Page 14 of Betrayed Kidnapped Mate

Kaila nods, and the girls start running down the beach together, giggling and squealing as they go.

“Be careful!” Rosa calls while Linnea yells, “Sunscreen, Araya! Come back!”

Rosa still won’t look at me, no matter how often I try to catch her eye. I suppose I’d be pretty mad with someone if they drugged me and dragged me across the country, but we have to talk. We have to discuss Kaila and this forming a mating bond between us.

“Here,” I say, holding my hand out for the sunscreen. Linnea hands it over, and I jog down toward the water, where Araya and Kaila squeal, letting the waves wash over their toes.

“Alright,” I say, voice gruff. “I am the sunscreen police on this beach, and the two of you are under arrest.”

Kaila looks at me shyly, wrapping her arms around her body, but Araya launches into my arms, letting out a particularly high-pitched squeal when I grab her and flip her up, letting her dangle upside down for a second before putting her down.

I squirt some sunscreen onto my hand, and Araya holds out each arm so I can slather it on her. I twirl my finger, and she spins around so I can do her neck and ears.

“Do me,” Kaila says, poking my arm, and my heart bursts.

“Sure,” I say, grinning at her, and she giggles while I rub the sunscreen on her arms and back. I see myself in her; our connection runs strong.

There’s no way this isn’t my child.

Kaila is an exact picture of Rosa. With her blond hair and bangs and those Caribbean blue eyes, it’s like I’m looking at Rosa twenty years in the past. But when I look at Kaila’s nose, how she laughs and wrinkles her nose, I see myself.

“Alright,” I say, standing and stretching until my back pops. I strip my shirt off and wrap the sunscreen in it before tossing it on the sand. I chase the little girls into the water, splashing them playfully, making them giggle.

“Flip me!” Araya cries, and I shake my head, eyes darting over to Kaila, who’s looking at us, interested. She’s mine, but she’s not mine. I don’t have the authority to play rough with her. “Please, Biggie?” Araya says, lifting her arms up to me.

I roll my eyes, then grab her like I did earlier, except this time I let go, and she flies a foot out, splashing into the water. Kaila sucks in a breath, then laughs with relief when Araya resurfaces.

“Okay,” Kaila says, “you can flip me, too.’

“I don’t know,” I say, pursing my lips, “I’ve heard you don’t really know your way around the water.”

“What?” Kaila says, eyes wide. “I do! I’m a surfer, and I’ve been swimming since I was a baby.”

“Since you were a baby?”

“Yes,” Kaila says. “You can flip me. I’ll be okay.”

I think about it for a second—I don’t want Rosa to be mad at me, but I also want Kaila to like me. She stands, holding her arms up like Araya did, and I grab her, flipping her into the water.

There’s a moment after I toss her when I’m sure it was the wrong choice, and my body floods with relief, and then she surfaces, laughing and sputtering a little. I can practically feel Rosa’s eyes on my back. I hope I’m showing her she can trust me with Kaila.

I wish I knew how to show Rosa she can trust me with herself. I’m pulled out of my thoughts when Araya and Kaila surround me on both sides, tugging on each of my wrists.

“Again! Again!”

Chapter 8 - Rosa

The sun is warm on my face, and if I close my eyes, I can almost trick myself into believing I’m back in California, on the beach with Kaila. I hear the girls screaming again, and my heart jumps before I open my eyes. I see Bigby swimming around in the water with them like he’s a shark.

“He’s really good with kids,” Linnea says, using her fan to cool her face. Aris got to work setting her up a little chair with an awning when we arrived. He brought one for me, too, and now I feel like beach royalty.

I let my eyes track back to Bigby and how comfortable Kaila is with him. Having just been raised around me and Olivia, I didn’t think she would grow to like anyone else—and especially not a man—right away. But Bigby has her on his shoulder and spins her around before dropping her into the water.

“You just have two?” I ask, lowering my shades and looking at her. Linnea grins, wiggling her hips in her chair.

“For now,” she says, and I chuckle, shaking my head.

“I can’t imagine having more. It’s like Kaila is my entire world.”

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