She nodded. “Yes. But the deep end. . .”
“For a start, we’ll stay down the shallow end and go from one side to the other,” he reassured her.
“All right. I still don’t see how I will win.” They were both amazing swimmers. She still couldn’t go into the deep end without clinging to Caleb like a monkey.
“Well, if you don’t win, you don’t get a reward,” Aleki told her.
“Reward?”
Aleki chuckled. “Told you that her competitive nature would win out. If you beat us then we eat you out. Both of us. That’s two orgasms if you win.”
“And if you win?” she asked suspiciously.
“Blow jobs,” Aleki replied with satisfaction.
Caleb rolled his eyes, but there was some excitement in his gaze.
“You’re on.”
Thirty minutes later, she was exhausted and she was down five to one. That meant she owed them each five blow jobs.
But they each owed her an orgasm. And she’d even managed to do one length of the pool. Although instead of competing against her that time, they’d stayed right beside her. Which was the only way she’d won.
But she was taking it.
“I won one! I won one!” She was standing in the shallow part of the pool and dancing around in victory. She swung her hips from side to side then realized she probably looked like a fool dancing in her floaty.
However, when she looked over, both men were watching her indulgently.
Aleki climbed out of the pool then ran and jumped into the air. “Cannonball!”
She laughed at the huge splash he created. Caleb just shook his head, but he was grinning as well. Aleki swam under the water and popped out in front of her. She squealed in shock as he shook himself like a wet dog.
“Papa, no!”
“What? I just came over for a kiss. Kiss. Kiss.” He puckered up his face so he looked like a fish and she giggled as she dove for Caleb. He grabbed her, putting her behind him.
“Kiss. Kiss.”
“No! No!” she screamed with laughter as Caleb helped her dodge away from Aleki’s outstretched hands.
“Guys!”
She didn’t hear Wolfe approach at first, she was too busy laughing.
“Guys!”
Caleb stilled and she glanced up at Wolfe, about to ask when he was coming in when she saw his face. It was still, emotionless, but his eyes were intense.
Oh God. What now?
“It’s her father. He just held a press conference. He’s named his lieutenant governor. I think you need to come see.”
Two minutes later, she was shivering as Wolfe brought the news feed up on the laptop. Aleki and Caleb sat beside her on the couch. They each had a towel wrapped around them, but hadn’t taken the time to dry properly.
The news feed played. She didn’t pay much attention to the words. But as the man who was taking William’s place came onto the screen, she stiffened.
“Oh God. I don’t understand.”
“What is it?” Caleb asked sharply.
“That . . . that’s the mystery man.”
39
Wolfe watched her for a long moment before walking into the playroom. He wasn’t the most aware person, he knew that. But from the way she was frowning as she read the book, he could tell something was wrong. She held Piggles in one hand and occasionally rubbed him up against her nose. Her forehead was puckered like she had a headache.
“Something the matter with the book?”
She looked up, startled.
“We need to work on your situational awareness,” he told her.
“Huh? What?”
“Being aware of your surroundings.”
“Oh.” She frowned. “I’m used to always being aware. I guess I’ve grown to feel safe here.”
Satisfaction filled him. He liked that she felt secure here. That she knew they would keep her safe. Last evening, after her father’s press conference, she’d been kind of quiet. They all had been. This was a development no one had expected. Wolfe had stayed up half the night doing research on their mystery man, finally coming into her bedroom while she slept between Aleki and Caleb.
“Should you be reading if you have a headache?” he asked her, crouching down next to her.
“It’s not too bad. Guess I’m a bit tense.” She sat up straighter. “Did you find something more out about the mystery man?”
He didn’t like how stressed she was. They were supposed to be keeping her stress levels low. Although he had a feeling that wouldn’t happen until this mess with her father was settled.
“No. Nothing new. According to all that we’ve learned, Roger Mitel is an upstanding citizen with no links to your father or to William that we can find.”
It was bizarre. There had to be some link but whatever it was, they were missing it.
“I don’t get why my father would name him as his lieutenant governor,” she said. “I could tell someone that he threatened me.”
“Question is, would anyone believe you?”
Her shoulders slumped. “Likely not. Especially since my father implied that I’ve had a breakdown.”
He had to admit that was a smart play.
“Come on, we’re going out.”
“Go out?”
“On a date.” He figured it was a good way to distract her from her thoughts. “And you’re still owed a reward from the other day when you were a good girl and let Obian tend to your burn.”
He glanced around the playroom. It was still so generic. And she hadn’t really touched any of the toys. Just the paints and coloring pencils.
Maybe she didn’t like the toys he’d chosen. Maybe she wanted to pick her own.
“You like that book?” He nodded to the book in her hand.
“It’s really good. Caleb said it’s your favorite?”
“Actually, my favorite is this one.” He drew out another book. “This one is about some firemen and EMTs who are all Daddies. They’re all in menage or reverse harem relationships with their Littles. It’s the same author.”
“Oh, I’ll read this one after I’ve finished.”
He stood up then held out his hands to her. “Come on.”
Vivi looked around her eagerly. She hadn’t realized how much she needed to get out of the house until they’d driven away from the palace. They were in the back of another luxurious black car.
Wolfe glanced over at her. “I hope I’m doing this right, I’ve never been on a date before.”
She tentatively touched his hand with hers. “I’m sure it will be wonderful. Just being with you is enough. Anything else is icing on the cake.”
He studied her for a moment then gave a nod.
She stared out the window. It was amazingly beautiful here. Lots of white buildings and palm trees.
“I still can’t believe that there’re no skyscrapers here.”
“No one is allowed to build them. You’re only allowed to go up a maximum of five levels.”
She liked that.
They went around a bend in the road and before her sparkled the ocean. White sands. Blue water.