“Ladies, are we swimming on this beautifully sunny day?” he asks and then crouches down to talk to Theo. “You’re definitely swimming, little man. You’re like a fish.”
“In his own spit, maybe,” Ava says. “I need to get him cleaned up first. You can take Matty in, though.”
Marius looks over at the stroller and stands up. “Okay, then he and I will do some uncle-nephew bonding. Ready, buddy?”
Even as I pretend to read some email, I sneak a peek as he strips out of his t-shirt to reveal his muscular arms and chest, to say nothing of the washboard abs. How this man expects me to pretend that we aren’t together when he insists on doing stuff like this is beyond me.
He lifts Matty out of the stroller and pats his bottom. “You sure these things you put on them don’t make the pool a mess?”
I look up and see Ava shaking her head. “Don’t worry. They do the job. You won’t be swimming in baby poop or pee.”
Turning to face me, Marius smiles, and it’s real work not to show how he makes my stomach do a flip when he’s so sexy. “That sounds delightful. Sure you don’t want to come in with me and the little guy?”
With a shrug, I answer, “Not today. Thanks.”
He winks at me and then walks away with Matty to get into the pool. I swear he does that on purpose because he knows I have a hard time pretending we aren’t together. It would serve him right if I came out and told Ava the truth while we’re sitting out here today.
“Come on, Eden. Don’t be a stick in the mud,” Marius calls out from the pool as he lifts Matty in the air like some Lion King redux.
Looking around, I don’t see Ava or Matthias, so the coast might be clear for a few seconds, at least. I walk over to the edge of the pool and look down at Marius.
“What’s the end game here, dear? Do you want me to spill the beans? If not, then I’m not sure why you’re acting like this.”
If it’s possible, he looks even better wet. How can someone always look so good? It’s impossible, yet Marius King somehow achieves that.
He glances over toward the door of the house to see if anyone’s around and then up at me. “No, Duck, I don’t want you to spill the beans. Just get in the pool. We can have a good time, and no one will be the wiser.”
I shake my head in disbelief. “Are you kidding? If his mother sees you and me having a good time together, she’s going to try ten times as hard to get us together. It’s tough enough pretending now.”
As Marius considers what I said, Matty splashes his little hands in front of them. I’m fine with coming clean and telling Ava everything. In fact, I’d be happier if we did tell the truth. It’s Marius who wants to keep us under wraps.
“At least sit down on the edge?” he says in a way that makes me feel like I’m being the bad guy here. “I promise Matty and I won’t splash you.”
Even though I don’t believe him, I sit down on the edge of the pool and let my bare feet dangle in the water. “Now there’s a lie if I’ve ever heard one.”
He positions Matty in front of him, hiding behind his little body while he says, “Aunt Eden, how could you think someone as innocent as I am would do anything like splash you on purpose?”
“It’s not the kid who I think is going to do that. It’s you. Just remember I’m not wearing a bathing suit, okay?”
Marius pokes his head out from behind Matty and pouts. “You’re no fun at all, Aunt Eden. No fun at all.”
Ava and Theo join us not ten seconds later, and it’s like his entire demeanor changes. Gone is the playful, flirty man I adore, and in his place, a man who acts like he doesn’t even know I exist appears.
“All the stickiness is gone, thankfully,” she announces as she walks over to the pool. “Marius, how is Matty liking the water? He cried yesterday when Matthias took him in, so I wasn’t sure how he’d deal with it today.”
“He’s fine,” Marius says as he bounces up and down with Matty in his arms. “He was just saying to Eden that she’s a flat tire for not coming in with us. I told him that wasn’t nice, but he refused to apologize. I have to admit he may be onto something.”
Ava throws me an uncomfortable look that says she’s sorry her brother-in-law is being a jackass and laughs it off. “If Eden wants to just dip her toes in the water, that’s fine with me. I’m sure it’s fine with Matty too.”
With that, she walks into the pool with Theo in her arms and proceeds to let him splash around, soaking her. “Eden, if youdecide to change your mind, I’ve got a bunch of swimsuits. Just say the word.”
“Yeah, say the word, Eden,” Marius says, mocking me.
Thankfully, Matty chooses this very moment to suddenly burst into tears. Marius looks completely confused, like he isn’t sure what to do, so he walks across the pool to stand in front of where I’m still relaxing on the edge.
“Here, he doesn’t seem to want to swim any more. I think he’s missing the stroller,” he says before handing Matty up to me.
I reluctantly take him, although when I set him on my legs, he gets me drenched. “Thanks for the advance warning. Now it’s like I went swimming too.”
