Page 43 of Worth the Want
“Who?” I smile at her. I’ve sort of fallen for this little girl since the moment she told me chocolate was the superior ice cream choice.
“Would you like to match with me?” Her eyes grow as big as saucers before they turn squinty with her beaming smile.
“Yes, yes!” She claps her hands as I carefully untie the bracelet and take off some of the beads.
“Okay, which foot do you want it on?” She sticks her left one out and scoots closer to me, so it’s resting on my thigh. I tie it on her, making sure not to get it too tight. “How does that feel?” I ask.
“Good!” she says, stroking it with her little fingers. Once she’s done inspecting it, she jumps up and runs over to where Knox is sitting in his chair sans shirt. Will I ever get tired of this view? Nowthiswould make one hell of a postcard.
“Look, Daddy!” Hazel holds her foot up, almost losing her balance until Knox reaches out to steady her.
“Look at that. So pretty. Did Indie make that for you?”
“Yes!”
“That was nice of her. Did you say thank you?”
“No,” she tells him, then yells in my direction. “Thank you, Indie!”
“You’re welcome, Hazey,” I call back to her, laughing.
I slip my hat off and lay back onto the towel, pushing my sunglasses up on top of my still-damp hair. I use my hand to shade my eyes for a moment before closing them. There’s not a cloud in the sky today; the sun is out in full force. I let it heat my bare skin for just a few moments before sitting up and reaching into my bag for my sunscreen.
Rubbing it in, I catch Knox’s gaze and hold it, smiling at him. He doesn’t look away. Opting to scan my body instead. It’sthorough, his examination of me. He starts at my face, and I can pinpoint the moment he gets to my pink toenails. The right side of his mouth ticks upward into a smirk. It’s not the sun now that warms me.
“You missed a spot.” His deep voice draws me in.
“Yeah? Where?” I ask, hoping to sound flirty.
“Here!” Hazel tells me, running to stand by my side and tapping the center of my back.
“Do you think you could help me?” I ask, grinning at her over my shoulder.
“Yes!”
“Okay, hold your hand out for me.” She does, and I squirt a little lotion in her hand. “Can you rub that on my back?”
She does for a few seconds. “Done,” she announces.
“Thank you, Hazey.”
“You’re welcome,” she says sweetly. I smile at her, and she grins back before reaching out to touch my nose, specifically my nosering.“What’s this?”
“That’s my nose ring,” I tell her.
“I like it.”
“Thank you. I like it too.”
“Dragonfly!” she exclaims, and for a second, I forget that I have the tattoo. A delicate little thing, between my collarbone and shoulder. It’s a reminder. “Like Daddy’s.”Daddy’s?
I look over at Knox and find his eyes locked onto the strap of my bikini, or more the tattoo that sits beneath it.
“Alright, Hazel. Let’s let Indie get back to her day,” Knox tells the curious little girl in front of me.
“Okay, Daddy.” She leans forward, catching me off guard in a hug. Wrapping my arms around her, I lift her slightly and tickle her sides as she runs off toward her dad. I eye himopenly.Turnabout is fair play after all, right?His torso really is a work of art. All rippling muscles, and I don’t know what it is about his chest hair, but something about it has me wanting to tangle my fingers in it. Yes, he’s a beautiful man. One who’s unforgettable and possibly a little forgetful when it comes to me.Had I been forgettable to him?I drop my gaze when doubt starts to creep in, understanding that he had much bigger things to focus on than me. It mixes in, causing my emotions to muddle.
Hours later, when I’ve shared all my snacks with Hazel and paddled around the lake with Sally, I excuse myself and start walking home. I don’t make it all the way when I hear him yell at me.
