The screen door creaks open. "My sweet baby boy," Daddy murmurs, "it's time to come inside." He stands in the back doorway, the yard stretching between us. His hazel eyes reveal how much he's missed me.
Damn. I honestly forgot how much time had passed. I was hoping for just a few more minutes outside. "Do I really have to?" But I can't hide the whine in my voice, or the tears that threaten to spill like summer raindrops.
"I don't know how you can stand this hundred-degree heat all afternoon." He folds his arms across his bare chest, his broad shoulders more defined without a shirt. I long to trace the scars beneath his pecs.
“Five more minutes?” I lower my sunglasses, hoping he sees the longing in my eyes.
It's not arrogance, but the arch of his eyebrow suggests he's not entirely convinced. "I'm sorry, Your Highness, but am I interrupting your baking time?" he teases.
I’ve been out in the sun for an hour and a half. I don’t need a tan. My skin is golden dark brown. I have enough melanin to last me a lifetime. But the sun sends warmth that I desperately need to recharge.
"Would you think I was rude if I said... yes?" I cower under the pool towel, instantly regretting the words as they leave my mouth.
Daddy's face darkens as he steps off the stoop onto the grass. "How many times have I told you not to disobey?" His voice—a...