He rose slowly, probably laden with stone, and walked over to the pool, flopping down, paws hanging over the edge, and proceeded to drink pool water.
Cleaning his palate for the next delicacy, I thought with a grin. I didn't miss how he'd ignored me but obeyed Amelia.
I had a sneaking suspicion I was no longer the Alpha in this family.
"What did you want?" Amelia asked, settling in a chair.
I tapped the report on the table, St. Bartholomew's logo prominent on the cover.
"Oh." She fell silent.
"It's not good enough, Amelia."
"But the classes are hard!" she pleaded.
"Music is hard, too. Have you put as much effort into your other courses as you have into music?" I asked reasonably.
"Maybe not," she admitted, no longer looking at me, her fingernails suddenly fascinating, one nail scraping off flaked blue nail polish from another.
"Do you want to go to college?"
"Not really."
"You mean to tell me you don't want to go to Juilliard? Because if you do, you'll never get accepted with these grades."
"But I got an A in music!"
About to inform her one subject wouldn't suffice, Amelia tilted her head slightly, smoky eyes twinkling as she smiled at me. A gentle breeze blew thoughts out of my mind.
Glancing away, I said, "Don't do that!"
"Do what? Aren't you proud of my A?"
Watching Rufus drink at the pool, I informed her she was in for extra tutoring, summer classes, and less music if she didn't pull up her socks and improve her grades.
She scratched more nail polish off, frowning. "Okay. I'll try."
"You'll do more than try."
"Kay," she answered. Her voice brightened. "It's hot! Want to go for a swim with me?"
I should have known by now how fickle fate is, especially when it comes to Amelia.
As I relaxed in the pool, letting cool water refresh my body, Rufus barking in excitement from the sidelines, Amelia emerged in a plain white bikini, one I'd never seen her in.
She smiled, removed her glasses, set them on the patio table, sashayed to the pool, and dived in gracefully.
Rufus immediately barked his warning and lumbered up before leaping into the pool with a massive belly flop.
For five minutes or so they amused me as they played, Rufus slapping and biting the water in delight as he swam after Amelia.
Sooner than usual, he retired to the steps and sat, water up to his neck, intelligent eyes alertly watching Amelia, and occasionally taking a slurp of chlorinated water.
Amelia swam over. She hooked her arms around my neck, studied my eyes, smiled gently, and kissed me.
My life, as I knew it, changed.
Once again, I was transported. Her soft lips pressed to mine in a more-than-sweet kiss, pressure communicating attraction, affection. When she pressed her body against me, she communicated love and desire, something I hadn't associated with her.
I reacted. Swimming trunks couldn't hide my response. Kissed by a beautiful young girl I adored so deeply, I slowly grew erect, the water feeling warm. I held her slender hips and let myself go, floating away in a sweet, sensual kiss.
Amelia broke the kiss and studied me, her eyes looking at each of mine. What was she thinking?
"I excited you," she said softly, pressing against me.
"Yes."
She smiled shyly, studied my mouth, and, with a slight tilt of her head, she kissed me again. I closed my eyes and fell headlong into a passionate kiss, touching her lips with the tip of my tongue, tasting her for the first time.
Her reaction was immediate, the tip of her tongue touching mine.
Wrapping her slender body in my arms, our kiss intensified, tongues teasing. And then Amelia opened her mouth. Desire slammed into me, a physical urge unlike I'd ever felt.
I ended the intense kiss with a suck of her plump lower lip, my heart racing.
Amelia smiled at me with that sexy tilt of her head and laughed brightly, pushing away from me to swim to the steps.
For a moment I was relieved, and thankful for the respite. The immediate, intense desire I'd felt was too powerful, too dangerous.
But, as Amelia walked up the steps, I saw the magical effect of water; her plain white bikini had transformed, becoming translucent and tightly plastered to her young body.
First I stared at the valley formed by two cute, but very sexy buttocks. When she turned and called Rufus, her front quite took my breath away.
Small, half-lemon sized breasts were clearly visible, so much so I could discern the shadow of her areolae.
Amelia had gorgeous little breasts. My eyes trailed down her slender, slender body and my erection strengthened.
At the juncture of her thighs white material was plastered to her, outlining the sensual delta of her pubis, camel toe and all, and, stunning me, a hint of dark pubic hair shadowed behind white.
I ached. Amelia was a vision of beauty, a young girl blossoming into womanhood; a perfect blend of innocence and sexuality.
It was powerful, intense, almost overwhelming. Desire for her hit me like a sledgehammer to the chest. It was painful. I'd never wanted anyone more.
When Amelia wrapped a towel around herself and disappeared into the house, I was still standing chest-high in water, still erect, stunned into immobility.
How had this happened? How had I changed so drastically, so suddenly? I'd known how I was attracted to Amelia, but it had been wishful musings,
an expectation that one day, when she was older, our relationship might develop into full intimacy - Amelia my lover and partner.
But I'd never considered her as a lover at fourteen years old! There wasn't a trace of doubt I now was; her blossoming adolescence was powerfully attractive.
No.
I'm the responsible one. I'm the adult. I'm Amelia's guardian. I have more mental rectitude than this! Satisfied with a return to normalcy and a softening erection - the fever abating, I finally left the pool.