113

Miguel joined Ava and Zane for breakfast the following day. Both him and Zane made sure to keep the conversation casual and light. Ava didn’t mind, she knew Zane would talk to her in private if he felt she needed to know why Miguel had come.
“We will probably be in meetings or out on business for most of the day. Will you be okay?” Zane asked as they were done with breakfast.
“Linda and I figured so we have booked a girls day at the pool for some relaxation,” Ava told him. Zane bent down so he could whisper in her ear.
“You better not be thinking about going skinny-dipping, angel. I will check in on you and I better see a bikini on that body of yours.”
“I would never skinny-dip without you,” she whispered back.
“Fucking right,” he agreed, kissed her and then he and Miguel left. Ava took a moment to collect herself before going upstairs to change. She and Linda met at the pool. Both were wearing big fluffy bathrobes that were tightly tied at the waist.
“So,” Linda said.
“Yes,” Ava agreed. They both looked around to make sure they were alone. “I have asked Anna not to let just anyone wander in here,” Ava told Linda.
“Good thinking. What did you end up with?” Linda asked.
“About a year back I crocheted a bikini. But it was the first time I made a garment, and it came out a little too small,” Ava confessed. “What about you?”
“Me and two of my girlfriends back home went to Barbados a couple of years back after we all had broken up with our then boyfriends. It was a ‘get back in the saddle’ trip so the bikini I bought for the trip was… skimpy,” she said.
“So, we are both in a bad place,” Ava summarised.
“We are,” Linda agreed. “On three?”
“On three,” Aya said and nodded.
“One, two, three,” they both counted together and on three they both untied their bathrobes and let them fall to the ground. Linda had on a string bikini in an intense teal blue colour with gold details.
“Wow,” Ava said as she looked at her friend. She looked stunning.
“Wow yourself,” Linda said. Ava tugged at the top of her bikini. It was made out of two triangular pieces in off white cotton, held together by links of silver chain. Her breasts had become bigger with her pregnancy and if the top had been a little small when she made it, it was not hiding much at the moment. Looking at Linda, Ava thought they were pretty much equal in the amount of skin showing.
“This is going to end badly,” she said to Linda. they looked at each other and laughed. They decided to make the best out of the day and once they relaxed and stopped worrying, they enjoyed themselves in the pool and hot tub. They got their lunch served by the lounge chairs and they talked about everything and anything that they could think of.
“How is it going with the little one? Any side effects of being pregnant yet?” Linda asked as they were in the pool, hanging onto some pool noodles.
“I had a very light case of morning sickness, it only lasted about a week and then it was gone. My boobs are getting bigger but nothing else,” Ava told her.
“I’m guessing Zane isn’t complaining about that,” Linda said, and they both laughed.
“What is it I’m not complaining about?” Zane asked from the doorway as he and Jax walked into the pool area. Both Ava and Linda stopped laughing and looked at each other.
“Nothing, just girl talk. Where is Miguel?” Ava asked, trying to deflect the question. Neither Zane nor Jax looked like they bought the explanation.
“We’re done for the day, and we didn’t see the point in him joining us when we got the two of you. We sent him to talk to Mario,” Jax told them.
“Pool time is over, time to get up and get changed. It’s almost dinner time,” Zane said.
“Sure, you two go ahead and Ava and I will catch up with you when we have changed,” Linda told the men.
“Angel?” Zane asked.
“Yes?” Ava asked, trying to sound as innocent as she could. Zane walked up to the edge of the pool and hunched down.
“Come here,” he said. Ava saw no way out. She let go of the noodle and made her way to the edge, making sure her body was submerged in the water. “I don’t think I have seen that bikini on you before he remarked.”
“I made it,” she told him. He hummed and gave Jax a look.
“Time to get going baby,” Jax called to Linda.
“Um. Right now?” she asked.
“Right now,” he confirmed. The two women shared a look. Ava wanted to help her friend, but she didn’t know how. She hadn’t even figured out how to help herself out of this situation. Or if she wanted to get out of it. She knew that the moment one of them got out of the pool, the men would know why they were being reluctant.
“I think that maybe I should stay in a while longer,” Linda said. That didn’t sound suspicious at all, Ava thought.
“Baby, get that nice ass of yours out of the pool this instant,” Jax told her.
“Fine. But I want you to remember that I tried to avoid this,” Linda told him as she swam to the side of the pool and pulled herself up.
“What the fuck!” Jax exclaimed and his eyes darted between Linda and Zane. He didn’t need to worry about Zane. As soon as he had caught a glint of what Linda was wearing, his eyes had zoned in on Ava. “What is that?” Jax asked.
“A bikini,” Linda answered, she looked at him defiantly.
“That is not a fucking bikini. Why are you walking around in that so everyone can see?” he asked as he grabbed one of the bathrobes and wrapped it around her, tying it shut before she had a chance to get her arms into the sleeves.
“I wouldn’t be if you had just let me stay in the pool,” she pointed out.
“What kind of fucked up logic is that? Let’s go,” he told her, before wrapping an arm around the Linda-burrito, and walked her towards the door. “Everyone looks at the ground! If I see as much as an eye not staring at the fucking carpet, I will personally separate it from its owner!” he shouted.
“Really? Overreacting much?” Linda huffed as she was led out. Zane hadn’t said a word. He was still hunched down by the edge of the pool, looking at Ava. They heard Jax and Linda make their way out of the house and then there was silence.
“Angel, if I ask you to step out of the pool, will I have to kill my men if they happened to walk into this room?” he finally asked.
“There is a possibility of it,” Ava told him. His eyes darkened.
“Swim over to the ladder, I don’t want you to hurt yourself getting up,” he said.
“It’s okay, I don’t have to use the…”
“Now is not the time to argue with me, Angel,” he said in a calm voice, grabbing her chin to make her look at him.
“Yes, Zane,” Ava agreed and swam over to the ladder and made her way up. Zane had stood up and grabbed the remaining bathrobe. He looked at her with burning eyes as she got out of the pool. She stood at the edge for a moment, uncertain of what to do. Zane’s gaze felt like heated hands over her body.
“When did you make this thing?” he asked her.
“About a year ago. I haven’t used it since it was a little small,” she explained. He hummed.
“So why did you use it today? We both know that some parts of you have grown the last weeks,” he remarked, focusing on her breasts. Ava blushed.
“It was a bet,” she told him. There was no using lying.
“A bet? That both of you lost?”
“We were playing Canasta and thought a bet would make it more fun. But then we ended up in a tie,” Ava told him.
“Betting and card games never ends up in your favour, angel,” he chuckled in a dark way.
“No,” she admitted. Bane slowly walked up to her, still holding the bathrobe.
“You know there will be consequences for this,” he told her.
“I did tell Anna not to let anyone come in here,” Ava tried to object.
“Which shows you knew what you did was wrong,” he pointed out. Ava couldn’t argue with that. “Let’s get you upstairs so you can shower and change before dinner. It will give me time to think about what your punishment should be,” he told her and helped her on with the robe. “I love this thing you call a bikini on you, angel. It shows off all the curves that make me hard as a rock. But it’s only for my eyes,” he whispered to her and pulled her close so she felt his erection. She did her best not to moan. He kissed her with desperation and then put an arm around her waist. He walked her to the door and opened it. “You know the drill, eyes on the ground unless you want to fucking lose them!” he bellowed out and Ava went tomato red as she heard his voice echoing through the mansion.