Page 33 of March 5

"Oh, my Lord." Skye covered her cheeks. "Brett? I can't even imagine. You questioned me about Dio because of the age difference, and I thought you'd be against dating someone older than you."

"Bitch, I was...I am. But I'll tell you, being with Brett was the best sex I ever had—and that's not all. I want to see him again."

She hugged Mariah. "I'm so happy for you."

It took everything in her to hold back on warning her about the bikers of Havlin. Mariah would need to set boundaries from the start. Brett lived a lifestyle where they fucked around and partied hard. It took a strong woman to keep a Havlin member coming home every night.

Not that it was impossible.

She'd witnessed some big love between the couples who'd survived years together—but they fought hard to keep their love alive. That war they'd battled brought them closer than the average marriage. No one—absolutely, no one could come between them.

Her dad and Aunt Brooke were only one example.

Chapter Fifteen

Daisy carried a basket of swim goggles and weighted dive toys across the pool office. Dio knocked on the counter, gaining her attention.

"Oh, hey." Daisy set the basket down. "Are you looking for Skye?"

"Yeah."

"Go on in. She's the only one in the pool. We're between swimming lessons, and Rec Swim starts in an hour." Daisy pointed behind her. "That girl, she impresses me. She's been hitting the water hard this week. Everything she does, she sticks with it. Such dedication."

He was the reason she was swimming a lot. She'd do that when troubled.

He planned on staying away from her until his black eye faded and the swelling went down. But that wasn't a problem because she hadn't come over, called, or swung by the clubhouse in two weeks.

Since he had the upcoming weekend off and the clubhouse was open tonight for a party, he sought out Skye. He wasn't sure what he could do to make things right, but he needed to know if she was okay.

In all the time he'd known her, she hadn't gone out of her way to avoid him.

"Thanks, Daisy." He walked through the men's locker room.

His back felt better than it had in days.Staying off his Harley, except to go to the clubhouse and go home, had helped. He looked forward to going back to running security on Monday at the pot shops along Highway 101.

He stepped through the doorway to the pool enclosure, scanning the water. The pool lights were on, and he caught the small hand-over-hand movement as Skye glided through the water like a fish.

Inhaling deeply, it felt right being here with her, seeing her. The humidity, the scent of chlorine, and the splashes echoing around him were sweet memories of all the times he'd watch her swim meets, cheering her on.

He walked to the far side of the pool and stood in front of the lane. Skye swam straight toward him. He squatted, making sure she would see him.

Arm over arm, she touched the side, flipped, and prepared to kick off the wall for another lap. He caught her ankle, keeping her at the end of the pool.

She raised her head, mysteriously quiet. He took in the way her breasts rose and fell from her exertion. She hadn't braided her hair. It hung wet and wild past her shoulders. He recognized the raw energy coming off her. She always grew quieter when troubled, but she always ran to him, not away from him.

This time, he was her problem.

"Missed you," he said.

She looked toward the pool house. "I've been busy."

He pulled his beard. "I didn't give you a good reason to see me. Not with the way I was acting."

She turned to him. He'd fought his feelings toward her and was tired. Even the Havlin members bitched about his bad mood every day. He had bruises covering his body, and he was exhausted.

"I'm sorry, princess."

She frowned. "About what?"