I quietly walk closer to the bathroom because I want to hear what Jocelyn says.
“I really like him,” Jocelyn whispers.
“I knew it. He likes you, too. I heard Mom tell Unca Bray that you definitely like him, and then Unca Bray said that he liked you. So, you should get married and have a baby, so I have someone to play with in the hot tub. Oh, and for blowing bubbles,” Ava adds, and I hear a choked laugh come from Jocelyn.
“OK, uh, thanks. I’ll take that into consideration,” Jocelyn manages as I walk into the bathroom.
“Did we pick out a book?” I ask.
“Mr. Hutch!” Ava protests, pretending to be offended that I just walked in on her tub time, even though I’ve sat by the tub a million times with her. I turn around, and she gets out, and I hear Jocelyn drying her off and putting on her pajamas. For a kid that I’ve bathed since she was three, she certainly has become shy about this lately. It makes me a little sad that she’s growing up. I liked having a little kid around. Kids are fun. They let you be childlike, which doesn’t happen often as adults.
“You can turn around,” Ava says as she brushes her teeth. The words come out mumbled, but I manage to understand. I spin and find her watching herself brush in the mirror.
I look over her at Jocelyn. Jocelyn is watching me, and with the look she’s giving me, I just want to toss Ava in bed and hurry back to our guesthouse. Carly found a baby monitor in a closet and set it up so we can listen in on Ava from the guesthouse after she falls asleep. She assured us that once Ava is out, she’s out, and we could swim in the pool or watch a movie in the guesthouse, and it’ll be fine. I suppose since the two dwellings are connected by a covered walkway, it’s sort of the same house, but I’d feel better waiting until someone gets home.
“Come on,” I urge, and she rinses her mouth and scrambles into bed. We read her two chapters, and she falls asleep before we start chapter three.
We quietly make our way downstairs.
“So you like like me?” I tease.
“You heard that, huh?” Jocelyn says as I pick her up and toss her over my shoulder.
“I like like you too,” I reply, slapping her ass as I carry her through the house.
The front door suddenly opens, and Al, Cornelia, and Margie stop in their tracks.
“We’re back early. Cornelia wanted to get a good night’s sleep,” Margie says as she looks at us.
“Great. Ava is sleeping upstairs. Have a good night,” I state as I whisk Jocelyn through the house and out the back door.
“Oh my God! That was embarrassing,” she says with a laugh. “Put me down. I need to shower. I didn’t get a chance after the pool.”
I slowly set her down once we’re in the guesthouse. I follow her into the bathroom and watch as she starts stripping.
“You just gonna watch?” she asks.
“Nope,” I reply as I start pulling off my clothes. “I like to be hands-on.”
And just like that, I follow her into the shower because this woman isn’t just a princessa mermaid, she’s a freaking siren.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Jocelyn
I watch as Hutch turns on the water. OK, I drool with a gaping mouth. I’ve never seen him completely naked before and…well, wow.
“Close your mouth. It’s unbecoming of a princessa,” he teases.
I roll my eyes as I attempt to close my mouth. “I’m not a princessa,” I grumble. It’s funny that Ava called me that, but it feels silly. I’m anything but a princess.
Hutch opens the giant glass door of the shower and tugs me inside. He cups my jaw and lifts my face as water runs down his back, and steam swirls around us.
“You’re my princessa,” he says quietly, his thumb stroking my cheekbone with such reverence that I feel like my heart skips a beat.
“Kiss me,” I whisper, needing a distraction. If he’s any sweeter, I might either burst into flames or cry.
His lips crash down on mine, and he drags me up his body. I wrap my legs around him as he pushes my back against the cool stone tiles of the shower. I feel all of him, every muscle, every hard line, and definitely his monstrous erection. Viking warriors have nothing on this man.
