Page 26 of Summer Nights (The Kingston Brothers #3)

Chapter Twenty

Cooper

After our second round of minigolf, I took Ivy home. She looked exhausted, and as soon as we got home, she went into the bedroom for a nap.

While she was sleeping, I cut chicken and pineapple to make kabobs, then covered it in a spicy cajun seasoning. I cut up a watermelon I'd purchased earlier in the week and grilled the kabobs.

I hoped by the time she woke up, the food would be ready. Then I had plans to take a dip in the pool. I wanted to teach her how to swim, but I also wanted to touch her.

Resisting Ivy was impossible, and I didn't want to anymore. As soon as she was wet and pliable in my arms, I needed her to ride my cock in the pool.

I wanted to be so close to her that she knew in her soul that I was the one for her. The plan was partially selfish because I couldn't keep my hands off her. But there was a bigger plan. One I hoped would work.

When the meat was done grilling, I set it on the table and grabbed the linens my mom bought as a housewarming gift when I moved in. I never had any reason to use them before. I thought Ivy would appreciate them.

I lit a few candles down the center of the table, bringing out the vase of fresh flowers I'd bought earlier in the week from the grocery store.

The flowers and candles added to the ambiance of the outdoor space. I lit the tiki torches around the pool.

I wanted Ivy relaxed and focused on me. Not worried about the future or what anyone would think. At the end of the day, it was just us. We made this baby, and we were creating our future. No one else's opinion mattered.

I was filling the glasses with lemonade when the slider opened.

"What are you doing?" Ivy asked, her voice rough with sleep.

I turned to see that she'd brushed her hair, but her eyes were puffy. She wore the same dress from earlier, the one I wanted to lift over her head to see what she wore underneath. But first, I needed to feed her. "I made dinner."

Her eyes widened as she took in the table. "I can see that."

I pulled out a chair for her. "I hope you like grilled chicken and pineapple."

"Who doesn't?" she asked as she sat and let me push her closer to the table. Her gaze followed me as I moved to sit across from her. I piled kabobs on her plate and spooned watermelon cubes into a bamboo bowl before passing it to her.

"Everything looks delicious."

"I thought our date day called for a special dinner. Not that this is anything fancy."

She looked around. "You lit candles and the tiki torches. It feels intimate and cozy."

Her face was illuminated by the candles, and her skin was flush from her nap. She was gorgeous, and I couldn't believe she was here with me.

Convincing her to move into my place hadn't been easy. Getting her to this point was the most difficult thing I'd ever had to do. And I wasn't about to give up now. Every day, things became clearer for me. She was the woman for me.

"This is really nice. Thank you."

We dug into our food, talking about the day and how she was feeling.

Ivy played with her glass. "Spending time in the heat did a number on me."

"I was wondering if you wanted to take a dip in the pool after dinner." I figured the water would feel good on the aching muscles she'd been complaining about recently as her body stretched to accommodate the baby.

"I think that would feel good."

I played music over my speakers. It was rare for me to have any guests. I always saw Shep out or at his house. The family tended to congregate at Mom and Dad's, so it was nice to entertain her here.

When Ivy bit into the pineapple, she moaned, and my heart skipped a beat. "There's just something about grilled pineapple. I can't resist."

"Feel free to eat whatever you want. I cooked more than enough for the two of us."

"Mmm. I'll take you up on that." She licked pineapple juice off her finger, and I wasn't sure I was going to survive this meal.

I adjusted myself, hoping she didn't notice my discomfort. Watching a woman eat wasn't supposed to be sexy.

I almost wished I had ice cream so I could watch her lick it again. Or better yet, whipped cream so I could eat it off her body.

I fanned myself with the napkin. "Do you think it's hot out here?"

"A little," Ivy admitted.

I got up to turn on the overhead fan. I needed to finish eating so I could dunk myself in the pool. We resumed our meal, and when we were done, I placed the leftovers in a container in the fridge, leaving out the watermelon to snack on.

I'd already put on board shorts, so I pulled my shirt over my head and dove easily into the deep end. When I emerged, I brushed my hair back, noting that Ivy was watching me closely. I trod water. "Come in."

She nodded before standing up and lifting the dress over her head. She only wore a sheer bra and matching panties. My mouth was dry because she was essentially naked.

I could have asked her about a swimsuit, but I didn't have the heart to tell her to cover up. I loved this side of Ivy, the one who was the confident seductress. Who wasn't always worried about the connection we might form by being together.

She stepped off the edge into the water in the shallow end, not even getting her hair wet.

"Come here," I said gruffly.

She arched one delicate brow. "I'm not a strong swimmer."

"I want to see what you can do, and I've got you." I reached my hand out to her, and she glided through the water. She kicked off the side of the pool, then started to sink. She moved her arms awkwardly.

I moved toward her, my hand going to her stomach. I lifted her so that she'd feel the sensation of floating. Her arms paused in the water.

I wanted to unhook her bra. But I needed to teach her how to swim first. "Can you roll to your back? I'll be right here the whole time."

She nodded jerkily before she flipped over. Her butt started to sink, but I quickly placed my hand on her lower back, supporting her.

"Remember what this feels like so you can find this position on your own. You can always roll to your back and float. It saves energy."

"I don't want to be stuck out in the ocean and needing to do this."

I frowned. "But if you find yourself in deep water, you'll know what to do."

Her gaze found mine, and it felt like she was drawing strength from me. She was always so confident. It was attractive to see her vulnerability. I was pleased she didn't push me away or refuse to do any more.

"You can use a kickboard to get used to actual swimming." I helped her move to shallow water and then grabbed the kickboard I'd placed there earlier in anticipation of a lesson. I handed it to her. "Do you know how to use it?"

"I put my hands here and kick."

"That's right." I helped her get the right grip on the foam and then showed her how to stretch out her body and kick with stiff legs.

She mimicked my movements, and I kept pace next to her.

When she reached the end of the pool, she held onto the edge. "I can't believe I swam the whole pool."

"Why don't you do one more round? You can do that every day to build endurance, and once you're comfortable, we'll do it without the kickboard."

Her nose scrunched. "Won't I be too big to do this soon?"

"Exercise is okay as long as you're not feeling dizzy or lightheaded. You ready to go back?"

She looked across the water, her face filled with determination. "Yeah, let's do it."

I waited for her to push off the wall and then swam next to her, prepared to step in if she struggled. She made it back to shallow water and regained her footing.

"What did you think about that?" I asked, taking the kick board from her hands.

"That wasn't bad, but the kickboard is keeping me up. I don't know how to do that without help."

"We'll practice every day until you get it without assistance. It's similar to finding your balance on a bike."

She smiled. "Now that I learned early on because it was my main source of transportation."

"Your mom bought you a bike?"

"My neighbor had outgrown his. It was a boys' bike, but I didn't care."

I sat on the seat that was on the edge of the pool and pulled her toward me. "How are you feeling?"

"A little tired but good."

I settled her over my lap, running my hands over her back. "You're a good student." I'd expected more pushback and fear of the water. But she was brave.

She shrugged, drawing my attention to her hard nipples. "I need to learn."

"It's a necessity if you're going to be around water. We'll need to get a fence around the pool too."

"Yeah, I already looked into it. It's pricey."

"I'll get it." I almost said because this is my house, but I didn't want her to feel like a guest. I wanted her to believe this place could be hers too.

She frowned. "You shouldn't have to pay for everything when it comes to the baby."

"I'm not." She'd offered to pay me for half of the nursery room furniture, but I told her to save the money in case she needed to buy her own set.

I'd won that battle, but I wasn't sure how much more she was going to fight me on everything.

I cupped her breasts, brushing my thumbs over her nipples.

"I don't really want to talk about baby stuff right now. "

Her mouth fell open on a gasp as she pressed her breasts into my hands. I reached around and unhooked her bra. "No one else can see you. We're secluded here."

She nodded, and I loved that she trusted me.

I sucked on one nipple, tweaking the second with my fingers. Her hands tangled in my hair as she gently kept me pressed to her breast. She moved over my aching dick. But my shorts were still between us.

I let go of her nipple, and she slid off my lap so that she could tug my trunks off. She threw them away from us so that they floated in the water. I'd have to remember to grab our clothing later.

Then she removed her panties and slid over me, her bare pussy gliding over me again. I cradled her ass, helping her move over me. I wasn't going to last long if she kept it up.