‘You’re okay. We’ll take it slowly. I won’t let anything happen to you.’ He repeats the same three phrases until they finally sink in.
I nod. ‘Thank you. You’re very good at this.’
‘It’s my job.’ He shrugs like it’s nothing, but we both know he’s going above and beyond for me. It’s Sunday after all. Surely, he has somewhere better to be.
Does he have a family?
Friends?
I know nothing about him, other than what the press has printed over the years.
I open my mouth to ask before remembering I’m not supposed to care.
‘Look at my hands.’ Ronan clasps his fingers together and curls them into a curved hook. ‘Fingers tight together make the paddle.’ He grabs mine and bends them into the same position as his and drags them through the water.
A tingling sensation surges across my skin, sliding over every vertebra in my spine.
His jaw locks tight.
Does he feel it too?
Or is he simply toying with me with those teasing comments and innuendos?
Either way, it doesn’t matter.
I’m Single Sav. I’ve built a lucrative empire on my relationship status.
And Ronan Rivers is a manwhore.
My single mum followers would feel so betrayed if I started dating again. I’ve always been so vocal about not needing a man. Not wanting one. Even if it’s not entirely true.
My single status is my entire identity. My brand has provided financial security for my girls, but also emotional security for me. It’s a rock-solid wall around my heart, one that I’ve grown exceptionally comfortable with.
Which is precisely why I need to stop salivating over my swimming instructor.
Chapter Seven
RONAN
It’s been almost a week since Savannah’s first swimming lesson. Almost a week of reliving how her hand felt in mine. How her skin rippled under my touch. And how her tits looked in that bikini top. The low-cut maxi dress hugging her curves today isn’t doing anything to take my mind off it either.
She watches from the plastic seats as I instruct Isla and Eden, correcting their breathing technique. Each time I glance around, she glances away, but the burning sensation penetrating my shoulders assures me she’s watching.
I saw a different side to her last Sunday.
A softer side.
She projects this hard exterior, but she must have her reasons.
She obviously dated at some point in her life. The twins are living, breathing proof of it. What happened to her to put her off men for life?
Who’s the twins’ father? I’ve stalked her online, but as far as I can tell, she’s never revealed his identity. Why?
What happened between them?
Where is he?
What kind of man wouldn’t play an active role in his children’s life?
