Bella’s voice registered, but she couldn’t drag her gaze from Austin, especially not when those hazel eyes of his locked on to her, watching her watch him. He finally turned and grabbed a towel, patting his face dry. She was admiring his profile, imagining having all that for herself—his body, his passion, all that love he showered on Bella.
Something uncomfortable squeezed her chest. No, not love. She didn’t want love. Lust, definitely. Affection, maybe. But not love. Love trapped. Love damaged. Love hurt. At least for Everly.
He lowered the towel, his gaze still on hers. “What’s that?”
Everly followed his gaze to her sketchbook just as Bella ran toward her, dripping wet. “Everyee, you see me? See me dived on the board?”
“Bella, don’t—” Austin started.
Everly gasped, but before she could move, the sketchbook disappeared from her hands. Austin held the book out of the way and stopped Bella’s momentum with his free hand.
“Sweetie,” he said. “You need to be careful.”
“Sorry,” she replied automatically, but her face shone with happiness.
“I did see you,” Everly said, sliding her supplies back into the case she used to carry them. “You were awesome.” She set her things on the table and put her hands out for the sketchbook. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have brought these outside.”
Austin was holding the sketchbook open on a towel, his gaze riveted to the image of Bella. “This is incredible.”
“What?” Bella wanted to know. “What inebible.”
Everly laughed. If she still had a job at the end of the day, she was going to intensify the focus on Bella’s language skills.
Austin tipped the book so Bella could see it. “Don’t touch, okay? Water will ruin it.”
Her gaze took in the image, then she frowned at Austin. “That me, Daddy?”
“That’s you.” He flattened the book again, his gaze scanning the sketch with awe. The sight warmed Everly. “Man, that’s just…amazing.”
“Thanks,” she said.
Bella ran back to the pool, jumped in, and swam to the shallow end, where she played with water toys. Austin eased to a seat on the lounge beside her. “How long have you been drawing?”
“As long as I can remember.” The way he showed no sign of giving the book back made her glad she’d gotten rid of the floorplan of the house. That would have been hard to explain. “I’ll finish it and get it framed for you.”
He glanced up. “Really?”
She lifted a shoulder. “Sure, if you like it.”
“I love it. I’ll buy it from you.”
She laughed. “No, you won’t. Don’t even go there.”
“Hey.” His expression turned stoic. “I have to apologize for earlier.” He put up a hand. “Not for what happened,” he said with a laugh. “I won’t make that mistake again. But for the way I handled it.”
“Is that to soften the blow of firing me?”
“I’m not firing you. And I hope you won’t quit.” His gaze was steady and deliberate. “You’re the best thing that’s happened to Bella since I came into her life. I don’t want her to lose that because I lose it when I’m too close to you.”
The feelings this man could whip up inside her, a deep, wild, whirlwind of emotions, made Everly a little crazy. “I’m not a quitter.”
Another grin tilted his mouth. “I’ve figured that out.” He returned his gaze to the sketch, and his smile deepened. “Thank you for this. It means a lot to me.”
“You’re welcome.”
She couldn’t count how many sketches she’d created and given away over the years. And while they all gave her a sense of satisfaction, she’d never felt quite so gratified as she did now.
“Can I look at the others?” he asked, his fingers already turning the page. But he glanced at her to make sure it was okay. When she nodded, he scanned the previous image, a sketch she’d made of Ian’s boy.