Page 108 of Beauty
“Seriously?” Ollie rears back. “Maybe it was the same butterfly. Maybe I’ll see her one day too!”
Without missing a beat, he turns back to his pole and casts the line.
I move to her, like the two of us are tethered, like she’s reeling me in. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
She wrings her hands and licks her lips, her chest rising and falling with uneven breaths.
“Did you really never date his mother?”
I shake my head. “I haven’t dated anyone since you. Hell, I never dated anyone before you.”
Sienna nibbles on her lip, and the action goes straight to my dick. “Are you having fun today?”
I smile. That’s an easy question. “This is the best date I’ve ever had.”
She huffs lightly and rolls her eyes, but she’s smiling. “This isn’t a date.”
I shrug and take another step closer. “Still the best one.”
Her cheeks go pink and her eyes flash with mischief as she leans in close. “Better than when we fooled around while out to dinner?”
Fuck, my heart races at the memory of her in my lap. But the way she looks at me now makes it go absolutely wild.
“Yes, because that wasn’t real. I didn’t know your name then. And our time was limited. You weren’t mine to keep.” A shot of anger courses through me at that last part. Because it’s still true today. “But you here, with my son? This is the dream I’ve had every day since you left me in the Bahamas. Having you here with us? That alone makes it the best day ever.”
“Noah.” My name is a plea on her lips. She’s begging me not to push past the boundary she’s drawn.
I clear my throat and tamp down on the need to pull her into me, to bury my face in her neck and breathe her in. “I know. We’re just friends.”
She frowns, suddenly wary, like she’s not sure we’re even that.
But I refuse to give that up. “I’ll take friends over not knowing you.”
Her emerald irises darken, luring me in, pulling me into their depths. There, hidden behind fear and hurt, is a flicker of hope that tells me there’s a chance that this can be so much more than friendship.
I ignore it. For now. “Okay?”
She nods. “Okay.”
When Ollie interrupts us this time, I’m grateful for it. I need a few seconds to breathe.
As I assist him, I feel Sienna’s gaze on me. As the day goes on, it continues.
I find myself watching her just as often, trying to catch glimpses of the design she permanently imprinted on her skin.
When we return to the hotel, I’m not ready to say goodbye. Though since I’ve avoided the group chat all day, I’m slightly concerned they’ll all be waiting for me in the lobby.
Fortunately, the coast is clear.
“What are you doing tonight?” Ollie asks Sienna as we take the elevator up to our floor.
Her eyes flit to me, then back to him again. “I’ll probably grab dinner at the bar and get to bed early. Spending time in the sun always wears me out.”
He nods thoughtfully, though his next comment is utterly off the wall. “You should come with us to meet my grandpas.”
I cough to keep from laughing. Damn, this kid is too smooth. He’s doing my job for me.
“Your grandpas?” She peeks over at me again. “I thought your dad lived in Boston.”
