Page 14 of Handsome
He laughed and then reached for his son. I squeezed Joshua once more, but then handed him over as his father said, “I’ve seen these in movies. I got this. You go change into a swimsuit.”
My arms felt empty without Joshua, so I clutched my arms around my waist and looked down. “He shouldn’t go in the water.”
“I won’t let anything happen to him.”
My knees went weak, like he was taking me out too, though he’d only meant his son. I glanced up and wondered what his muscles would look like out in the sun as I said, “Okay. You need to change too.”
He held Joshua in his big hands as he said, “Meet you downstairs in five minutes.”
“Done,” I said as I watched them leave.
Part of me wished I’d met him before my sister did, because then the fantasy of him holding me in his arms and laying me down on the bed to make me his wouldn't feel like I was stealing from my sister. I’d never, ever been jealous of anything she had in her life, until Cyrus.
I shook my head to rid myself of the dream and returned to my room to figure out what I had that worked as beachwear.
Normally I wore my cutoff jeans and whatever T-shirt I had in my closet. And I’d hate to ruin the blue dress I had on now. As I opened the drawers, I found a few bathing suits in my size. The Dos Gardenias blue one was gorgeous, and I figured I might as well wear my favorite color. When I shimmied into it, it fit like a glove.
I grabbed the beach cover-up that was sheer but darker blue, so it worked, and hurried out in new matching flip-flops. Accepting these clothes helped me fit into Joshua’s world, so I wouldn't complain or second-guess Cyrus's motives.
Truthfully, I wondered what it would be like to be Cyrus’s equal. He was a sexy, sweet man, and made my mouth water with pent-up desire, way more than anyone else I'd ever known.
His mother was with him at the door, so I stayed on the top step while they hugged and she said, “We’re sorry we have to go. If either of you need anything, call me.”
“We’ll be fine,” Cyrus said.
Once I heard the front door close, I went down and joined Cyrus and Joshua.
He was wearing the baby carrier and no shirt, just gray swim trunks.
When I got close to Cyrus, the air smelled spicier, and I swallowed and said, “Earlier, when I was bouncing around my room, I was picking up laundry, not trying to seduce you.”
“Now that would be fun.” He laughed and showed me the baby bag. I grabbed it since he had Joshua. He then said, “But I’m sorry I barged in. I knocked, but the music was loud—”
“I’m sorry about that, too,” I interrupted, though the idea of him wanting to back me up against the foyer wall was giving me goose bumps.
I shook my head, hard, when he opened the door and we headed out. He placed his hand on my shoulder and said, “Don’t be. How would you feel about spending some time on the family's private island so I can bond with my son without distraction?”
“Private island?” I asked. I heard my voice go up in pitch.
He glanced at my legs and then up at me as he said, “It would just be the three of us plus some staff.”
Work. Staff. I was staff. We walked onto his private beach, and my heart swelled. No one was here except us, and there was a cave that looked like it also had an ocean opening inside. We walked around the cave opening while I kept my focus on the horizon as I said, “Okay. We do need to have a discussion soon about pay, expectations, boundaries, that kind of thing, but I want to settle my sister’s affairs.”
“Of course,” he said, his voice low.
I trembled at its deep resonance, but I said, “So I'll need two more days.”
He winked while we walked closer to the shoreline. “Done. We need to wait for your passport anyhow.”
I glanced in front of us at the setup of beach chairs and umbrella. We walked toward it like it was for us as I went up and down on my toes and said, “Oh, okay.”
He handed me Joshua so he could take off the baby carrier.
His sculpted body made my mouth water, but I giggled when I saw the clear, red sweat spot where the carrier must have pressed against him. He put the carrier on the side table under the umbrella as he said, “No. And since you asked, I expect you to be with me and Joshua around the clock, so room and board are part of whatever number we decide on.”
I sat but refused to relax back on the comfortable chair. I’d never been able to just lie on the beach. Relaxing with nothing to do felt uncomfortable and unnatural. I glanced down and saw Joshua’s lips smacking.
Cries were next if I didn’t anticipate him, and he needed a bottle. I put it in his mouth and then scooted farther back so he’d be comfortable as I said, “At the diners I work at, I usually make around a hundred dollars a day after tips. Some days more, some less.”
