But nothing has changed. I may have saved her from the water, but I can’t save her from her father’s disapproval. He’s a stubborn man. There’s no way he’ll ever accept me and her together. That’s why she walked away from me last night. Because even though she wants me, she can’t make the choice between me and her father.
It’s an impossible situation that I don’t want to be in, but the fact is, I am in it. I hold her close to me and savor the moment. She’s coughing, still a little flustered by the whole thing, but as she rests her head against my chest, I realize she wants to be in my arms as much as I want to hold her.
“Stella!”
I look up to see her father running toward us. I help her onto her feet and he hugs her while I step back, trying not to be angry that he’s come between us once again. I clench my fists and tighten my jaw. The more I try to escape him, the more he shows up.
“Are you alright?” he asks her, holding her by her shoulders. She coughs again but then turns to me with a smile. Even with her hair wet and her bloodshot eyes from the salt water, she still looks like the most beautiful woman in the world to me.
“I am...thanks to Jaxson. He saved me out there.”
Sam looks at me with his lips pressed into a thin line. I can see he’s not pleased that I’ve showed up again, but he can’t really tell me to get lost after what just happened. Maybe I can play this into my favor.
“Thank you, Jaxson. I appreciate you helping her out.”
“It was nothing,” I growl. “I’d do anything for her.”
Anger flashes through his eyes and she blushes. I know I’m playing a dangerous game, but she’s my woman. I’m just being honest.
“Well, thank you. I can take care of her from here,” Sam says. I cross my arms over my chest and raise my eyebrows. He’s not getting away that easily. The more he wants me to leave, the more I want to stay and show him that I’m serious about pursuing his daughter. I know she has doubts, and I sure as hell don’t want to be in this mess, but here we are. He’s not backing down, but neither am I. I’ve waited a lifetime for Stella to come into my life. And now that she’s here, there’s no chance in hell I’m letting her go.
“It’s alright. I’ve got nothing else to do,” I say, glancing down at Stella. She blushes again, as I catch her looking at me with longing in her eyes. She wants me to stay, I can tell. I clear my throat.
“You know, we should all go to dinner,” I say quickly. “I’d love to get to know your daughter, Sam. It’s been years since we last caught up. What do you say?”
“I think that’s a great idea,” Stella says quickly. I can see she doesn’t want to give Sam a chance to say no to the suggestion, but her eagerness has caught his attention. He glares at us both, clearly trying to piece together why we’re both so desperate to reconnect. But I’m not giving anything away, yet.
“I look forward to it. I’ll meet you both at the hotel restaurant at eight pm,” I say. Before her father can protest, I stalk away up the beach, my heart racing. I know it’s a risk going to dinner with Sam present. With the way I feel about Stella, it’s going to be nearly impossible to keep my hands off of her. But if I can make it through dinner, rebuild bridges with Sam and get closer to Stella, then maybe I can pull this off.
I can make her mine for good.
CHAPTER SIX
Stella
I’m beginning to think this dinner with Jaxson and my dad is a terrible idea. As much as I want to spend time with Jaxson and get to know him even better, with my dad in the mix, there’s no way he’s not going to notice the sexual tension between us. It’s undeniable. Our bodies seem to be magnetized, drawing close to one another whenever we see each other. And after what happened by the pool last night, my body responds in other ways too. Just thinking about him, wet and turned on beyond belief.
I try to concentrate on getting ready for dinner, but even as I dress and put on my makeup, I think about Jaxson. I wonder if he’ll approve of the black dress I’m wearing. I hope he’ll like the way I look in red lipstick. I’m hoping he’ll be drawn to my eyes even more than usual now that my lids are covered in a silvery eyeshadow. All I want is for him to keep looking at me, keep wanting me, keep craving the things we’ve yet to do.
But with my dad at dinner, how are we going to hide the desire between us? How are we going to pretend that the dinner is just an innocent way for old friends to reconnect? My father is stupid. If he sees the spark between Jaxson and me, he’ll never let me see him again. He’d probably disown me if he ever found out what we did too...or what I want to do the next time I’m alone with Jaxson.
I want him to be the one to take my virginity. I’ve guarded it for so long, waiting for the right man to sweep me off my feet and make love to me the way I deserve. I know
