Page 110 of Deacon

‘Not from the water.’ I slid my hand to the back of his neck and pulled him down an inch.

For one suspended second, the beach noise fell silent.

There was only the sound of his breath, the heat between our bodies, and the dangerous, magnetic pull drawing his lips toward mine.

‘Incoming!’

Raff’s voice cut through the air an instant before he splashed into us, kicking up a spray of saltwater.

We sprang apart, then Deacon caught me by the shoulders before the kid could take us both under.

I wiped water from my face, laughing as Deacon pulled our son into a headlock with one arm.

Our eyes met over Raff’s head; the chemistry between us burning as fiercely as ever.

Later, we set up a volleyball net on the dry sand.

Davon and Divina played against Deacon, Simon, and Raff.

Yumi, Christine, and I took beach chairs nearby and refereed the heated competition.

Deacon leaped into the air, his muscular frame twisting as he spiked the ball over his brother’s block to win the point.

Cheers erupted across the beach as my beautiful, gorgeous ex sprinted to my chair, cupped my face in his damp palms, and planted a celebratory kiss on my mouth.

The heat of his lips shot straight to my toes.

As he pulled away with a rakish grin, I caught Yumi studying us over the rim of her coffee cup from her beach chair.

I took a breath, hoping she didn’t think I was leading her son on.

That evening, while the men fired up the grill and then moved on to play on the foreshore, Yumi drew me into the pantry under the guise of looking for the cardamom jar.

‘How are you holding up, Ana?’ she asked, her keen eyes searching mine.

I leaned against the doorjamb and lowered my gaze to the floorboards.

‘It’s a lot, Yumi. The press. The lawyers. It’s freaking daunting.’

‘Do whatever brings you happiness, even if it’s only a little.’

She squeezed my forearm. ‘Cry your heart out if you need to. It’s a process you have to go through. After the storm comes the sun. Believe it. Life must go on.’

She cast a pointed look through the window at Deacon, who laughed with Davon and Raff on the sand as they played beach cricket.

I followed her gaze and sighed, my chest tightening.

‘He’s been a rock, Yumi. I couldn’t have made it through these past few weeks without his support.’

‘My son is a superhero. A great dad. A man of integrity.’

Her tone turned solemn. ‘But there’s only so much pain his heart can take. I love both, Ana, so please tread with care.’

Her meaning was clear.

‘I understand,’ I said, absorbing the gentle warning. ‘I have no intention of hurting him again.’

‘Good.’