Axel snickers as he yanks me off of him and releases me into the water. “Good luck with that, sweetheart.” He switches to business mode, ignoring any other protest. “So, learning how to float is the first lesson. It might sound crazy, but if you relax, your body will naturally float to the top.”
I’m only waist-deep in the water and know I’m taller than the level, but the idea of getting horizontal has my heart beating marathon fast. All I see is choking and drowning because it’d be my luck that when I try to get out of the float, my head will go down instead of my feet. My height would do me no good in that situation. My feet can’t breathe.
“Relax?” The longer I look down at the water, the deeper it looks. “How in the hell am I supposed to do that?”
“Trust us.”
“Us?” Does he have company he didn’t tell me about?
“Me and you. I wouldn’t allow you to hurt yourself. You know that, right?”
“Right,” I answer slowly. “But it’s still scary.”
He places my hands on the edge of the pool. I’m shivering by the time he straightens me.
“Relax, you’re in control. Release the tension to allow yourself to float. Push out, hold on but stretch your arms.”
I feel his hands bracing my torso. I don’t like it, but I’m not as panicked as I was the last time I tried.
Axel drops a kiss on my shoulder. “Very good.”
I manage to make it through the lesson without threatening to kill him or dying. Although I refused to let go, I was able to put my face in the water.
“Baby steps,” he told me as we climbed out of the death den, hell hole he calls a ‘pool.’
I didn’t complain when he congratulated me with a kiss that renewed my outdoor sex fantasies. It’s short-lived because he receives a call from Beau. I don’t know who he is, but he’s usually the reason Axel disappears for an ‘important’ call.
While drying off, I notice my phone is blinking, indicating I have alerts. I’ve grown to hate alerts, but I check anyway—text messages.
Unknown: Really! A cease and desist?
I have no idea who it is or what he or she is talking about. I opt to ignore it. Moving on, I find a new text from another number I don’t recognize.
Unknown: You’re so pathetic. You have nothing better to do than try to make my life miserable!
I’m starting to believe my number was somehow leaked when I see the third text is also from a number I don’t recognize.
Unknown: DON’T IGNORE ME. I know you’ve seen my texts! I tried to call from my phone but you blocked it. What’s wrong, can’t have black men in your phone anymore? Is white boy concerned I’ll want you back?
Ah, Dre. Whew, he really needs to find something to do. I want to respond so badly, but he’ll just twist it just like that interview.What cease and desist?I wonder if there’s trouble in paradise already? Or maybe he’s really that self-centered that he did think I flew my black ass to Hawaii to get him back? It’s funny how the thought of getting back with some exes makes my stomach hurt. He’s at the top of my list.
“Hand it over,” Axel demands after appearing out of nowhere. I hate it when he does that.
He has my phone before I can react, Axel’s face darkens in anger as he scrolls the messages. His mood lightens when he looks at me. Axel pecks my lips before he pats me on the ass.
“Go get dressed, baby. We have a plane to catch.” I stare at him for a moment. I don’t know if we really have somewhere to be or if this is that rich people shit.
“A plane?”
“Yes. We’re going to Houston.”
* * *
I can’t sayI’m mad at this private jet life. Shiiiiid. I have everything I need to travel in style and three hours don’t feel long enough. I hate the reason for the travel, but stretching out in this comfortable-ass chair with the sexiest man I’ve ever seen in person gazing at me with dirty thoughts flashing in his eyes while I drink high-quality alcohol, is the best way to do it.
“Why are we going?” I try the same question again now that he’s finished emailing.
“I have some business meetings. Also, I thought it’d be fun to fuck you in your bed for once, then I can look into your fan club.”
