suddenly dawned on her that if she said yes to Aidan, she wouldn’t only be doing it to get herself pregnant. No, she would also be doing it because sex with Aidan would be exciting and fun .
And after all these years, Ellie deserved to have some fun. Didn’t she?
And speaking of fun, she thought as she grabbed her towel off the sand, her girlfriends would be in the bar at seven o’clock. With a determination she hadn’t felt in a while, she wrapped the towel around her waist and walked briskly toward home. If she took a speedy shower and dressed quickly, she could meet the girls in time to buy the first round of drinks.
*
Aidan never saw the sneak attack coming. In retrospect, he figured that’s why they called it a sneak attack.
It was two days into his California visit and his cousin Cameron Duke was throwing a pool party in the backyard of his home overlooking Dunsmuir Bay. Aidan lazed on a comfy raft in Cameron’s pool, a cold beer perched in the handy bottle holder. The cacophony of kids screaming joyfully, a dog barking, Sally taking orders for sangria, all faded into the background as Aidan tried to remember how long it had been since he’d been able to relax like this. Six months? Longer? Hell, the corporation had been in high gear and he’d been working nonstop for the last year at least.
The sun was warm, the water cool, and as the noise level began to die down, Aidan wished again that he’d brought Ellie with him to California. She would’ve enjoyed herself and fit right in with this lively crowd. But more than that, he wanted her with him right now, here in the pool, her body wet and slick against his….
Suddenly without warning, the air was filled with screeching banshees as a giant gush of water exploded all around him. Seconds later, more water engulfed him as kids and grownups cannonballed into the pool from every angle.
“Hey!” He scrambled off the raft, grabbing the beer bottle as pool water surged from one end to the other, splashing the deck and creating a mini-tsunami.
“Good save,” Brandon shouted above the uproar of the skirmish. “Never waste a perfectly good beer.”
Aidan laughed. “My philosophy exactly.”
Brandon was the biggest of the three Duke brothers, a former star quarterback in the NFL. Sitting on his broad shoulders was Samantha, his brother Cameron’s adorable, curly-haired three-year-old. She laughed and splashed and occasionally smacked the top of Brandon’s head like a conga drum.
Abruptly, little hands latched on to Aidan’s shoulders. He turned and found Jake, Cameron’s five-year-old son, grinning maniacally at him.
“Piggyback ride!” the little boy cried.
“Uh.” Aidan looked around to see if there was a parent nearby. The pool was filled with them, but they were all busy with the other kids. Damn. Aidan was on his own.
“Okay, kiddo,” Aidan said. “Guess you’re stuck with me.”
Jake didn’t seem to mind. “Go! Go!”
“Okay, okay,” Aidan muttered. “Hold on tight,” he warned as the boy climbed onto his back. Then Aidan glanced around for somewhere to put the beer bottle he’d saved only moments before, setting it down safely on the flat tile surface that surrounded the pool.
He took off slowly and jogged around the pool, being careful to keep Jake’s head above the water line. Looking around, though, he wasn’t sure it mattered. All these Duke kids swam like fish, even the youngest ones.
After a few minutes, Aidan glanced back. “Had enough?”
“Nope,” Jake said, slapping Aidan’s back. “More.”
A half hour later, Aidan came to a stop on the shallow-end steps. “I’m worn out, kiddo.”
“Okay, you better rest,” Jake said. The little boy wrapped his arms around Aidan’s neck and hugged him, pressing his cheek to Aidan’s. “Thanks, Uncle Aidan.” Then he hopped off and swam away.
Aidan swam to the side of the pool and grabbed his beer, refusing to admit how much he had enjoyed the squirmy little
And after all these years, Ellie deserved to have some fun. Didn’t she?
And speaking of fun, she thought as she grabbed her towel off the sand, her girlfriends would be in the bar at seven o’clock. With a determination she hadn’t felt in a while, she wrapped the towel around her waist and walked briskly toward home. If she took a speedy shower and dressed quickly, she could meet the girls in time to buy the first round of drinks.
*
Aidan never saw the sneak attack coming. In retrospect, he figured that’s why they called it a sneak attack.
It was two days into his California visit and his cousin Cameron Duke was throwing a pool party in the backyard of his home overlooking Dunsmuir Bay. Aidan lazed on a comfy raft in Cameron’s pool, a cold beer perched in the handy bottle holder. The cacophony of kids screaming joyfully, a dog barking, Sally taking orders for sangria, all faded into the background as Aidan tried to remember how long it had been since he’d been able to relax like this. Six months? Longer? Hell, the corporation had been in high gear and he’d been working nonstop for the last year at least.
The sun was warm, the water cool, and as the noise level began to die down, Aidan wished again that he’d brought Ellie with him to California. She would’ve enjoyed herself and fit right in with this lively crowd. But more than that, he wanted her with him right now, here in the pool, her body wet and slick against his….
Suddenly without warning, the air was filled with screeching banshees as a giant gush of water exploded all around him. Seconds later, more water engulfed him as kids and grownups cannonballed into the pool from every angle.
“Hey!” He scrambled off the raft, grabbing the beer bottle as pool water surged from one end to the other, splashing the deck and creating a mini-tsunami.
“Good save,” Brandon shouted above the uproar of the skirmish. “Never waste a perfectly good beer.”
Aidan laughed. “My philosophy exactly.”
Brandon was the biggest of the three Duke brothers, a former star quarterback in the NFL. Sitting on his broad shoulders was Samantha, his brother Cameron’s adorable, curly-haired three-year-old. She laughed and splashed and occasionally smacked the top of Brandon’s head like a conga drum.
Abruptly, little hands latched on to Aidan’s shoulders. He turned and found Jake, Cameron’s five-year-old son, grinning maniacally at him.
“Piggyback ride!” the little boy cried.
“Uh.” Aidan looked around to see if there was a parent nearby. The pool was filled with them, but they were all busy with the other kids. Damn. Aidan was on his own.
“Okay, kiddo,” Aidan said. “Guess you’re stuck with me.”
Jake didn’t seem to mind. “Go! Go!”
“Okay, okay,” Aidan muttered. “Hold on tight,” he warned as the boy climbed onto his back. Then Aidan glanced around for somewhere to put the beer bottle he’d saved only moments before, setting it down safely on the flat tile surface that surrounded the pool.
He took off slowly and jogged around the pool, being careful to keep Jake’s head above the water line. Looking around, though, he wasn’t sure it mattered. All these Duke kids swam like fish, even the youngest ones.
After a few minutes, Aidan glanced back. “Had enough?”
“Nope,” Jake said, slapping Aidan’s back. “More.”
A half hour later, Aidan came to a stop on the shallow-end steps. “I’m worn out, kiddo.”
“Okay, you better rest,” Jake said. The little boy wrapped his arms around Aidan’s neck and hugged him, pressing his cheek to Aidan’s. “Thanks, Uncle Aidan.” Then he hopped off and swam away.
Aidan swam to the side of the pool and grabbed his beer, refusing to admit how much he had enjoyed the squirmy little
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