Chapter 6

The air in the private cabana was thick, humid with the scent of chlorine and our own sweat, a heavy, intoxicating fog that clung to my skin. We had retreated from the chaotic roar of the wave pool, escaping the thumping bass and the splashing crowds to find this secluded corner of the indoor water park’s luxury section. The ceiling above us was a grid of frosted glass panels, diffusing the light into a soft, aquatic glow, while the walls were lined with plush, water-resistant lounge chairs and thick, terry-cloth towels that still held the heat of bodies previous. But none of that mattered now. It was just me, baby girl, and him. I was sitting on the edge of a sunken, tiled jacuzzi that wasn’t running, my legs dangling slightly over the cool, shallow water. He stood between my knees, his hand resting possessively on the back of my neck, his thumb tracing the line of my jaw. He had just pulled off his swim trunks, standing there in nothing but his briefs, which were damp from the humidity. I looked up at him, my chest heaving slightly, my heart pounding a rhythm that had nothing to do with