Page 18

The water splashes around me as I launch cousin Ivanka’s youngest son into the air. His delighted shriek travels far, and even more children come splashing over, eager to play.

I laugh as one of my nieces, Alisa, crawls up to my neck and tries to push me underwater. She’s so tiny and light, but for fun, I pretend to go under and drown. Little kids shriek and laugh, then pull me up with gentle hands, talking about how I might be dead.

I burst out laughing. “Tricked you!” I say to Alisa. “And you!” I tickle Yara. “And tricked you to!” I turn to tickle Kira.

Playing with the kids is an absolute delight. I feel at peace, my mind remains fully present, and I feel truly free. There’s something about being around kids that makes me forget all that I consider important and reevaluate the meaning of life itself.

Feeling a little thirsty now, I leave the children under the watchful eye of the lifeguard and swim over to the edge where bottles of water lie. I grab one and down it swiftly and am about to kick off and return to the kids.

But I stop when I see her.

Lilibeth is walking out of the main house with Tatiana and Katya. The bottle slips from my hand, and I quickly retrieve it, placing it back on the ledge while keeping my eyes on Lilibeth the entire time.

She wears a sage green bikini, the color highlighting the green in her eyes.

In the bright afternoon sun, her skin glows like honey.

And her skin lies stretched near naked in front of my eyes, the bikini barely covering her beautiful, soft body.

Her top stretches in two triangles across the generous swell of her breasts, and the bottom rises and dips in at her waist, stretching across every inch of her rounded hips.

My attention narrows to the gentle sway of her hips as she walks toward the pool.

My mouth goes dry. My blood rushes south with such force that I realize it would be a bad idea to get out of the water. As long as I stay in the pool, no one will know how she’s affecting me.

She has no business looking like this. God, it makes me furious to see her dressed like that, within reach, and unable to do anything about it.

To her. My mind disappears into a haze of fantasy, where it’s just me and her, in a private pool somewhere.

She walks over to me, just like that, and I glide my hands up her thighs as she enters the pool.

Once inside, I slide my hands up her spine, and she arches her back to me.

That’s when I rip off those thin excuses for straps, and her bikini top comes free, her breasts dancing in my face, soaking in the sun.

“Uncle Agafon!” A small hand tugs at my wrist. “Again! Throw me again!”

I blink, momentarily disoriented, remembering where I am.

I groan involuntarily upon noticing that Lilibeth now sees me.

She gives me a smile and a small wave, cocking her hip as she stands.

I can’t help but flex every muscle as I nod back.

Her eyes widen just a little, and my nephew tugs on my hand again.

I look down, and the child stares up at me expectantly, and I realize I've been standing motionless.

“Later,” I tell him, gently. “Go play with your cousins.”

The boy pouts but swims away, already calling to the cluster of children something about how Uncle Agafon is being boring. I turn back just in time to see Lilibeth walking toward me, her eyes still on me.

She smiles again, and that gorgeous, precious dimple appears on her right cheek. Then she's intercepted by Tatiana, who draws her into a group of cousins.

Lilibeth laughs at something someone says. Her laugh is musical, uninhibited. It makes heads turn, draws people in to focus on her. I watch as one by one, my family gravitates toward the group, then shifts focus to her.

Even Aunt Lilia, who literally never makes an effort with the younger generation, hovers at the edge of the conversation and chuckles at something Lilibeth says.

Chuckles! And when I see Aunty Lilia clasp Lilibeth’s hands in her own and say something, and when I hear Lilibeth’s loud, confident voice travel over, saying that of course she’d love to meet for tea, I’m absolutely dumbfounded.

No one can charm Aunt Lilia enough to get that coveted invite for tea. Except Lilibeth, that is. Behind my wife, Tatiana and Katya exchange excited looks of disbelief. They, too, are as shocked by this development, it seems.

But that’s Lilibeth. She remembers the little details, asks the right questions, and radiates a warmth that melts the coldest hearts. To see her charm the socks off my family fills me with pride.

“Uncle! Watch me!” Another child performs an awkward dive nearby, sending water into my face. I nod in acknowledgment, which is apparently sufficient encouragement.

Within seconds, he forgets all about me and turns to show off to his cousins.

When I look back, Lilibeth has moved closer to the pool's edge. Our eyes meet again, and she pauses briefly, turning red. I realize then that she’s feeling shy and unsure.

I wave her over in response. My pulse quickens as she nods in acceptance and steps down the ladder into the water, her body disappearing inch by tantalizing inch beneath the surface.

I swim toward her, and she swims toward me with confident strokes. We meet somewhere in the center of the pool, and it takes every ounce of self-control not to grab her by the waist, not to pull her close and feel her skin against mine.

“I was beginning to think you were avoiding me,” she says in way of hello, her smile immediately making those dimples appear again. Droplets of water cling to her hair like diamonds.

“I was entertaining the children.”

“I noticed.” Her eyebrows quirk upward. “It was interesting.”

“Interesting?”

“Seeing you convert into a human jungle gym. You know?” She pretends to ponder. “I must say I didn’t think you had it in you.”

“Oh, that part of me is only for the children.” I flick my eyes toward them for a moment.

“Of course,” she nods. “God forbid you let your playful side come out with the adults.”

“The adults I’m surrounded with are naughtier than you think. Someone has to keep them in line.” The moment I say it, something in the air changes. The way I called people naughty was a mask.

What I meant was, she’s naughty . She looks naughty , all dressed up like that, knowing I can’t do shit.

My eyes flick over her again, her eyes, her face, her hair, down to the crevice between her breasts. Again, I feel that heat crawl below my abdomen, and I bite into my inner cheek to stop myself from groaning out loud at the sight of her.

She doesn’t notice me soaking her in, though. Of course she doesn’t. She’s too innocent.

She pushes wet hair from her face and cocks her head in my direction. “Speaking of naughty, why didn’t you tell me about today’s party?”

I go back to maintaining eye contact, refusing to let my gaze drop to where the water laps gently against her collarbone.

The question catches me off guard, making me wonder why she asks. Does she feel bad that she wasn’t invited? Does she want me to invite her to such things? “You were visiting your brothers. I didn't want to interrupt your family time.”

“Oh, Agafon,” she sighs. Hearing my name on her lips with such gentleness is my undoing. “You’re my family, too.”

I shrug. “We have an agreement.”

“Well, maybe the arrangement needs adjusting.” She moves closer, her legs occasionally brushing against mine from the force of the water. Each touch sends electricity through my body. “Your family is my family now, isn't that how this works?”

I frown. “Okay…”

“What I’m saying is, let me know. I’ll make the decision on how to juggle things around. Besides, the more the merrier, right? Now, I’m almost sad.”

“Sad?” I inquire.

“Yes, sad!” Her smile is all innocence, but there's a glint in her eye that's pure mischief. “Had you told me earlier, I would have been here from the start and joined my siblings for dinner instead. A whole day and night of drinking? Sign me up!” She swims closer and playfully smacks my chest.

But she doesn’t swim away. She knows exactly what she's doing to me. This sunshine personality hides a streak of deviousness that I'm beginning to appreciate more than I should.

“You’re quite the party animal, aren’t you?” I say hoarsely, allowing my gaze to finally drift downward, taking in the curves barely concealed by the water.

Her cheeks flush, but she doesn't swim back. Rather, she inches closer. “Oh, I have quite the endurance.”

Her breath tickles my neck just as someone accidentally pushes into me, forcing me closer to her. To stop myself from losing balance, I grip her waist, and her eyes widen momentarily. Then, to my surprise and agony, she slides her hands around my neck.

The water between us feels charged, as though someone has dropped a live wire into the pool. We've circled each other for days now since that explosive kiss. But here, suspended in water, the tension that's been building threatens to snap.

Her pupils dilate as I meet her gaze, her breathing quickening visibly. Beneath the water, my hand moves of its own accord, fingers extending toward the soft curve of her waist.

“Agafon,” she whispers, my name on her lips sounding like a plea.

We're close enough now that I can feel her breath against my face. Her eyes drift shut, her body seeming to sway toward mine despite the water's resistance. My fingertips brush against her skin underwater, just at the edge of her bikini bottom, and I feel her shiver.

One more inch and I could taste her lips. One more moment and my hand could slip beneath that bottom fabric to explore the softness I’ve been dying to feel. My body feels a need so acute it borders on pain.

A high-pitched squeal cuts through the moment, followed by a chorus of children's laughter from the shallow end. The sound jerks me back to awareness. We're at a family gathering. In broad daylight. Surrounded by my siblings, their children, and God knows who else watching from the patio.

I pull back abruptly, creating distance between us. Lilibeth's eyes flutter open, confusion and disappointment flashing across her features before she composes herself.

“The children need to be checked on,” I say in a dry tone, giving away the itch I feel.

“Of course,” she murmurs, her eyes searching mine. I nod and swim away, as fast as I can, as far as I can go.

It’s only to check on the children, I tell myself. I’m not disappointed that we were interrupted. I’m not frustrated that I didn’t get to taste her lips and explore her body and put the ache between my legs to rest.

I’m not.

Or so I tell myself.