Page 9 of Slippery When Wet

She had no idea how damn brave she was. I reached for her. The tips of my fingers grazed the tip of her chin so she would look up at me.

“I don’t think you’re a scaredy cat.” She smiled and shrugged.

“You don’t know me.” I liked the spirited tone in her answer. The hint of sass. Sass I knew she didn’t give anyone else. Jesus, I am sick in the head!

“Why are you scared of the water?” I asked, pressing my luck.

“I had an accident,” she admitted, her eyes meeting mine head-on.

“And you survived it,” I cut her off, accidently bulldozing her. It was obvious she didn’t like it when she stepped back, bumping her back against the wall of the pool. “I’m sorry. I just mean, whatever happened, you’re here. You’re safe, princess.”

“What did you say?” she asked, giving me back that one step, moving closer then stopping herself before she took another. Her head tilted. There was something working in her eyes due to my slip-up. Does she remember me from that night?

“You’re safe,” I repeated. She opened her mouth, probably to call me out on the term of endearment, but I kept talking. “I’ve seen shit. A lot of it. Good and bad.”

“As a SEAL?”

“As a human being,” I corrected. “We all do.” She nodded in agreement, and I kept blabbering on. “Look, shit happens. Really crappy shit.”

“Crappy shit? Is there any other kind?” Her lips twitched, and I chuckled because I liked that she was comfortable around me to tease me.

“But all we can do is keep moving forward to get over the hump of it and keep on going,” I encouraged. I knew firsthand how much easier it was to say it than live it.

“You make it sound so easy.” Her body dipped in lower, and if I was right, inched a little closer toward me.

“It’s not,” I reassured her, slowly drawing closer. “But it’s worth it.” I gave her a moment to let my words marinate in her thoughts. “Why haven't you gone swimming in a while, Abby?”

“I was stuck in my car and almost drowned,” she answered softly. I lost her eyes as she looked into the water.

“That sucks,” I rasped. I could still see her in that fucking death trap of a car, stuck. That panic I’d felt when I had second-guessed myself and if I would be able to get her out still kicked my ass late at night.

“Yeah.” Her eyes met mine, and fuck me, looking at her felt like I was in quicksand. No matter how much I tried to look away, I couldn’t. I got lost in her almost fathomless dark gaze. “Water and me… I don’t know. I guess it was hard to get myself to come here. To swim.”

“That’s a shame.”

“Oh?”

“Not only do you look good in a suit, baby girl, it’s fucking hot this summer.” She giggled and blushed. Her body bobbed up and down in the water. I wasn’t sure if she had noticed we were no longer close to the edge as we slowly inched toward the middle of the pool and further toward the deep end.

“It’s been warm.” She ignored the comment about how she looked in her swimsuit.

When I’d walked into the pool area after it was finally free, I’d almost swallowed my tongue at the sight of her. My pretty princess was gorgeous; I’d known that. But seeing her in a one-piece that hugged all her curves and showed off her thick thighs and toned calves had almost made me embarrass myself mid-step.

Thankfully, she hadn’t noticed me since she’d been staring off at the pool.

“Very,” I mumbled, “so you came to try to get over that fear?” I guessed.

“Yeah.” She floated closer. My hands reached for her, and she let me pull her in while we bobbed around.

“See, you’re not a scaredy cat,” I said softly. “You’re in the water,” I reminded her. I wanted to tell her how fucking strong that made her. How damn brave she was.

“It took me a week to walk in here,” she shared, her nose squished up adorably. My lips twitched.

“Still, you did it.” I pulled her in closer, enjoying the way her small, soft, delicate hands rested on my shoulders while I walked us deeper into the pool. “If you were a bonafide scaredy cat, no way you would have even come close to this place.”

“Hmm,” she sighed, her eyes closing for a moment. Peace washed over her face, and when she opened her eyes, they dropped to my lips.

“I should live bolder. Wilder.” There was a sparkle in her stare. A joy I wanted to bring out every day for the rest of our lives.

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