I look down to see my hand wrapped around the boy’s upper arm. Shit. What kind of degenerate am I for thinking about pounding this kid’s sister in the ass while trying to teach the kid how to swim?

I grab the floating noodle and hand it over. “Use this and kick your feet around.” I move away to give Colby room and find myself by Summer, making sure my damaged side is away from her view. She might say I look fine, but there’s no need to push my luck. Extended viewing of my scars always made my mother upset.

“Do you know how to swim?” I ask, wondering if I could survive a lesson with her. Probably not. The moment I saw her in a swimsuit would be the end of it. Her hot little body encased in Lycra with the tips of her nipples turning into needle points begging for a mouth to suck on them? I’d have to lay her out on the tile and fuck her about fifty times before we could get into the pool. My cock twitches in excitement, and I have to fight the urge to reach down and take hold of myself. Wonder what it would feel like to have her watch me as I jacked off? Would it turn her on? Watching her finger herself would make me so hard my dick would probably break off when I touched it. The image itself makes me lightheaded. She could lean back right here at the edge of the pool, push her skirt up to her waist and expose what I know is a pretty pink pussy.

“You okay, Kale?”

“Huh?”

“You made a sound just then. Like you were in pain,” she says.

I laugh humorlessly. “Yeah. I am in pain. Watch your kid while I do some laps, will you?”

I push away from the edge and dive under the water, hoping to drown my fantasies and my stupid foolish thoughts. This woman isn’t for me, and the sooner I understand that, the happier my existence will be.

16

Summer

I shouldn't be doing this. I tell myself that as I slip from my wing of the house heading toward the kitchen. Swimming knocked Colby out. His head barely hit the bed and he was out like a light. Out with a giant smile on his face. One that Kale helped put there.

I haven't seen him have this much fun in a long time. Kale is good for him. He gives him something I can’t. It’s been a long time since he’s had a male figure in his life. While Kale might have mood swings when it comes to me, with Colby he’s nothing but kind. I need to make sure I don’t mess this up for him either.

The hard part is that my attraction to and curiosity about Kale only grew tonight. Knowing that he cared enough to bring Colby to the diner so he wouldn’t be alone warmed my heart. Then to see that he was jealous that I was with Colten did something else altogether to me. Not to mention when the man put on swim trunks to teach Colby how to swim.

All of those things had to have meant he has some sort of pull to me too. Does he feel it? Does it matter? I let out a long sigh. I shouldn't act on it. It will end badly, and Colby and I will be out on our asses. It would add to the list of disappointments that Colby has had in his life, and I can’t let that happen.

Still I keep moving toward the kitchen. I know he has this place monitored. If he’s watching, he’ll know where I am, and if he wants to see me he’ll come. I can thank him again for watching out for Colby for me.

What if he hadn’t been here when Cana dropped him off? I’m not sure she would have left him to begin with, but you can never be too sure. When I called her she said Colby assured her that someone would be home. It was how he’d gotten back into the house to begin with. She never would have left him otherwise. She apologized, but there was no need for it. He is my responsibility.

When I finally make it to the kitchen, I notice that I’m not alone. The lighting is dim, but Kale sits with his broad back toward me. Is it possible that he is waiting for me?

“Are you hungry?” I ask. He doesn't turn to look at me. “I could make you something. Then you could throw it away,” I tease. He doesn't say anything. I step closer to him. “I want to say thank you again.”

“You’re not to see Colten again and still work here,” he finally says, ignoring everything I just said. That causes me to smile. I know I shouldn’t be happy that he seems jealous, but I am.

“Okay,” I agree. I had no plans to see Colten. My simple answer gets Kale to turn a little to look at me. My eyes are still trying to adjust to the light.

“Do you always follow orders so well?”

“You are my boss,” I point out.

“I told you to stop cooking for me. I told you to stop doing a lot of things, but yet you keep doing them.”

“No you told me not to do them unless…” I lick my lips, my face starting to warm remembering his words from the other night. At least in the dark he couldn't see me blush. It’s much easier to be bold in the dark, I’m finding.

“You want me to fuck your brains out?” At his crude words it’s not only my face that heats. I know he uses them to try and push me away. I should let him, I really should, but instead I lift my hand, needing to touch him. I think he needs it too.

He doesn't stop me when I bring my hand to his face. It’s not the side with scars. As much as I want to touch him there too, I fear he’ll pull away from me again. He leans into my touch, his eyes falling closed. I lean toward him. He’s in one of the hightop chairs at the bar, and with his height, even sitting I still have to go up on my tiptoes to brush my mouth against his.

His eyes fly open, staring into mine. I pause, wanting to kiss him so badly, but I know I shouldn't. I keep pushing when I know I shouldn't. I start to pull back, but he grabs me. His hands go to my hair as he turns his whole body, pulling me between his legs.

“Too late,” he growls before his mouth is against mine. Tingles shoot up my spine. I part my lips, opening myself up for his kiss as he deepens it. I whimper when he lifts me off my feet, putting me into his lap and causing me to straddle him. It all happens so fast. He pulls me closer to him. I cling to him, feeling his hard cock against me.

I`m not sure who is hungrier for the connection. Both of our hands are everywhere. When he pulls his mouth from mine, I gasp, trying to catch my breath. He buries his face in my neck. His breaths are warm against my skin, causing my nipples to harden.

“That was a mistake,” he says. He lifts me easily, sitting me on the kitchen island. He pushes his chair back to stand. “This was all a mistake.” He takes a step away from me.

“You're leaving.” It’s not a question. I know he is.

“Since we established earlier that you can follow directions, I expect you won’t have a problem following this one. Stay away from me.” He turns to leave.

“Or what?” I ask. I wrap my arms around myself, suddenly feeling very cold.

“Or you’ll be moving out of the west wing.” I may not like that answer, but at least I know the consequences of pursuing whatever this is; he’ll fire me. With those words he’s gone, giving me no choice but to do exactly what he asked for.

17

Kale

It’s the sniffling that gives him away. The boy must be catching a cold. It’s the hot outside air and the damn air conditioning, although I’ve got none of that in my shop. It’s hotter than Hades in here, what with the forge running. All the AC in the world wouldn’t be able to cool this place down. For the last three days, I’ve been sweating out my regrets in here in front of the fire and mass of metal that’s supposed to be the signature piece in the upcoming Tate retrospective on forward movement.