27. Chapter Twenty Seven
Chapter Twenty Seven
Cole
The sun hangs high in the sky, beating heat down on the backyard as the pool glistens, clear and inviting. Peaceful and blue, the waves ripp—
Water splashes up and onto my shorts as a small body belly flops into the pool. Laughter and splashing fill the air as a small child runs past me, shrieking like he’s being stabbed, and heading right for the no-longer-pristine water.
For the first time in a long time—ever, actually—the mansion’s backyard actually feels… lively. Full of energy. Full of kids. Full of life.
It’s the last week of school, and the kids sure are celebrating.
I stand near the patio, watching as a group of children chase each other along the pool’s edge, their excited voices blending together in an indecipherable wall of pure noise.
Some are in the water, splashing and playing with inflatable toys, while others dart around the yard with squirt guns and water balloons under the watchful eye of Ellis and… Is that a lifeguard ?
Parents lounge on the chairs dotted around the pool, some under the huge tent where food is set up and being supervised by Evelyn.
I’m here. Just like I promised.
I adjust my watch, rolling my shoulders as I glance around. This is… a lot. More than I expected.
When Annie said Robbie had made friends, I assumed maybe two or three kids would show up. I hadn’t expected his whole damn class to be here.
Literally. Apparently, everyone had jumped at the chance to spend the afternoon at Cole Wagner’s house. At least, that’s what Annie had told me.
She’s handling it well, in any case.
She moves through the chaos effortlessly, keeping an eye on everyone while somehow managing to keep things organized. She’s dressed for the occasion, wearing a pair of high-waisted shorts over her swimsuit, a simple bikini top peeking out beneath a loose tank. Not the same swimsuit I peeled off of her a few weeks ago, though I wouldn’t mind getting this one off her too.
She’s laughing at something one of the kids said, her blonde hair catching the sunlight, looking completely at ease as the kids usher her toward the pool.
I can’t help but watch her.
She’s good at this. Really good at this.
I shouldn’t be surprised after the rousing success of the gala. But damn, is there any situation that she’s not perfectly suited for?
“Dad!” Robbie’s voice pulls me from my thoughts, and I look down just in time for him to grab my hand and start tugging me toward the pool. His wet hair sticks to his forehead, his cheeks flushed with excitement. “Come on! You have to play!”
I hesitate. “Play?”
“Yeah! You can throw us in the water!” He grins. “Like Annie does!”
I glance back over at Annie, who’s currently picking up one of the kids and tossing them into the shallow end, his delighted shriek ringing through the air before he hits the water. The other kids laugh and cheer, bouncing excitedly as they wait their turn.
I huff a small laugh. “That’s what you want me to do?”
“Yeah!” Robbie nods enthusiastically. “Come on, Dad! You said you’d have fun today!”
I did say that, didn’t I?
Sighing, I kick off my shoes and shrug off my dress shirt, leaving me in just my swim trunks, oddly nervous. I’m perfectly comfortable in a business suit, an image of power and strength, but this leaves me feeling oddly exposed.
I roll my shoulders, taking a deep breath before allowing Robbie to pull me toward the pool .
As soon as we reach the edge, Annie looks up, amusement twinkling in her blue eyes. “Did Robbie rope you into playing?”
“Apparently.” I glance at her, arching a brow. “You’re throwing children?”
She grins. “They asked me to.”
“And you said yes?”
“I wasn’t about to disappoint them.” She shrugs, water dripping from her arms. “It’s harmless, and we have a lifeguard.”
I glance at Robbie, who’s practically vibrating with anticipation, then back at the eager group of kids watching me expectantly.
“Well?” Annie teases, tilting her head. “Think you can handle it?”
I exhale sharply, then step closer to the pool. “All right,” I say, cracking my knuckles. “Who’s first?”
Chaos erupts immediately.
Every kid in the area scrambles to be next, yelling their names, bouncing on their toes, hands raised as if they’re volunteering for battle.
Annie laughs, then turns back to the kids already in the water. “One at a time, guys! We don’t want to drown Mr. Wagner. ”
I shake my head, rolling my eyes. This was a mistake.
But hearing her call me Mr. Wagner stirs something up inside of me, and I cast her a heated look.
She definitely catches it and turns pink all over.
I love having that effect on her.
“Me first!” Robbie yells, tugging my hand.
“You first, buddy,” I say and pick him up while he shrieks and laughs.
The next few minutes are a blur of laughter, splashing, and—yes—throwing children.
I lift them, toss them, let them shriek in delight before they plunge into the water. Robbie comes back again and again, demanding another turn each time.
Annie watches with clear amusement, occasionally stepping in to help, though I quickly learn she’s far too good at this game.
I’m strong, but Annie’s fast. She dodges water attacks like it’s second nature, her agility keeping her just out of reach as the kids attempt to splash her.
At one point, she turns to me, smiling triumphantly. “I think they like you.”
I shake my head, pretending to glare. “I think they’re conspiring against me.”
She laughs, flipping wet hair over her shoulder. “Maybe a little.”
The game eventually shifts from throwing to full-on battle, kids forming teams, launching water balloons, wielding squirt guns like warriors.
I don’t know how it happens, but suddenly Annie and I are on opposite teams, and I find myself being targeted.
Hard.
A water balloon slams into my chest.
I turn, eyes narrowing at the culprit.
Annie smirks, standing a few feet away, hands on her hips. “Oops.”
“Oops?” I echo, looking down at the water dripping down my chest.
She lifts a brow, clearly daring me.
I shake my head. “You shouldn’t have done that.”
“What are you going to do about it?” she teases, but steps back as I step forward.
She barely has time to react before I lunge, closing the distance between us in seconds.
She shrieks, trying to escape, but I catch her easily, wrapping an arm around her waist as I haul her toward the pool.
“Cole!” she yelps, laughing as she squirms against me. “Don’t you dare—”
I dare.
I step to the edge and drop us both into the water.
Cool rushes over us, swallowing Annie’s laugh as we plunge beneath the surface. For a second, all I hear is the muffled sounds of water, the distant laughter of kids, the rapid beat of my own pulse. Then we break the surface, Annie gasping for breath, her wet hair sticking to her face.
She blinks at me, stunned.
I smirk. “Oops.”
She gapes at me for a second, then shoves me. “You ass!”
I laugh, ducking away as she splashes me in retaliation. The kids, of course, love this, cheering her on, demanding a rematch.
The rest of the afternoon is a blur of games, snacks, and sun-soaked chaos.
By the time it starts winding down, most of the kids are either exhausted or sun-drunk, wrapped in towels, sipping juice boxes, oddly quiet at last.
Robbie is curled up on a lounge chair, fighting to keep his eyes open .
Annie sits beside him, her fingers combing through his damp hair, murmuring something softly. I stand nearby, drying off with a towel, watching the scene unfold.
“You had fun,” she says after a moment, her voice teasing.
I glance at her. “What makes you think that?”
She smiles. “Because you’re still here. And you haven’t checked your watch once.”
I pause.
She’s right.
I haven’t thought about work, haven’t worried about emails or meetings or investors. I haven’t felt the urge to step away, to disappear into my office.
I’ve been here.
Present.
And I don’t know if I should be grateful or terrified.
Annie yawns, stretching her arms above her head, her skin still glistening with droplets of water. The sight shouldn’t be distracting, but it is.
My gaze follows a single droplet as it slides down the slope of her neck, then lower, tracing the curve of her breasts.
Fuck. I want to follow the path of that little droplet with my tongue. My mouth goes dry, thinking about what’s hidden from me by a thin scrap of material .
She notices me watching, and her nipples harden.
I lick my lips and she pulls her towel up to cover her breasts before anyone else notice.
I want to snatch that towel away from her and…
An image of her laid out on a beach invades my mind. I imagine the heat is beating down on us as I slowly remove her bathing suit and take my time, tasting her breasts, feasting between those long legs until I’m satisfied, and she’s hoarse from screaming and begging for mercy.
Fuck.
I need to get her alone.
Soon.
I turn to her, opening my mouth to suggest a quieter place to hang out for a bit, when she speaks.
“Thanks for doing this. It meant a lot to Robbie.”
I blink and shift my thoughts. Something tightens in my chest, something unfamiliar.
I look down at my son, his tiny fingers clutching Annie’s towel.
It meant a lot to him.
And, maybe… it meant a lot to me too.
This was just one afternoon, and it meant the world to him. What would it mean if I did something else. Something more.
“I have an island.” The words are out of me before I can think about them.
Annie blinks, clearly caught off guard. “What?”
I shake my head slightly, as if that will somehow rewind the last few seconds and shove the words back down my throat. But there’s no taking them back now.
“An island,” I say again, watching her reaction. “Off the coast. Private. Secluded.”
Her brows lift even higher, and then—of course—she laughs. It’s soft at first, then louder, like she can’t quite believe what she just heard.
“You have an island?” she repeats, tucking a damp strand of hair behind her ear. “Like… an actual island? Not just some fancy vacation house somewhere?”
I nod. “An actual island. But there is a fancy vacation house on it,” I say, considering.
She stares at me like I just told her I own the moon. “I—okay. Sure. Of course, you do. You’re Cole Wagner.”
Something about the way she says it makes the corner of my mouth twitch. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
She smirks. “It means you’re a billionaire, and billionaires do weird things. Like buying islands and, I don’t know, probably commissioning gold-plated yachts or whatever rich people do when they’re bored.”
I huff a quiet laugh. “A yacht, but it’s not gold-plated. ”
“Hmm.” She narrows her eyes playfully, like she doesn’t quite believe me. “So what do you do with this mystery island, then?”
“Mostly?” I exhale. “Ignore it.”
Her smirk falters. “Wait, seriously?”
“I bought it years ago,” I admit, adjusting the towel draped around my shoulders. “It was meant to be a getaway, somewhere quiet, where I could unplug, get away from work.”
A pause. “But I never go.”
Annie tilts her head, studying me. “Why not?”
I hesitate.
The truth? Because the idea of doing nothing has never sat well with me. The idea of sitting on an island with no meetings, no emails, no deadlines—it sounds nice in theory, but the reality? It makes me restless just thinking about it.
But I don’t say that.
Instead, I shrug. “Work keeps me busy.”
She watches me for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Then, she shakes her head, lips curving into a small, knowing smile. “You’re impossible.”
“What?”
“You own an island, Cole.” She laughs again, leaning back against the lounge chair. “You could literally disappear to paradise whenever you want, and instead, you choose to be here, working yourself into the ground.”
I arch a brow. “And what would you do with it?”
“Oh, easy.” She sits up, crossing her legs beneath her. “I’d take a long vacation—weeks, maybe months. I’d sleep in every day, drink something fruity with a tiny umbrella in it, swim in the ocean, lie in a hammock with a book.”
I smirk, watching the way Annie's eyes practically glow as she describes her dream getaway. "That sounds lazy."
She gasps, pressing a hand to her chest in exaggerated offense. "Excuse me?"
I chuckle. "I’m just saying, I don’t think you’d last. You’d get bored."
"Not a chance," she shoots back, lifting her chin. "I’d thrive. I was made for island life."
I tilt my head, considering her for a moment. Then, before I can stop myself, the words are out—smooth, casual, like I’ve already made the decision in my mind.
"Then let’s go."
She blinks. "What?"
"After Robbie’s done with school," I say, leaning back against the lounge chair, keeping my voice even, like this isn’t a big deal. "My studio doesn’t have any major premieres until mid-summer. Things will be slow for a while. We could go. Spend a few weeks there. "
Annie stares at me, completely silent. It’s rare to see her without a quick-witted response, and for some reason, that makes me want to push further.
"Think about it," I say. "A private island. No interruptions. No schedules. Just you, me, and Robbie."
Her lips part slightly, and I watch as a flush creeps up her neck. She swallows, and when she finally speaks, her voice is quieter. "You’re serious?"
I nod. "Why not?"
She blinks a few times like she’s still trying to process. "I mean—I just—I didn’t think you ever actually took vacations."
I arch a brow. "I don’t."
She lets out a breathy laugh, shaking her head. "So why now?"
Good question.
I don’t have an answer that won’t sound insane.
Because I like seeing you relaxed. Because you make things feel easier. Because I don’t want this—whatever this is—to disappear the moment we step back into reality.
Instead, I shrug. "Maybe your lazy ways are rubbing off on me." I say it as a joke, but she doesn’t laugh.
Her cheeks turn pink, and she looks away, fidgeting with the edge of her towel. "I—I don’t know, Cole. That’s a big—"
“What’s there to know? I’m your boss, and we’re going,” I say, settling the matter and not giving her time to overthink it. “My son will be there, and you’re his nanny.”
She hesitates, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip, and something about the way she’s suddenly nervous makes my stomach tighten.
Then, finally, she exhales. "Okay.”
I nod, satisfied. "Good."
For a moment, we just sit there, the sounds of the pool fading into the background. The idea of getting away—of shutting out the rest of the world for a while—it shouldn’t appeal to me as much as it does. But with Annie? With Robbie?
Maybe, for once, it doesn’t sound so impossible.