Page 34 of The Love Obsession (Bloody Desires #11)

Zayn laughed. “I don’t know, pumpkin. There’s height restrictions. They might not let you on any of the big slides.”

She pouted up at him. “But, Zee, I’m a big girl now.”

He crouched down to her height and pressed a kiss to her forehead, and I melted like a goddamned popsicle in summer heat. He had me all tied up in knots. A flutter in my chest had me shifting at the weird feeling.

“I know, pumpkin, but rules are rules. We must abide by them.”

I held in a snort at the irony of that statement from him, and he glanced up at me with a secret smile before turning his attention back to her.

“How about we start at the kids’ slides, okay? Then if you’re ready, we can go to the wave pool or the lazy river?”

She heaved a massive sigh before nodding. “Fine.”

I pressed my lips together to stop a smile breaking through.

She squeezed my hand as Zayn stood before dragging us in the direction that I was sure belonged to the adult slides.

So, Zayn turned us around and guided us toward the children’s area.

As soon as we arrived, Ginny shook free of us and rushed toward the other kids, her excitement as intense as a tidal wave.

Zayn chuckled and tilted his head toward a cement table that someone had vacated.

We snatched it up before anyone else could, and he dropped the soft bag he was carrying on his right shoulder onto the table.

Inside were all kinds of items, including towels, sunscreen, bottles of water, and our wallets.

He’d been a lot more prepared than I had, but I’d never been to a place like this.

“We’ll give her half an hour here, and then we’ll move on to the wave pool. Usually, the lazy river is after lunch, once we’re full and can’t move.” He winked.

This entire trip was strange. As adults supervising Ginny, what were we supposed to do?

As if answering my question, my phone buzzed, and I pulled it out of my pocket.

I smiled when I saw it was Pandora. We’d been texting since the night at the motel.

Before I left, we’d exchanged numbers. I’d made a friend and I liked having someone to talk to.

She’d slotted her name into my phone under her nickname.

Panda

Send sexy shirtless photos of you and Zayn. And a cute one of Gins.

I laughed and took a selfie. Zayn eyed me in amusement but didn’t say anything as he pulled out a book he’d been reading. It was true crime, which I’d thought was fucking hilarious when I’d first seen him with it.

I sent the photo to her.

Panda

So hot. If I was a man, I’d want to see your anaconda.

I groaned as I crashed onto the seat beside Zayn. She had no filter, which always had me laughing or smiling, but sometimes also made me feel hot in the face, too.

I typed back an answer.

Keaton

Anaconda? Really?

Panda

Cobra? Rattlesnake?

I shook my head.

Keaton

Your insane.

Panda

You’re*

I huffed. Yeah, I had no fucking idea what the difference was between the your words, but Pandora was a grammar freak.

I didn’t take her corrections as an insult.

The first time she’d done it, she’d apologized and said she was obsessive over correct spelling and it had nothing to do with me, and I liked her honesty.

At least she never treated me as dumb. She explained that it was her problem, not a me thing.

Panda

Sorry! I did it again.

“Want some sunscreen on your back?” Zayn asked, drawing my attention away from my phone. “We’re going to be here all day, and I don’t want you burning.”

My dick twitched at the thought of his hands on me, and I forced down the sexy fantasies that wormed their way into my brain.

I turned my back toward him as he pulled out the sunscreen.

As soon as his palms rubbed the cream into my skin, my legs turned to jelly.

I was glad I was already sitting down. He massaged with strong fingers and my muscles went weak under him.

“Enjoy that?” He murmured low enough that only I could hear him.

I swallowed, focusing on the crowd around us and reminding myself we were in public. Ginny was at the top of a small orange slide, and she waved excitedly down at me, and we both returned it. Focus, Keaton. Fuck. I couldn’t get turned on here.

As if taking pity on me, Zayn was quick at slathering on the sunscreen, making sure he got all the spots on my back before instructing me to turn around so he could do my chest. Facing him and staring at his handsome face was even sexier, so I had to slam my eyes shut and think about where we were as he rubbed me down.

Finally, the torture was over, and once he’d smoothed sunscreen over my face, he laughed. “You can open your eyes, boy. I’m done.”

I blinked them open and glared. “Mean.”

His laughter doubled and he plopped a kiss on my lips.

I tensed, fear freezing my gut as I glanced around, but no one was watching.

They were all too focused on themselves to care about us.

I was in a different world. Lakeview was hell, and now I was in a better place.

It was a strange concept to accept. I was safe here.

Sure, there’d be homophobic assholes, but I was in a good place.

The thought made me smile.

“Zee, Bubba! Watch me!” Ginny’s eager yell made me chuckle as we looked at her at the top of the slide.

She had a mat that an attendant had given her and once she pushed off from the top—the slide wasn’t that tall or big—she came flying down into the pool below. She screamed in happiness, and Zayn and I smiled.

“I’m going to go again, and then we can go to the wave pool, okay?” She didn’t give us a chance to respond before she was racing up the stairs.

My heart got light, but in a way that made my chest expand. Happiness. Was that what it really felt like? I glanced at Zayn, who was on his phone texting someone who could’ve been Hannibal because I gave Zayn his number earlier. I could never have turned him in to the cops. Ever.

“I love you,” I whispered.

Zayn’s wide-eyed gaze jumped up to my face and his mouth popped open in surprise.

I smiled and said it louder. “I love you, Daddy.”

His eyes glittered and he dragged me into a deep, toe-curling kiss. “I love you, too, boy. So very much.”