Chapter 43

I shift in his arms and fully hug him, savoring his naked skin on my bikini-clad body. Hot, smooth, and strong. Tingles and aches flow through me so easily, taking my mind far from the topic, hurting me, and my insides responding on some primal level.

“Make me laugh. Distract me,” I whisper against him, indicating that I don’t want to talk about this anymore. I don’t want to think about that creep any longer. I bury my face against his chest.

For the last few days, making me laugh is all he’s done. Even over stupid, tiny disagreements, he somehow manages to take it away and get me to smile and laugh. I want that more than ever right now, to remove this heavy knot in my stomach at the realization my father was the scum I always believed him to be, the disappointment I always knew he was.

Moving suddenly, he bends down and picks me up and over his shoulder swiftly, making me squeal. Holding my thighs with a strong arm, he strides to the side of the boat. He opens the