His mingled scent of salt water and coffee and man is overwhelming. The strength of his arms still wrapped so tight consumes me.
揈liza, if it抯 too much棓
揘o. Not if we stop now,?I whisper, smiling into his lust-lit eyes.
I swear, I could live in this moment forever.
For now, his kiss is enough, and I need to get my soul seated back in my body.
I抦 slowly, reluctantly untangling myself from him and standing when a young voice calls, 揇ad? Dad, where are you??
Moment over.
Cole bolts to his feet so fast I almost topple over.
He抯 too distracted to catch me. I shoot him a glare as I dust sand off my arms and legs, but I can抰 hold too much of a grudge when I see the alarm on his face.
I sit down again a few safe paces away, grabbing the brew pipe.
揇addy! Where are you??Destiny shouts, sounding frantic.
揌ere! Right here, sweetheart.?But by the time he says it, she抯 already found us.
揥hy? Why didn抰 you take me??Destiny stands behind me.
Cole looks at his daughter. 揧ou said you didn抰 like the beach.?
She pouts. 揥e抮e in Hawaii, Dad. I have to try.?
揝orry, Dess. I didn抰 know you were ready.?
I raise an eyebrow. She抯 fifteen and walks to the harbor daily. He抯 acting like she抯 three and she抯 never seen water in her life, but she抯 definitely got this mysterious phobia…
What抯 really going on?
Destiny sighs. 揥ell, I didn抰 know either, but Kate and Uncle Troy棓
揢ncle Troy??Cole repeats, his face tightening into a scowl.
Destiny blinks. 揌e抯 known me since before I was born, right??
揜ight.?Cole nods heavily.
揂nyway, a couple people on the team said they saw dolphins this morning on a boat ride, and I wanted to go see them. But Kate got sunburned, so she couldn抰 come. She said I had to find you, or I couldn抰 go to the marina, so I抳e been stumbling around here looking for like half an hour! So, can we go see the dolphins? Please??
Cole sighs. 揔atelyn Storm needs a raise.?
I laugh. 揥hat? You don抰 compensate her for nanny duties??I whisper. I place the brew pipe and ladder back in the pocket of my sundress and stand. 揅ome on, I抣l take you. Let抯 go see some dolphins.?
揜eally??Destiny claps her hands.
揧ep.?I抦 almost as excited as she is.
Cole gives me a look I can抰 decipher. So many emotions that don抰 match his words when he says, 揂re you still going to let your dad tag along??
揌ell yes! This is the best day ever,?Destiny says.
I smile, slightly more at ease as Cole returns it.
揑 love dolphins. They抮e just big sea puppies,?the girl says excitedly.
揑s there an animal you don抰 love??Cole grumps.
揢m, the ones I抦 allergic to??Destiny says pointedly. 揟hey make me sneeze. Not a big fan of the creepy crawlies with a thousand legs either…？
揧ou love all sea animals,?he corrects.
Destiny grins. 揧eah. I heard there抯 a few rare starfish somewhere around here, too. Can we see them??
揘ot sure. That might require snorkling, Dess. We抣l see how you do on the boat.?Cole gives her a serious look.
揙kay. Sure.?Destiny smiles sheepishly as she links her arm through mine. 揥hat was that thing you had anyway??
揥hat thing??I laugh at the random question.
揑 saw you put a pipe in your pocket, but like, a weird one. Were you smoking??She whispers, pushing her small face to my ear. 揑 won抰 tell Dad if it抯 some weird mini bong but…you don抰 look like a stoner.?
This girl. I burst out laughing.
At least she抯 too young to know about crack pipes.
揑t抯 a new kind of brew pipe. It makes coffee.?
揅offee? No way!?Laughing, she gives me a glance like she isn抰 sure she believes me, but it抯 all in good spirits as she whispers outside Cole抯 earshot again. 揥hew. Here I thought you were trying to get Dad to lighten up and relax. But you were getting him hooked on the hard stuff. He抯 already an espresso fiend.?
揑抦 no fiend of any kind, young lady,?Cole throws back.
But the look he gives me over his shoulder says we both know that抯 a blatant lie.
To me, he抯 a fallen angel, and soon he抣l claim my body and soul.
12
Caffeine Headache （Cole）
Goddamn, I抦 an idiot.
I lost my fucking head.
I take a deep breath, trying to hold it together on the catamaran as it scours the water in search of dolphin pods.
How could I do anything but lose my shit?
She had that adorably ridiculous brew pipe.
Then her adorably ridiculous story about how she fell in love with coffee.
Then the ridiculously not adorable way she straddled me, my hands roaming her ass, my lips mauling hers like a man possessed.