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I know that. Thats why Im going to try a back somersault with a half twist. A t his expression, she burst out laughing. Im kidding. Im just going to jump off, feet first. Ill be fine. Youll be there. Right?
He cupped her skull in both hands, gave her a look of tender exasperation. You know that men with black hair have a tendency to prematurely gray, particularly when theyre under stress?
I think youd look really sexy with silver in your hair. In fact, we could try it out, dye one lock. Youd look like one of those superheroes. Like Ioan Griffud in the Fantastic Four. Giving him a cheeky grin, she twisted her upper body to take hold of the ladder rung just above her. A gile as a monkey, she loosened the hold of her legs to put her feet on a rung below it. His hands guided her, but held on one extra second.
Remember to jump out as far as you can, he said. You want to clear the board. A nd nothing fancy. Just a straight out, feet-first jump. Dont bounce on the board first.
Got it, sir. Knowing how he reacted to the undercurrents in such an address, she was amused to see it startle him. Who knows? Maybe Ill hit the water so fast this tiny bikini will be ripped right off.
You think Id set aside your wellbeing in favor of seeing a little extra skin?
Well, youre male. Its biological. I wouldnt hold it against you.
She started up, but was brought up short by a healthy, stinging slap on her left ass cheek that made nerve endings ricochet response right through her pussy and arrow up through her belly. She snapped her head around. Hey , I didnt think you knew how to do that kind of thing.
I know how to do it pretty well, he remarked, leaning on the ladder and giving her a heated once up and down. When the moment calls for it.
When you call for it.
I think I might be insulted, or really turned-on. Ill let you know. Now she hesitated, her bravery faltering over one key point. This pool is heated, right?
Eighty-three degrees. He slid his knuckles along her calf. Chloe. I love you.
She drew in a breath, her fingers fluttering out to touch his face. He caught her wrist, turned his mouth into her palm. Brendan.
Before she could say anything else in response, he put her hand back on the ladders side, closed it there firmly. Two hands at all times, he said.
A nd be careful, the rungs can be slippery. Ill be here to catch you.
I know you will. He stayed beneath her as she ascended. When she made it to the top, he moved to the side, where he could see her. He glanced up at her with a half smile, arms crossed over his bare chest. He was beautiful, there was no denying that, but she realized hed stolen her heart because of what was inside him. He could look like the most average man alive, even unattractive, and that heart would have called to her. She was sure of it.
I love you too, she murmured. Enough to marry and keep you forever. Goddess, I dont believe it.
When she perused her surroundings, she discovered that, as high as it looked off to the side, it was higher when one was actually on it. Maybe she was a bit crazy.
/> But when she walked to the end, she saw him still there. Standing on the edge, ready to dive in, come down to the bottom and help guide her up. To fortify herself for the jump, she imagined herself as a brave heroine who was throwing herself off the side of a pirate ship to save herself from being debauched. She didnt have to worry, because from the depths of the sea, strong arms would come around her, and a pair of hazel eyes, the green like trace colors of an ocean indeed, would meet hers. A merman, there to take her to safety, to give her breath from his body so she could see all the magic of his world, and never fear being alone and afraid again. Never doubt that magic would always exist in the world, particularly if one knew how to open the window, let the light in, and have the courage to look for it.
Looking down at her toes gripping the end of the board, any trepidation she had about heights vanished. Taking a breath, she jumped outward.
She had a brief impression of his face, that flash of a smile as he dove, already marking where she would land. A s she plummeted, bubbles streamed above her and she saw him coming toward her, smooth kicks and twists of his body like a merman in truth.
She wasnt afraid. Not the slightest, even knowing she didnt know how to swim. She put her arms out to her sides, experiencing the buoyancy of her body, and knew it was natural, being in the water like this. Something she didnt have to fear. This feeling was a glimmer of herself, the self shed been before, only stronger now. Shed been getting those glimmers a lot more now, as if diamonds were starting to sparkle through the cracks that bad experiences had formed, creating a new kind of beauty in her outlook.
She knew who she could trust, who her friends and family were. Most importantly, she trusted herself again. Trusted herself to love Brendan, to learn how to love him in the way they both most wanted. A s he came up beside her and she looped her arms around his neck, she pressed her mouth to his underwater, something shed always wanted to do. She laughed into his mouth at the way his arms curled around her, how she could tangle her legs over the backs of his thighs, and float and spin, and listen to that silence underwater that was somehow sofull.
A s he took her toward the surface, their bodies still intertwined, she realized it was so simple. While the way they felt, what they needed, might be complex and unique, love was the common denominator between them. Whatever he needed, that was what she wanted to be for him. She wanted to take care of him as much as he wanted to care for her.
She looked forward to the adventure. The joyous pleasure of it, of a life together. Of life itself.
