Page 8 of Slippery When Wet

She wasn’t comfortable in the water. This was hard for her. I’d been keeping an even closer eye on her the last six months. Talking to my best friend, Dan, last night had made me realize life was too short.

I was done waiting around to make a move.

When she finally walked into the aquatics center today instead of sitting in her SUV like she had been for the last couple of days, the decision had been made for me.

We were alone in the pool area. Just the two of us. But even if the place were overflowing with people, it wouldn’t have mattered. She was the only thing I could see.

I’d fruitlessly tried to ignore the attraction I’d felt when it came to her. When I had first settled in Poppy Beach, my head had been a mess. I’d been focused on working, creating a business, and physical therapy to help the knee that had given out mid-mission and had ended my career just shy of my twenty years. I’d been pissed at the world and hadn’t liked it.

A year ago, I had been walking down the boardwalk thinking about how time had made a difference. How much better I was feeling. And how even though my body and mind had improved, I still felt like I was missing something.

That’s when I saw her.

A curvy brunette with the prettiest dark eyes making a face at some dirty-blonde-haired woman next to her. Something about her made me follow her around like a lost puppy. Watching her as they stepped in shop after shop while they looked for god only knew what.

Just by looking at her I’d known she was too young for a man my age. There was an air of innocence that shined around her like an angel’s halo. I’d forced myself to walk away, mildly hoping she was some kind of tourist visiting our small town who would never return.

It turned out she was a local. Born and raised in Poppy Beach. Suddenly, it felt like she was everywhere I turned. That is, until I started following her. Abby was a woman who liked her routine. She had a schedule, and I liked that about her. It made figuring out where she would be to admire, even if it was from afar, a little easier.

My attraction had built and grown. That night six months ago had been terrifying. I’d wanted to step in immediately and claim her, but I knew she needed time. I’d been torn about when to approach her until last night.

Hearing my grump of a best friend talk about Abby’s sister with so much hope made me think about the distance I’d placed between us. It’d been stupid of me. So much time wasted. I’d thought I could keep admiring her from afar without touching her. Holding her.

But the truth was, I couldn’t.

Not when I knew how much I loved her.

And I did.

I’d come to terms with that a long time ago. This might have been the first time I’d talked to her, but I’d had endless conversations with her in my head. I’d done a lot with her in there.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked, breaking the momentary silence.

“I’m sorry.” I stepped forward fully expecting her to step back.

I’d learned a lot about Abby by watching her. The woman was smart. Funny when she wanted to be. So damn beautiful it rendered me breathless. But she was also a stickler for rules and lived in a bubble she’d created for herself. If she was alone, nine out of ten times her nose was stuck in a book.

“You don’t look sorry,” she muttered, and the smile on my face grew. I liked that she was sassy around me.

“Maybe I’m not?” I toyed. “You’re just…” Fuck me, I was at a loss for words.

“What?” She frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. Whether she knew it or not, the action only brought her chest together like the most luscious, bountiful offering known to man. Dios mio.

“Beautiful,” I rasped and scratched the back of my neck. “You also don’t look comfortable in the water. You wanna get out?” I asked, and she surprised me when she shook her head no.

“Really?” I asked, and she nodded.

“I… I kinda missed being in the pool,” she admitted. I pressed my lips together, afraid I would give away just how much I knew about her

“Busy summer?” I asked, dipping my body lower into the water, and she did the same.

“Kinda but… I had an accident a little while ago.”

“So, you’ve been having physical therapy or something?” I asked. Her pretty eyes widened, and she shook her head. Her dark chocolatey, almost black hair danced around her face.

“No. Nothing like that. I’m just…” Her eyes dropped from mine. “I’m just a scaredy cat.”

My heart fucking cracked for her.

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