Page 92 of Sweet Possession
Cora
Fox stayed home from work for the next two days. We spoke moreabout Jessie, and he showed me the only few pictures he had of herthathe’d stolen from his mom before he left home all those years ago.
We laughed together when he told me all the cute things she used todo as a kid, like calling himHairybecause she couldn’t say Harvey to begin with. Or when she wanted Fox to be a princess, and he’d let her put their mom’s makeup on his face.
Talking about Jessie was like a lid had been lifted. Fox pouredhis heart out about the treatment he’d suffered at the hands of his dad and the cruelty he’d experienced from his mom.
The more he shared, the more he inspired me. He knew better thananyone the kind of emotional scarsthata horrible childhood left behind, but he’d overcome it. He’d proved his parents wrong, showed the worldthathewas more thanjusta product of a family who didn’t love their children, and he’d done it all by himself.
Well, he had Nash. Fox told me a little bit about Nash’s childhood andhow their shared experiences with shitty fathers had only made them grow as friends.
They werebothan inspiration.
We visited the cemetery both days, spending a few hours sitting onJessie’s bench with the sun beating down on us as we spoke about everything from our favorite cartoons when we were kids, to how Fox and Nash started their business.
When we returned home, we’d either spend time with me readingaloud to Fox, or with him attempting to help me as I made fresh bread to go with our dinner, and sweet treats for afters.
Learning about Jessie had brought us closer together. My heart wasfull with the love I held for Fox, and although Fox had always said we had a future together, I was finally starting to believe it.
For the past two mornings, I’d been woken up by Fox, who’d presseda light kiss on my forehead as I slept, before he headed down to spend an hour doing lengths in the pool.
The first morning he’d gone out to the pool, I’d jumped out of bedwhen I heard splashing to find him gliding smoothly through the water, his strong arms and legs powering him with ease.
I watched in awe, admiring how damn attractive he looked while heswam, and when he got up early the next morning to go for another swim, I quickly got out of bed to watch him.Thatwas when an idea formed. An idea I had when Fox’s words spun in my head.
‘The best way to deal with a memorythathaunts you is to take awayits power. Facethatmemory head-on and reclaim it. Change it into somethingthatmakes you feel the opposite of what it used to make youfeel.’
I’d enlisted Savannah to help me with my idea, hoping like hell myplan wasn’t going to backfire.
When Fox kissed me the next morning, I waited for the sound of himdiving into the pool to ring out before I hopped out of bed and ran to the wardrobe where I’d hidden my new two-piece swimsuit.
I’d asked Sav to find me the sexiest swimsuit she could, and shedidn’t disappoint.
Tiny, glittery black triangles barely covered my breasts, held in placeby a thin string I’d tied around my back and neck. A flush crept over my cheeks when I slipped on the bottoms, spinning to catch my reflection in the mirror and finding my ass cheeks were on full display as the thin string didverylittle to cover me.
I gave myself a once over in the mirror, pushing away the little voicethattold me I was stupid for trying this. But I had to try. Fox had replaced the memory of Dwayne in the shower room, I wanted to replace the memory of him finding Jessie dead in the pool.
Summoning up every ounce of courage, I made my way through thehouse and out to the pool, ignoring my self-conscious need to run back to the bedroom and cover up.
Fox didn’t break his stride as I approached. He’d told methatwhenhe swam, it was the only time he could turn his brain off, and only think about the pain in his body as he pushed himself.
I could relate tothat. Baking was something I did to quieten my mind.I’d have to concentrate on getting the measurements right, and it was one of the few times I didn’t have to think about anything but what I was doing inthatmoment.
Reaching the shallow end of the pool where three long steps led intothe water, I waited for Fox to do his return length. He was halfway back to where I stood when his head whipped up.
At seeing me, his measured strokes turned to thrashing as he tried tofind his feet, his head dunking under the water for a second.
“Fuck me,”he spluttered when he managed to stand. His eyes rakedup and down my body, tingles erupting over my skin everywhere his searing gaze hit.
Slowly, he waded through the water, droplets sliding over hissculpted chest and abs, making my mouth salivate. I would have givenanythingto run my tongue over his delicious body.
Before he could climb out, I took the three steps into the pool to meethim, the water warmer than I’d expected as it hit my legs. When I stepped off the last step, the water only came up to the middle of my thighs.
“New rule, baby girl. From now on, you only wear this around thehouse,”he said, when we reached each other, his eyes darkening with lust as he stared at my breasts.
“You like?”I replied, turning in a circle to show off my ass.
“I fucking love it,”he growled seductively, grabbing me and lifting meinto his arms. He cupped my ass as I wrapped my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck.“NotthatI’m complaining, but is there a reason you’re wearing practically nothing other thanjustto tease me?”
