Maybe I’ll take Maddie and Ty out for a nice dinner tonight. A thank you, not only for all the help she’s been, but for picking up on Russ’s made-up story. She’s proving herself to be a valuable asset on every front.
“Hello?” I call, winding my way through the house. There’s no sign of them in the living room or the kitchen and a twinge of panic sparks in my stomach until I glance out the patio doors.
Maddie has her back to me, sitting on the edge of the pool as Ty floats in the water on a giant tube and shoots a super soaker into the air. Even through the thick glass, I can hear them laughing; the sound is music to my ears. Any bit of tension I brought home quickly vanishes, and I inch the door open, joining them.
Neither of them notices me at first, and as I get closer, my heart pounds in my chest. Maddie’s got a sheer lacy cover up on, and I can see the shadows of a barely there black bikini underneath. The small tease is enough to send me into overdrive as I walk toward her. It’s hard enough to hide my attraction under normal circumstances, but it’s damn impossible when she’s got her long tanned legs dangled in the water like she does—painted pink toes splashing around, coverup draped on her bare thighs threatening to inch higher with every little kick she does.
I stifle a moan, imagining the masterpiece I’d unwrap if I could rip that delicate fabric right off of her, and finally put all of that chemistry between us to rest. And if Ty wasn’t around, I might have.
“No way you can do a backflip…” Ty smirks as he floats by her.
“Yes way! My brother taught me when I was about your age.” Maddie laughs, tilting her head to the side.
“Prove it,” he taunts, egging her on.
Ty notices me out of the corner of his eye and waves wildly, his tube teetering back and forth. “Daddy!”
Maddie whips her head around, startled by the interruption. Her blonde curls are tucked back with a pair of sunglasses and there’s a blinding smile on her face. She’s got no clue how beautiful she is, and that kind of humble confidence is hard to come by these days.
“Hey Bud.” I grin, waving as I pull a lounge chair up next to the edge of the pool a foot or two away from Maddie.
I love seeing him active again. It’s been a tough few weeks of recovery. When you’re used to a kid who is usually bouncing off the walls and regularly risking his life in his latest dangerous hobby, it’s hard to see them so down. Today, he looks like his old self and that’s a welcome relief.
“Hey.” Maddie turns her smile to me, a flush in her cheeks. “I wasn’t expecting you home so soon. How long have you been here?”
“Long enough to hear you promise my son a little backflip demonstration.”
Maddie laughs, shaking her head. “I didn’t promise a demonstration…I promised I coulddoone.”
“Prove it!!!” Ty calls.
“It’s been a long time, buddy. Maybe another day.”
“I double dare you,” he taunts. The kid sure likes his trash talk.
She glances up as if she’s looking for some backup, but she won’t get it from me. Ty wants to see Maddie’s cool trick, but I’m in favor of it for an entirely different reason. If she’s getting in the water, that means she’s taking her cover-up off and I can steal a glimpse of her body.
“That’s not something you just casually mention in conversation.” I shrug. “I think Ty’s right. Better put your money where your mouth is.”
“Yeah! Come on, Maddie!”
“Fine.” Maddie stands, inching the cover-up over her head and tossing it at my feet. “One time.”
“Yeah!” Ty cheers as she makes her way over to the diving board. He maneuvers his tube to the side of the pool.
Jesus Christ. Maybe this was a bad idea. Every bit of her is fucking delicious. The dangerous curves, the sway of her hips, the determined look in her eye. I’m into a bit of torture, but it isn’t even fair at this point.
She takes a band off of her wrist and ties her golden honey hair into a ponytail. As she walks out to the edge, she flashes a playful smile at us. “I’m only going to do this once. Understand?”
I can’t help but laugh, and Ty nods enthusiastically.
Maddie turns, edging her heels to the end of the board. With a bend of her knees, she jumps and launches herself into the air, her smoke-show body spinning into a backflip so precise and perfect that it looks like it could win gold in the Olympics. I shouldn’t be the least bit surprised, because the girl doesn’t seem to do anything halfway.
Ty looks back at me with shock and amazement when she hits the water with barely a splash. “That was so cool! She really did it!”
“Yeah, it was awesome!” I agree.
Maddie surfaces and swims to the edge.
