Page 13 of Bellini Born

Both of my hands flew to my head, and I tugged on my hair. This was all my fault. I was so busy trying to numb my own pain that I couldn’t be the father she needed. A year ago, I would have been in that pool with her, letting her splash me in the face because it made her laugh. Not only had I cost this precious girl her mother, but my selfishness may just very well cost my daughter her life.

My chest ached like I could feel every single one of the compressions the lifeguard administered.

When my prayers went unanswered, I decided to appeal to the one woman I hoped with all my might was somewhere up there acting as a guardian angel.

Allegra, please. I promise to do better if you send her back to me.

Within the span of the next heartbeat, Bianca’s tiny torso lurched with a gurgling cough before water spewed from her mouth like a geyser. Relief washed over me so hard that I almost passed out.

Thank you, Allegra.

Bianca began to cry, and I jolted into action, crawling across the space between us until I held her wet body against my chest.

“Papa.” She clutched at me.

“It’s okay,principessa,” I murmured against her damp hair. “I’ve got you now.”

A feminine voice spoke nearby. “I take it you’re the one responsible for this little girl?”

Clearing my throat wasn’t enough to remove the emotion that colored my words. “Yes, I’m her father.”

“May I ask where you were while she was drowning at the bottom of the pool?”

Several gasps rang out, and my head whipped up at her accusatory tone. The woman may have saved my daughter’s life, but she was walking the fine line of disrespect.

But the sharp reprimand that sat poised on my tongue died there when my eyes landed on the stunning creature kneeling opposite me. Now wasdefinitelynot the time, but I couldn’t stop myself from drinking in the sight of her.

Big blue eyes that I could get lost in.

Thick, damp, golden hair that barely brushed the top of her shoulders.

Plump, pink lips that would look perfect wrapped around my cock.

A lean but muscular frame, featuring curves in all the right places.

And skin. So much fucking creamy skin on display in her two-piece lifeguard bathing suit.

Only one word came to mind when I stared at her: gorgeous.

Struck mute by her beauty, all I could do was stare as she continued to scold me over my negligent parenting.

“You’re lucky she has dark hair, or else I wouldn’t have even seen her down there.”

Shaking out of my stupor, my brows drew down. “What?”

“Do me a favor. When you get home, toss that suit. It almost got her killed.”

I peeked down at my daughter, scanning the aqua swimsuit she wore. Confused out of my mind, I asked, “What’s wrong with her suit?”

The lifeguard scoffed, rolling her pretty blue eyes. Gesturing toward the pool off to our right, she explained, “Take a look. It’s the same color as the water, which made her damn near invisible. You want colors that stand out in contrast. Hot pink, neon orange, red, or even black.”

“Uh.” I gripped the back of my neck, feeling like an idiot. “Yeah, I guess that makes sense.” Frowning, I remarked, “We have a pool at home, so I’m not really sure how this happened.”

“Of course you do. And let me guess, you always outfit her with little water wings or some other type of flotation device,” she challenged, head cocked to the side.

Temper flaring, I snapped, “So what if I do?”

“Think about it. You’re a little kid. Every time you jump into the water, you stay above the surface. Parents think they’re keeping their kids safe, but instead, those floaties create a false sense of security. Little ones need to understand the dangers of the pool, and the best way to avoid a situation like this ever happening to your daughter again is to invest in quality swim lessons.”