Top Dog

I utterly hated how he could do that to me.

“Did you catch the sunrise this morning?” he asked.

“I did. It inspired me to write a whole new paragraph in a book that’s going nowhere.”

“One paragraph is better than nothing.”

“But it isn’t nearly the kind of pace I’m used to. I haven’t been blocked like this since my freshman year of college.”

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“What did you do then to get rid of it?” he asked. “Maybe it’ll work this time.”

“I don’t think drinking and fucking is really something I can afford to indulge right now.”

I turned my eyes up toward his and saw him staring down at me. His eyes were darkening, shadowed with the thoughts running through his head. I knew that look. I’d seen it many times during the three months we spent together.

The blood was rushing through my ears, drowning out any sounds as his eyes danced between mine. I had to get out of his trance. I had to pull myself away from him. I couldn’t allow myself to fall for him again.

If he didn’t have time for me before, two kids weren’t going to make it any easier.

I cleared my throat and pulled my gaze away, breaking the moment. I watched Morgan come down the slide with her hands in the air, followed quickly by the two kids. They were splashing around and dunking her, and Morgan was going along with it, faking like she couldn’t get away as the kids roared with laughter.

“She’s always been good with kids,” I said.

I saw Kevin’s eyes whip over to the shoreline. He started waving at someone and began walking toward the shore, leaving me behind to bob with the waves.

Guess some things never changed.

I swam up to Morgan coming down the slide again. The kids latched onto me this time, swimming around me and splashing me with their tiny little hands. The four of us played in the clear waters while Kevin talked with someone on the shore, then I heard my name being called out.

I turned and saw Kevin motioning to me before he yelled at me to bring the kids.

Who does he think I am?

His fucking nanny?

Morgan’s eyebrows hiked all the way to her head as I took the hands of his children. I swam to shore with them and we came out of the water.

At this point, I was painfully aware of how Kevin was looking at me. I was trying not to look at him. Trying not to stare at the lines of muscles that disappeared underneath his swim shorts. I tried not to stare at the small line of hair that traveled from his belly button and disappeared under the waistband.

I tried not to take in the sculpted muscles of his back as I approached.

“Kids, this is Gianni. Gianni, these are my kids. Daniel and Sydney.”

“Nice to meet you both,” the man said.

He had a thick Italian accent. With salt-and-pepper hair that was slicked back, he wore a tailored suit despite the sweltering island heat.

Something about him didn’t sit well with me. His eyes raked up and down my body and I tried to ignore him, as the kids clung to my legs.

I could almost feel the nervous tension coursing through their little bodies. Clearly, this man made them uncomfortable.

“And who is this beautiful young woman?” Gianni asked.

“This is a friend of mine. Brooke.”

“How do you do?” I asked.