Stripped Down (31 page)

“What the hell are you doing, you weirdo?” I pushed at his shoulders, but it was useless because I was literally frozen to the wall and he was so much bigger than I was.

“Getting you wet.” He flashed me a dirty grin. “I think you missed it the first time around.”

Shit. “No,” I lied. “I totally got it. I just chose to ignore it because of the presence of the innocent.”

“I know, I know. I come off like a devil, but really—”

“Beckett Cruz, you’re as innocent as a hooker in a porn studio. Stop your nonsense.”

He laughed and gripped my waist. “Come on. Get changed and get in. She wants to have fun with you.”

“I don’t have much of a choice now, do I? I’m soaked.”

He waggled his eyebrows.

“My clothes are soaked,” I clarified. “And don’t do that again. Unless you’re talking about a shower, a vagina should never be soaked.”

Another laugh. “Hush up, Blondie.” He touched his fingertip to my lips, his indigo eyes losing a hint of their playfulness as he lowered his voice. “CiCi thinks you’re sad again. That’s why she wants you to play. And I think she’s right.”

“I’m just... You know. Thinking. About everything.”

“Sweet baby Jesus, woman. Haven’t you learned? Thinking isn’t good. Especially not what you’re thinking about.”

“I know. I just can’t help it.”

“Look at me.” He turned my face so my eyes were fully on his. “Stop. Stop overthinking. We made a deal. It won’t be easy, but we can do it.”

“I know. Just...habit.”

His gaze was strong and unwavering and had me completely captivated. “No. You’re mine, Cassie Cruz. That isn’t changing. There isn’t a single part of your fear we can’t work through to make this work. Do you get that? You’re mine, no matter how unconventionally. You’re mine, and so is that little girl out there drowning my yard with pool water.”

Then he pushed his lips against mine, putting the action behind his words. My hands rested at his waist as he cupped the back of my neck and kissed me deeply.

“So turn off your brain, grab your swimsuit, and get your ass in that pool. You have two minutes to get changed, and I’m watching you.”

“Or you’re gonna throw me in the pool?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.

“You’re cutting into your time, Blondie.”

“That’s not fair! I’m still trapped!”

He stepped back, holding his hands up, and made room for me to go around him. I gave him one final glare as I snatched my bag up and dug my bikini out. I’d only packed it just in case, but I hadn’t thought I’d actually need to use it.

Ugh. I hated swimming. I just wasn’t a water person.

Still, I got changed under the watchful eye of Mr. Wet and Sexy. I knew for a fact I’d gone over the two-minute time frame he’d given me, but maybe he was being kind since he had me pinned to the wall for half of it. Although, judging by the mischievous glint in his eye, he wasn’t done with me.

I didn’t know if I was excited by that prospect or not.

Probably a little more than I should have been.

I tied my bikini top around my neck into a bow before dropping my hands. “There. Done.”

“Mhmm.” His gaze danced up and down my body. “Can you turn around?”

“No. I’ll walk down the stairs before you. We’ve already been up here too long.” I skirted past him and to the stairs.

His gaze burned hot on me as I walked down them, and within a minute, I was at the bottom with CiCi in my sight.

Beck wrapped his arms around me from behind, trapping me yet again. “What time will she go to bed?”

“Uh... Seven thirty. It’s a school night. Why?”

“Seven thirty... Three hours... Okay.”

“Why?”

He brushed my hair to the side and positioned his mouth by my ear. “Because then I’m going to fuck you so hard you have no doubts about being mine.”

Well, then.

“I’m holding you to that,” I warned him, turning my face toward his.

“Good.” He kissed me quickly then loosened his grip so his hands were on my shoulders instead of his arms being wrapped right around me. “Go now, before she comes looking for us.”

“Your switch from dirty to concerned is quite impressive.”

“I’ve been taking tips from you, filthy girl. Now, go.” He quite literally guided me out of the house and down the deck.

The sun was still hot, so the stone path burned the bottoms of my feet a little, but the second I reached the edge of the pool and Beck released me, the cooler water soothed them.

“Mommy! Are you getting in?” CiCi looked up at me, excitement shining out of her gaze.

“Yep. Just let me sit down and—”

I flew forward through the air, landing in the water with a huge splash. Luckily, I closed my mouth before my head dipped under. When I resurfaced, gasping for air, the sound of CiCi’s and Beck’s laughter mingling together told me I’d been played .

One way or another, I was going to have been thrown in the pool.

“You absolute meanies!” I gasped, brushing my wet hair out of my face.

“Yep.” Beck grinned and jumped into the pool.

Water sprayed all over me, and the moment his head popped up, I splashed water at him right back.

“My turn!” CiCi climbed out of the pool using the ladder a few feet away from her.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I said slowly.

Beck winked. “Three, two, one....”

She jumped.

My heart skipped into my throat.

Beck caught her under the arms, and his muscles bulged as he kept her head from going underwater.

She giggled. “Silly Mommy. Beck always catches me!” She wriggled out of his hold and swam over to me, giving me a great big hug. “I’m gonna do it again!”

“Do you have to?” I asked her wearily. Mom-brain told me that, eventually, he wouldn’t catch her.

“Don’t worry,” he reassured me as she swam to the other side of the pool. “I played football in high school. I never miss a catch when I see one.”

“Was that another double entendre?”

With a grin, he leaned over and kissed me quickly.

“Ewwww!”

“Oh, stop it, you,” Beck said, holding his arms out.

She jumped, and he caught her again.

“What do you think Flynn and Rapunzel do? They kiss!”

CiCi screwed her face up, looking up at him. “But Disney doesn’t make the sloppy sounds.”

“Like this?” Beck made a kissy face and smacked his lips together repeatedly.

“Yes! Yuck!”

“Yuck? This?” He smacked a huge kiss onto her cheek.

She made a sound halfway between a protest and a giggle, but he did it again on the other, then her forehead, until he was peppering giant, smacking kisses onto her cheeks and her forehead.

I couldn’t stop laughing. It was the craziest sight, seeing this big, sexy man holding my little girl while making deliberately loud kissy noises to gross her out.

“Mommy!” she shrieked. “Mommy, make him stop! Sloppy! Beck! Noooo!”

It would have been more convincing if she hadn’t been giggling her head off like she was being tickled half to death.

“Okay, okay! Coming!” I waded through the water and grabbed her from Beck—just to do the exact same thing to her.

She howled with laughter again, splashing crazily as I planted kiss after kiss on her gorgeous face.

“Mommmmy!” she laughed breathlessly. “Stop. Noooo...”

I gave her one last, much gentler kiss on the tip of her nose and beamed at her. “Silly little one.”

She frowned at me, but she quickly turned her ire to Beck. “You owe me a donut.”

“I do?” His eyebrows shot up. “How’d you work that out?”

“I’m very upset, and if you upset me, you must buy me a donut. That’s the rules.”

I scratched behind my ear. That was a new one—and no doubt created specifically for Beck. I shook my head and mouthed, “No! It’s a trick!” but he either ignored me or didn’t see my warning.

“All right... Krispy Kreme after school tomorrow?” he offered.

CiCi grinned and kicked out of my hug. “It’s a date!”

Oh boy.

This was going to be a rough ride if he was falling for that one.

“She totally played you on the donut. You’re so far wrapped around her pinkie finger that it’s a wonder you’re not permanently spiraled.” I poked his upper arm. “I can’t believe you fell for that.”

“What was I supposed to do?” he asked over his shoulder, pouring a glass of juice.

“Listen to me when I warned you.”

“How did you warn me? I saw no Mayday signal. Not even a Morse Code attempt.”

“How would I possibly be able to do Morse Code in a pool?”

“I don’t know. Show your tits for a dot and your pussy for a dash?”

I blinked at him. “You want me to flash my naked body at you in an interpretation of Morse Code?”

“Okay, fine. Just the tits. Left for dot and right for dash.”

“I’m not flashing you my boobs because you’re a sucker for Ciara’s games. Not to mention you didn’t make a deal for just one donut.”

“What do you mean?” He turned and slid me a glass full of orange juice, and we walked into the front room. “She said I owed her a donut. That’s one.”

“Right. Now, look me in the eye and tell me you’re going to walk out of there with her tomorrow after school with just one donut in a box for her,” I demanded, sitting on the sofa.

“I will,” he said, looking at my nose and sitting next to me.

“I said my eyes, Beckett.”

“Beckett. Now, I’m in trouble.”

My lips twitched. “You’re not in trouble. It’s more effective to use a full name when you want someone’s attention.”

“Hmm,” he mused. “Now, I understand why, sometimes, she’s CiCi and, sometimes, she’s Ciara. And why my mom always called me Beckett when I was in trouble. Still does.”

My lip twitch turned to a full-on grin. “Are you still afraid of your mom? Aww.”

“Don’t start with me, Blondie.” His glare was playful.

“You don’t talk about your family. Do you see them often?”

His eyebrows lifted. “You want to know about my family?”

“Well... Sure. I mean, if we’re doing this”—I motioned awkwardly between us—“then I should. Right? You know about mine. Not that there’s much to know. But still. We don’t have to. If you don’t want to.”

“I never said I didn’t want to. I’m surprised you asked, but I’ll tell you.” He rested his arm on the back of the sofa. “What do you want to know?”

I bit the inside of my cheek and then said, “Everything.”

“Whoa. Okay.” He set his juice down on the coffee table and leaned back on the sofa. He ruffled his fingers through his damp hair and looked up thoughtfully.

I, meanwhile, tucked my feet beneath my butt, to the side, and waited for him to talk. He was thinking hard, and while he did, I stole the seconds to look at him. Really look at him. With his deep-blue eyes and his long, curly eyelashes. With his pouty, pink lips whose taste was permanently ingrained on mine. With his sharp jawline and rough yet neat stubble.

I think I’m falling in love with this man. Really, really falling.

The thought jerked through my mind. It was thought gently, but the reality was blunt because it was true. I was so falling for him. I wasn’t even teetering on the edge anymore. Nope. I’d walked right off the edge of the Cliff of Doubt, ready to fall straight into the Sea of Beckett.

I knew that, once I reached it, I’d drown in him.

Surprisingly, I was totally okay with that, because secretly, I was already drowning. So maybe I was there already.

“All right. Here’s a summary.”

A summary? How damn big was his family?

“I’m an only child, but my mom is one of six, and all of her siblings have at least two kids, so it never really felt like I was an only kid growing up. My cousins were always around, and so was West.” He paused. “I was definitely the one who always got into trouble, but they all hated me because I didn’t need to study hard to pass tests until the last couple of years of high school. I was that kid.”

“I’m not surprised,” I told him. “You’re that adult now.”

“Hey.” He tugged on a lock of my hair. “Watch it, Blondie.”

“Am I wrong?”

“No.”

“Then shut up and keep going.”

He shook his head, but he did anyway. “I’m not the oldest out of my cousins, but I was the first to get a degree, and I was also the first—and only one—to get my clothes off to help pay for said degree. I’m not sure my mom has forgiven me for that yet, but she didn’t complain when I bought her a car for her fiftieth birthday in January, so maybe she has.” He laughed.

“Where does your family live?”

“Everywhere. I grew up in Reno because my parents met here in Vegas when my mom was doing a pageant. My dad went to college here. She managed to get accepted at UNLV, and the rest was history. My dad grew up here, but my mom’s originally from Nashville. That’s where they are now. I have family everywhere though. It’s hard as hell to keep up with everyone, which is why my parents host a yearly family reunion. Unfortunately, they’re not optional.”

“They can’t be that bad.”

“Most of my cousins have kids, and half of them are brats. It’s a nightmare. I hate every second.”

“Liar. I can see that you don’t at all.”

He smiled and ruffled his hair again. “Yeah. I dunno. I’ve always been the fun Uncle Beck to them. They’re pains in the fucking ass, for sure, but they’re all great kids. They’re the only people in my family who didn’t grill my ass about being single when we had this year’s reunion.”