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His happy smile made my stomach flutter. He kissed my forehead. “Good. I’ll feed Kody and make some coffee. I’ll break you out of here as soon as I can.”
After I showered and got ready for the day, I made Bash’s bed and then searched the internet for ideas for some fun activities to do with toddlers. I needed to get outdoors. Even though it was the week before Thanksgiving, it was unseasonably warm, with temperatures expected to reach nearly 80 degrees.
It was another ten minutes or so before Bash came back. He snuck me downstairs and into the kitchen with Kody none the wiser.
I sat on a stool at the kitchen island sipping my coffee while Bash cleaned up breakfast. “I have a few ideas that we can do with Kody today. Unless you don’t want to go out?”
He tossed the sponge into the sink. “I’d love to get him out and running around. It’s a nice day today. What did you have in mind?”
I listed off a few of the ideas I’d seen online. “Well, we could bring a picnic lunch to the park, or go to the Santa Monica pier — there’s an aquarium there — or do the Warner Brothers studio tour, or we could go to the beach.”
“I think he’s too young for the studio tour. The other stuff would be fun. He really loves the beach.”
Spending a day at the beach with them would be perfect. “I love the beach, too.”
He rubbed at the morning scruff on his face. “Have you ever been to the beach with a kid, though? It’s not very relaxing.”
“Who needs relaxing? Has he ever flown a kite before?”
Bash came around the island and wrapped his arms around me. His lips started teasing my neck. He knew that absolutely melted me. “I don’t have a kite, but I can imagine you running down the beach trying to get the kite up in the air. You’re wearing this tiny red bikini that’s not very supportive—“
Laughing, I smacked at his arm and shoved him away. “Behave! Kody might come in. And I hate to ruin your fantasy, but I don’t have a bikini with me.”
He looked me up and down. “You still look hot in your T-shirt and leggings. Maybe you could ditch the bra while you’re running along the beach with this non-existent kite?”
“You’re ridiculous.” I shook my head, but my pinched-lip, pretend scolding face quickly morphed into a smile. “We’ll stop at the store and buy a kite and we can pick up some food, too.”
He stepped back and looked at me. “You really want to spend the day at the beach with us? Flying kites?”
“I can’t wait.”
He leaned in and gave me a quick kiss. “Give me 15 minutes to get some stuff together for Kody and then we’ll head out.”
While I waited, I tossed my damp hair up into a messy bun. Like I had every Friday for the past month, I’d come over last night with just a change of clothes for the morning. I’d planned to be out the door before Kody ever woke up, so I didn’t have much choice in what I could wear on our outing. Unfortunately, it was pretty boring and not at all sexy.
I was playing on my phone when Kody came barreling into the kitchen. “Yacey! Dad said we’re going to the beach!”
“Hi, Kody!” He was wearing tropical board shorts with a matching rash guard. He looked absolutely adorable. “Have you ever flown a kite before? We’re going to try to fly one at the beach.”
His eyes lit up. “A kite! Cool!” He started doing a funny dance, turning in a circle and wiggling his behind.
Bash came into the kitchen a few minutes later with his hands full. “Buddy, did you get your sand toys?”
As Bash set down a backpack, a blue nylon bag, a beach blanket, and a cooler, Kody raced out in search of his toys.
Bash stood up and my brain short-circuited. Holy Jesus. It should be criminal for a man to look so sinfully hot. He wore a gray tank top that did nothing to conceal the muscles rippling beneath and highlighted his drummer’s arms and the sleeve of tattoos down his right arm. I almost had to fan myself as my eyes took in his swim trunks. They weren’t the popular baggy trunks that fell to the knee. Bash’s trunks were solid black with white contrast stitching and the cut was shorter and more form-fitting. He looked like a fantasy. Like a model. Not those beanpole, androgynous fashion models, but a fitness model with tons of bronze skin and rippling muscles.
“Put your eyeballs back in your head, wifey.” The asshole was smirking.
“Please...” I rolled my tongue back up off the floor and into my mouth and tried to play it off. “I was just wondering how you stayed so tan at this time of year.”
He glanced down at his body and shrugged. “I’m in the backyard with Kody a lot.”
I kept sneaking peeks while he filled up the cooler with ice, and then bottles of water and some juice boxes for Kody. He gathered up some snacks, filling ziplock baggies with goldfish, grapes, or pretzels.
Kody came back carrying a mesh bag filled with plastic buckets and various sand molds. “I’ve got my toys. I’m ready, Dad!”
Bash finished packing and then put a black baseball cap on his head and slid on a pair of sporty wraparound sunglasses with blue mirrored lenses. I nearly swooned.
