“You’re asking my opinion?”
“I think you have my daughter’s best interest at heart regardless of how you feel about me.”
Well, that is true. “I really only spent a few minutes in the lesson.”
“And?”
“Angelique is very sensitive, and Mrs. Strand may not be used to that.”
“You don’t like her.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to. She thinks you’re going to give her music lessons.”
I smile nervously.
“Did you tell her that?”
“I guess. Maybe I told her I’d show her.”
“Hm. If I need to hire a music teacher—”
“I can do it. Teach her some basics.”
“I haven’t heard you play.”
I study him for a moment. “I’m not in the right headspace I guess. Considering.”
He draws in a long breath and exhales. But when he opens his mouth to say something, Dex walks out, and he stops. He glances at me then to Jericho. “I have that information you wanted.”
Jericho holds his gaze and nods. “Let me get showered.”
Dex returns to the house and Jericho puts a hand at my back to walk me upstairs. “If you want me to consider resuming your violin lessons, you’ll teach my daughter. You figure out your headspace whatever the fuck that means,” he tells me as we head to his bedroom.
“You mean that? You’ll let me resume my lessons?”
“I don’t waste words, Isabelle.”
“Okay.”
He nods, then closes and locks the door and turns back to me. “If she wants to swim later, take her. Just don’t take your eyes off her.”
“I know that. I know not to take my eyes off a child in the pool.”
“Remember what my brother said yet?” he asks, eyes boring like lasers into mine.
I’m caught off guard and hesitate. “No,” I finally say.
“Nothing at all?”
I shake my head.
“Liar.”
His gaze moves over me, and he reaches a hand around my neck. The next moment the top of my suit drops to the floor as the backs of my knees hit the foot of the bed. He looks at me, reaches one hand to cup the back of my head, fingers weaving into my hair as with his other hand he weighs one breast, thumb flicking over the hardening nipple. He dips his head and licks that nipple, then sucks. I gasp when his teeth close around it and he draws it out, the sensation just on this side of pain, sending heat between my legs.
He watches my reaction, releases my nipple and straightens to kiss me hard, the hand that was just at my breast sliding down over my back to push the bikini bottoms to the floor.