Page 31 of Crushed By Love

“I’ll meet you at the pool in ten minutes.”

He saunters away and I decide not to fight him on this despite the nervous anticipation. I can’t help but wonder if this means what I want it to mean. Is he offering me swimming lessons or is he offering something else? Because I already know I want something else with him, but I also know I shouldn’t get ahead of myself. It’s more than likely that he’ll disappoint me again.

Still, I haven’t been able to stop thinking of how it felt to have his hand holding mine. He made a move but doing it while kissing another woman was confusing. It was an invitation to a twisted game. But I can’t help it, I’m intrigued, and I want to play.

Which is exactly why I put on my tiny black bikini instead of my more sensible purple one-piece. I haven’t worn it yet and I hope it makes him squirm.

I slip out of the back door and find Ethan waiting for me. He’s already in the water.

“Are we doing this or what?” Cooper calls out, appearing from the side of the house and jogging over to the pool. He’s also got his swimsuit on and also looks just as amazing as his brother, but I can’t say I’m happy to see him because his presence answers my question.

This is just a swimming lesson.

Not a game.

Not more.

Cooper winks as he approaches, his dark gaze lingering on my breasts for a moment too long. “Damn, I knew you were hot, but you should wear that more often.”

I roll my eyes.

“No, I mean it.” He shakes his hair from his eyes, his teeth flashing like a predator. “If I paid you extra, would you clean in that thing?”

“Shut up!” I laugh and he takes my hand.

“Come on, let’s turn you into a mermaid.”

Swimming looks easy but it’s not. The second I put my face in the water, panic sweeps through me and I come up sputtering. “I don’t need to learn how to swim,” I insist between coughs. “I’ll just avoid deep water.”

“For the rest of your life?” Ethan deadpans. “No. Try again.”

“No? You’re not the boss of me. If I don’t want to do this, I don’t have to.”

The three of us are standing in the shallow end of the pool and I feel as if they’re ganging up on me here. They look so determined that I do this and do it right. And for what? I don’t have to go near deep water again and I’ll be fine.

“Do you want to drown?” Cooper questions. “Because what if you can’t avoid deep water your whole life? You didn’t plan to get swept out to sea, but it happened.”

Oh, well, there is that.

I groan and try again, repeating their instructions in my mind. Blow out of your nose, but only do it gently so you don’t empty your lungs too fast. Turn your head from side to side to catch a gulp of air as you stroke your arms and kick your legs to move forward. Should be easy. But the water is quick to fill my nostrils and I’m not fast enough with my arms and my legs are already burning. This is a pool, I’m in the shallow end, and I’m terrible. I’d be hopeless in an actual ocean.

I come up with a groan.

“Go deeper,” Ethan commands. “I’m right here with you.”

I could memorize those words. Dear God. He’s way too hot for me.

Taking another breath, I try again. This time, I make my way to the edge of the deep end and hold on to the tiled edge for dear life. “Really, it’s fine. I just won’t go in the ocean ever again. Once was enough.”

But even as I say it, my heart gives a little pang.

“That was your first time?” Cooper swims up to us. They’re on either side of me now and I’m reminded of fireworks. Heat floods my center.

“There’s a first for everything.” I shrug. “And a last.”

“That wasn’t your last time,” Ethan states.

Whatever. He doesn’t know me. I’m fine not going in the ocean again. “Most people on this planet will never see the ocean. I got to swim in it once and that’s fine for me. It nearly killed me, so I’m okay with a one-time experience.”

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