Charade (Heven and Hell #2)(22)
Author: Cambria Hebert

I wanted to agree, but I couldn’t because as much as I disliked the idea about learning to swim, it was something I needed to do. “No, we should do this.”

He nodded and, in one swift motion, peeled his shirt over his head and tossed it next to the towels. Oh, God what a sight he was. Golden skin pulled taut over lean, corded muscles, his shorts hung low on his hips showing off a stomach that was flat and hard. Touch. I wanted—no I needed to touch him. I took a step forward, already anticipating the way his muscles would bunch and contract when my fingers slid over his sun-heated skin.

His eyes were golden fire as he watched me approach. My hand started at his shoulder and slowly caressed down his arm and into the palm of his hand where his fingers jerked once, tightening on my fingers before releasing and my hand went over his abs. A purr vibrated his chest. “Heven.” His voice was even deeper than usual and the roughness with which he said my name raised gooseflesh along my arms. I looked up at him beneath half-lowered lids, part-shy part-seduction.

“You don’t know what you’re doing,” he warned.

“What do you mean?” I asked a little confused. I knew exactly what I was doing. Couldn’t he tell?

He groaned. “You’re distracting me.”

“I am?”

He blinked a few times then his eyes swept the surrounding area. I guess burying that scroll hadn’t been enough to make him forget about protecting me. I sighed and stepped away to strip off my sundress to reveal a simple black bikini.

When I turned back he was staring at me with an unreadable expression on his face. “What?”

“I complain you are distracting me and so you take off your clothes…”

I laughed, liking that I might have the same effect on him that he did on me. I bent and picked up the dress. “I can put this back on,” I suggested, waving it around.

He laughed, snatching it out of my hands and smacking me on the butt with it. “Don’t even think about it.”

We both laughed as he lunged for me yet again and began to tickle me. I laughed until I couldn’t take it anymore and stumbled away. Sam was laughing so hard his eyes were tearing. It was so good to see him laugh and be carefree this way. After we both caught our breath, Sam looked out toward the water.

“Come on,” he said, taking my hand and leading me to the water’s edge. Hesitation and fear slammed through me and I slowed my steps.

Sam swung around to face me, his chest and shoulders blocking my view of the lake. “I’ll be here with you.”

I nodded. Did I really need to learn to swim?

Sam swept me up like a child and cradled me against his chest. I could feel the steady rhythm of his heart against my side and the feel of his skin against mine made everything else fall away. He began walking toward the water as I rested my cheek against his chest. I heard the water rippling as he stepped in and I tensed. His lips grazed my temple and his arms held me tighter and I forgot to be afraid.

“Look at me,” he said soft.

I did, quickly getting lost in his whiskey-colored eyes.

I love you. He told me.

I love you. I answered.

Look down.

I snapped back into reality the minute I did as he asked. I was standing knee deep in the lake. I screeched. “You distracted me!” I demanded.

“Are you afraid?”

I waited for the fear to slam into me, but it never came. It just reinforced what I already knew. I would go anywhere, do anything with Sam and nothing else mattered. I shook my head and he smiled, satisfied with himself.

It took a while for him to coax me farther into the water, but soon I was standing with water grazing my shoulders while I kept a death grip on Sam. I couldn’t help the shaking of my knees and the pounding of my heart. He was patient and gentle with me as he showed me how to move my arms and legs. I didn’t mind the repeated practice because his hands were always firmly at my back and waist. Turned out, swimming was pretty fun. The water was like cool silk against my skin and it was surprisingly easy to keep myself afloat. Splashing Sam was quite fun too.

“I think you’re ready to swim on your own,” Sam declared.

“I don’t know,” I murmured, then frowned.

“The last couple times it was all you swimming. I wasn’t helping you at all.”

I couldn’t let Sam be my life raft forever. I was strong. I could do this.

I nodded briskly. “Will you swim nearby?” Just because I was being strong didn’t mean I had to drown.

I was rewarded with a brilliant smile just like the one he gave me this morning. It made me want to find other ways to make him like this. I fumbled a little bit at first, but with a few gentle reminders from Sam I was soon swimming, hardly gracefully, at his side.

“I’m doing it!” I exclaimed and was rewarded with a mouthful of water. A coughing fit followed. Sam scooped me up, laughing, and patted me on the back.

“The water isn’t for drinking,” Sam said, laughing again.

I reached down and splashed him in the face. He sputtered and spit out a mouthful of water that I managed to land in his mouth while he laughed. “That water’s not for drinking,” I mimicked.

Sam’s eyes narrowed and a naughty grin curved his lips. He held me out away from him, suspending me over the water.

“You wouldn’t dare,” I gasped.

“Oops,” he said and then he let go, and with a light splash, I was in the water.

I pushed off the bottom and broke the surface, wiping the water from my eyes to glare at him. “Are you crazy?” I demanded.

“That was good! You pushed off the bottom and found the surface. I thought you would flounder around like a fish.” He grinned, his eyes sparkling with laughter.

I growled and splashed him again.

After a while of our water antics, I was feeling much more comfortable in the water and we were having the best time. But I wanted to practice my swimming skills a little more.

“I’m going to swim out there and back,” I said, pointing to an unidentified spot in the water. I would go as far as I felt comfortable then turn around.

Sam nodded and I pushed off the bottom and began swimming away. I wasn’t a strong swimmer, but I managed to keep my head above water and, for me, that was a victory.

“You’re doing great!” Sam said from a short distance away.

With every paddle my strokes became surer and stronger. As I swam, something brushed against my leg and I shivered at the thought of a slimy fish getting that close. I made a wide circle and turned back, smiling.