Stepping into her comfort zone, he laid a tentative hand on her hip while giving her a questioning look. “And I’d like to again, if that’s okay with you.”
A tiny gasp escaped her full lips and they remained parted, almost begging for him to kiss them. But he wouldn’t this time until she agreed. He should never have kissed her under false pretenses in the first place and he wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.
Her grey eyes searched his face for a moment, looking for the truth, and when she realized it, she smiled. A split second after she nodded, his lips were on hers and they were melting into each other. Her arms snaked around his neck as she pressed her luscious body against his, and he wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her even closer. The soft moan she couldn’t hold back rang in his ears so loudly that he missed the sound of the French doors opening again.
“You are boyfriend-girlfriend!” Blaise roared in triumph, thrusting both of his tiny arms into the air as Wyntir leapt away, her face almost as pink as her bruised lips.
Chapter Six
Stark felt like he was watching an angel cut through the glassy waters as Wyntir dove in. She swam underwater more smoothly than a shark and more gracefully than a dolphin. It boggled his mind that a creature whose entire species was known for fire looked so at home in the water.
“I want to learn to dive like that, Daddy,” Blaise called as he drifted across the pool on a colorful toy noodle.
“Me too,” Stark breathed, eyebrows raised as he lounged against the side of the pool, a warm smile on his face.
Wyntir’s form spun underwater, looking up at Blaise’s little body bobbing on the surface. She wove her way toward him, and before he realized what was happening, she ambushed him from below and lifted him out of the water by the waist.
His high-pitched squeal of delight nearly punctured Stark’s eardrums. “Throw me!”
And so she did, gently tossing him a few feet away. He landed with a splash and came up laughing his head off, shouting for more. The scene made Stark realize he hadn’t been this happy and relaxed in years—not since Fara had been healthy—and it was all thanks to Wyntir.
He’d never met a more complicated and contradictory woman in his life. So many layers that shouldn’t have worked together, but in her, they created perfection. Even the occasional stray lock of hair that found its way onto her face seemed to have its place. Those little “imperfections” only added to her flawlessness.
Despite her innate confidence, she never appeared too full of herself. She was a woman who knew what she liked and how to get the job done, regardless of personal differences or difficulties. If he took a step back and was honest with himself about everything she’d gone through in the short time since being assigned as their personal security, she’d more than proven herself to be several notches above any other bodyguard he’d ever hired. And they hadn’t even encountered an actual threat!
One thing he knew for sure was that none of the others would have indulged in pool time with them. And the look of pure happiness on his son’s face as they splashed each other already had him planning their next day off. Maybe next time he’d tempt her with mimosas.
Next time?
Considering how much fun Wyntir seemed to be having, maybe it wasn’t such a far-fetched idea. Swimming in an eternity pool overlooking the Pacific Ocean wasn’t such a bad way to spend a workday, after all. Stark hoped he wouldn’t have to work too hard to talk her into another play day, but he was willing to go the extra mile to convince her.
“I wish I could swim like you, Miss Wyntir,” Blaise said wistfully.
She shot Stark a surprised glance at the moniker, no doubt pleased that a Hollywood kid had some manners. Having been raised by a very normal family in a very normal town, Stark wanted to instill those same values in his son.
“You can, Blaise, if you practice enough,” she said as she treaded water in the middle of the pool. “The same goes for everything in life.”
Blaise studied her for a moment, the little wheels in his brain clicking and clacking away, and then he bobbed his head with a determined expression and took off paddling around the perimeter of the pool. Just as Stark had taught him, he never strayed far enough away that he couldn’t reach up and grab the side. Even so, Stark swam not far behind, just in case, but the boy finished a full lap without an issue. They high-fived to celebrate and then Blaise had a brainstorm.
“That means if I want to dive like Miss Wyntir, I need to practice that too, right?”
“Bingo!” Stark said.
He ducked below the surface of the water and wrapped his son’s legs around his neck before exploding to the surface. Blaise easily scrambled off his shoulders and onto the diving board, just as he’d done a hundred times before. Still, the old trick must have impressed Wyntir because she clapped and whistled her approval.
As he watched Blaise practice his diving form, Stark couldn’t help thinking this moment was what he was built for. Not the swimming, but the quality family time. This day was showing him just how much he’d missed it.
After two long years of mourning his beloved Fara while simultaneously trying to maintain his film career and raise a child on his own, he’d eventually eased back into the dating scene. Naturally a man of his status didn’t have any trouble attracting his fair share of beautiful women, but they’d all left him feeling lonelier than when it had just been him and Blaise. Of course, none of them compared to Wyntir.
While Blaise practiced his diving, Stark paddled over to where Wyntir lounged near the steps. She kept her eyes trained on the boy, but he could sense she was fully aware of his proximity.
“So,” he started, “you never told me why you became a bodyguard. Besides wanting to beat up bullies, which…ya know… Fair enough.”
Her lips pressed together as if she was trying not to smile. “I’m afraid the answer isn’t quite so noble, but it’s very simple. Someone told me I couldn’t. Not sure if you’re aware of this, but girls are told they can’t do something a lot more than boys. Especially if they happen to like pink.”
It suddenly made a lot of sense why she’d had a problem pretending to be Blaise’s nanny, and Stark felt a stab of guilt in the gut that a skilled dragon like Wyntir probably noticed.
“Your family didn’t support your goals?” He was shamelessly and hopelessly interested in knowing every little thing he could about her.
She snorted in response. “Um, no. My dad was hoping I’d mate some high-powered dragon and my mom still doesn’t understand why I didn’t become an actor.”
“Seems to me you’re right where you belong,” he mused, treading water in front of her.
It was hard to tell because of her dark sunglasses, but he was pretty sure she shifted her gaze away from Blaise onto him. “Right back atchya.”
She turned her face back to Blaise, leaving Stark to wonder what exactly she meant. Acting? Fatherhood? Being close to her? He had a feeling she’d always keep him guessing.
“Here’s the big question,” he said, his expression turning serious. “Meat, yay or nay? I have some incredible locally sourced, organic franks I was going to throw on the grill for lunch, but if you have dietary restrictions, I always keep some good faux-meat hot dogs on hand, just in case.”