crazy gorgeous, and she’s mine.

“Taylor, come here.” Reis motions her toward him, a mischievous smile on his lips. She steps in his direction, a look of suspicion shadowing her face. “I’ll teach you how to spike the ball.”

I grip her elbow, preventing her from going to him. “Touch her and I’ll break every bone in your hand,” I tell Reis.

Dad laughs.

“You don’t trust me?” Taylor challenges.

I take her face in my hands. “I trust you completely. It’s him I don’t trust.” I lean down low to her ear. “He thinks with his cock.”

She blushes and drops her head, laughing. We both look at Reis. He narrows his eyes, sure I just made a joke about him.

“Well are we going to play, or are we going to cuddle?” Reis calls out, noticing how my hands keep going to Taylor’s skin.

“We’re going to win.” I give Taylor one last kiss and pass her the ball. She straightens her shoulders and prepares to serve it. When she first transferred to Wil-brook, she lacked confidence and had a chain link fence around her heart, due to that dumbass ex of hers. I’d like to teach him a fucking lesson. But now, watching her I can see how much she’s grown. She serves the ball, easily launching it over the net. It gives me a sense of pride knowing maybe I had something to do with her transformation. She had everything to do with mine.

Mine.

I smile at the word, and let an easy relaxation fall across my shoulders.

Life is pretty freaking good.

*********

The End