Chapter 29
BELLE
It felt strange to have a good day. Not a dramatic day. Not an emotionally fraught day. Not a day balanced on the edge of bills or grief or secrets.
Just . . . good.
I finished my physical therapy exercises in the morning, took my time in the kitchen experimenting with a lemon tart that may or may not have required more sugar, and then wandered the house with nowhere pressing to be.
For so long, my life had been measured in survival increments. Coffee until shift. Shift until shift. Visit Dad. Count dollars. Repeat.
Now there were pockets of stillness, and I didn’t quite know what to do with them. So I decided to do something indulgent.
I put on a swimsuit. I looked at myself in the mirror in my room. I loved this structured cherry-covered swimsuit. And while I am not a woman who gets hung up on the curves and stretch marks on my body, actually liking how you look in a swimsuit is another step entirely.
The pool sat at the edge of the bluff overlooking the river, sunlight flashing against the water like scattered diamonds. The air was warm but not oppressive, a soft breeze moving through the trees.
I slid into the water slowly. It wrapped around me, cool and forgiving. I floated onto my back and let the sky fill my vision.
This is absurd, I thought. Just a few months ago, I was brushing my teeth in a gym bathroom. Now I was floating in a pool at a mansion. Life is ridiculous.
I swam lazy laps for a while, feeling my knee stretch without strain. It wasn’t perfect yet, but it was strong. Mine again.
The back door opened. I didn’t have to look to know it was him. Raph had a way of carrying his presence like gravity.
“You are supposed to be resting,” he called out mildly.
“I am resting.”
“That is swimming.”
“Look at me,” I said, still floating on my back. “It doesn’t get much more relaxing than this.”
He stood at the edge of the pool, sleeves rolled, tie already loosened. His hair was slightly wind-tossed from the river breeze.
“You could slip,” he said.
“I am in water.”
“You could slip exiting the water.”
I grinned, turning myself upright and resting my arms on the edge near him. “Are you always this dramatic?”
“Only when it comes to you, Ma Belle.”
I reached up and hooked a finger in his loosened tie.
“You could join me instead of supervising.”
His eyes darkened just slightly. “I’m not in swimwear.”
“You own half of Ohio,” I said lightly. “You don’t own swim trunks?”
His mouth twitched. “Of course, I own swim trunks.”
I tugged again. “Well, go get them.”
There was a brief pause. Then he sighed like I’d asked him to commit a minor crime. He disappeared inside.
I laughed to myself.
Two minutes later, he emerged in black swim trunks. And I had to swallow.
Because the man was unfair. Broad shoulders. Muscles that were evident but not defined. He had a powerful body, but not one conventionally beautiful, much like my own. His expression was composed, but his eyes were very aware of me.
He stepped down slowly into the water.
“It is cold,” he observed.
“It’s refreshing.”
He moved toward me with deliberate calm.
“Were you enjoying yourself?”
“Yes.”
He stopped just close enough that our legs brushed beneath the surface.
“And now?” he asked quietly.
“Now,” I said, “I’m enjoying this more.”
His hand slid to my waist beneath the water, steady and possessive in a way that didn’t feel controlling. Just certain.
“This swimsuit is tempting,” he said in a low rumble as he pressed a kiss just behind my ear.
“You love it?”
His thumb traced a slow arc against my skin.
“I do. I really fucking do.”
We stayed like that for a while. Talking nonsense. Arguing about whether lemon tarts should be sweet or tart. Splashing each other lightly like teenagers who had forgotten to be guarded adults.
The back door opened again. Geoffrey stepped out, impeccably dressed as always, holding a phone. “Sir.”
Raphael turned slightly but didn’t remove his hand from my waist.
“Yes.”
“Chandler has called twice.”
Raphael’s jaw tightened faintly.
“What does he need?”
“There is an issue with the Philadelphia property,” Geoffrey continued evenly. “He suggests you may need to travel.”
I watched Raphael carefully. A few months ago, he would have been gone before the sentence finished. He looked at me. Really looked. Then back at Geoffrey.
“I believe Chandler is capable,” he said calmly.
Geoffrey’s eyebrows lifted slightly.
“Indeed.”
“If he requires counsel, he can call.”
“Yes, sir.”
There was a faint pause. Then Geoffrey’s mouth curved almost imperceptibly. “Very good, sir.” Satisfied. He turned and walked back inside.
I stared at Raphael. “You just skipped a business trip.”
“I delegated.”
“For me?”
He tilted his head slightly. “I’d do just about anything for you.”
The word settled warm in my chest.
The river moved gently beyond us. The house stood tall behind us. But for once, it didn’t feel like I was living in someone else’s world.
It felt like we were building one together.
After we had spent some time in the water, we decided to get out but spend some time poolside. I was lounging in one of the chairs when Raph went in to get us something to drink.
After a moment, he came out carrying two glasses filled with a fizzy pink drink.
“What did you bring us?” I asked, sitting up to take the drink from his hand.
I took a sip. It was cool, fizzy, and refreshing. There was a floral flavor that was delicious, but I couldn’t quite place it.
“It’s a white wine spritzer with Cherry Blossom syrup.”
“Holy shit. Raph, this is so good. I didn’t even know that was a thing.”
“I tried some on my last trip to Japan and brought some home,” he said before taking a drink from his own glass.
“I never thought I would see you drinking a spritzer poolside. You’re more a jillion-dollar whiskey, neat, in a room full of serious things.”
He leaned back and stretched out his legs. “While I can’t say I’ve ever had a jillion-dollar whiskey, I see where you're coming from, but I like to drink for the occasion. Sitting poolside with a beautiful woman called for a lighter drink.”
I looked at him, and I couldn’t fight the smile spreading across my face.
“What?” he asked, the serious expression I’ve come to know returning.
“You just surprise me sometimes, is all.”
I watched him for a moment, lying on the lounge chair, doing nothing but enjoying the warm summer weather with his eyes closed. The way his chest was still slightly glistening with water droplets was almost too much to look at.
It struck me then. He’d given me so much pleasure. His mouth, his hands, his impressive cock, all of it in all kinds of ways.
I sat up with one thought in mind. It was time I returned the favor. I looked around and saw that we were in a secluded corner. None of the windows of the house were in sight. Which meant, if we couldn’t see them, they couldn’t see us.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
He moved to sit up. I leaned over and put my hand on his chest, pushing him back down. He looked down at my hand on his chest and back up at me, still trying to figure it out.
But as I moved one of his legs aside and crawled between them, he got the idea.
“Belle,” he said barely above a whisper.
“Do you want me to stop? Or do you need to be in charge of this, too?”
“No, I believe I’ll let you handle this,” he said, scooting down in his chair.
I reached into his pants and pulled out his already hard dick. I wrapped my hand around it and pumped. His cock was . . . beautiful. Could a cock be beautiful? I had never thought so, but there was something special about his.
I leaned down and licked him.
He muttered something in French as he gripped the arms of his chair.
When I looked up at him, I found him watching me with an intense gaze.
And I’ve seen this man give many intense stares, but this one was different.
I swirled my tongue around the fat head before sucking more of him into my mouth.
He dropped his head back in a groan, and I felt like I’d won the fucking lottery.
I began to work my head and suck him. His hand fisted in my hair, and he began to guide my movement.
I popped off and sat up. “Ah, ah ah, Mr Renault. I’m in charge now.”
His eyebrow shot up, and his lips parted. It was as if he couldn’t figure out what to do. I loved keeping the man who was one step ahead of everyone else on his toes.
“Hands on the armrests.”
I could see the moment he decided to let me be in charge, and he put his hands on the armrests. I took that as my cue to get to work.
I began to stroke him until a small bead of precum glistened at the head of his cock. I leaned down and licked it off as I continued moving my head up and down his length.
Then I added my mouth. I swirled my tongue over the head and sucked while continuing to stroke him.
“Belle, that feels so good,” he grunted as I stroked.
I could get used to the feeling of power that came from making this powerful man putty in my hands. I picked up speed as his groans got louder.
“Fuck, Belle, I’m gonna come.”
He gave me enough time to pull off, but I didn't. I wanted to taste him.
With a loud groan and thrust of his hips, he filled my mouth. I swallowed down what he had to offer.
Then I got up, grabbed my lovely, refreshing pink drink, and looked down at him while I took a sip.
“I hope my work was satisfactory.”
He laughed, and I melted. He pulled me down on top of him and snuggled me close, kissing the top of my head.
He took a deep breath, and we both lay there enjoying each other.
“Ya know, I bet the girls would love to come and have a pool day.”
“Invite them.”
I sat up, “Really? You’d be okay with that?”
“Yes. Please. Invite them.”
“You’ll be nice and won’t growl.”
“I’ll be on my best behavior. And if I’m honest, I fear I may not have made the best impression on them and would like a chance to correct that.”
I smiled as I settled into his embrace.
There was still a lot to figure out, but I was beginning to believe we just might figure it out. Maybe I would get to keep this man after all.