Page 84 of Revive Me

I lift my head to see her chewing on her bottom lip as she looks toward the deeper end. The whole pool is barely the size of a living room, and the “deep end” looks like it’s barely six feet deep, but I know she’s mulling over any risks. Finally, she says, “If you’re trying to float, can I put a donut around you?”

I nod. I’ll agree to anything.

I watch as she climbs out of the pool to grab something I didn’t notice when we first came in. It’s…a giant inflatable donut with sprinkles?

“Liliana,” I scold weakly. “I thought you were kidding.”

“That sounds like a personal problem,” she quips as she drops back into the water. “It’s not a board-certified therapy tool, but…I had a feeling you’d enjoy a comfortable float today. This way, you can rest on it.”

When she reaches me, she looks between the donut and my body with a frown of concentration. “Can you stand and lean on me so I can switch it out?”

Groaning, I pull my legs under me. Once my feet are planted, I force myself to stand, quickly grabbing Lily’s shoulders to brace myself.

She rushes to hold my ribs. “Okay?” she asks worriedly.

God, she’s so close. I wish I could pull her closer.

“I’m good, Doc,” I say with a tight smile in an effort to remind myself where we are.

Once she decides she believes me, Lily nods and slides the first flotation device from my chest, down to my waist. That way, she can gesture for me to put my arms through the donut floatie and guide it down under my armpits.

When I can lower my arms and sink my weight into the pool again, I do it with another groan of relief. Lily was right, this is way nicer. I can use my arms to paddle into deeper water to let my legs hang, and then I can relax my arms and head on the inflatable donut.

“I need to put a pool in my yard,” I groan. “I’m pretty sure I could sleep like this.”

Lily walks over to stand before me. “You might get a little prune-y,” she says with a smile.

“I’ll happily shrivel into a raisin if it means this kind of pain relief,” I all but slur.

She looks downright delighted. “This better be the last time you question my methods.”

I lazily wave a hand. “I will never question you again.”

She shakes her head with a chuckle. “Who knew I only needed to get you into the water to placate you.” Then she sobers and adds quietly, “I’m just glad it helped. I don’t like when you’re in pain.”

Her comment brings me out of the haze I’d sunk into and back to reality. I lift my head so I can study her.

She’s only a few inches away from me, close enough that she can get to me in a second. The water is deep enough that I wonder if she has to stand on her toes at this depth. She seems comfortable, though, her hands moving gracefully through the water as she lets me relax, watching me the whole time. Her blonde hair is in a ponytail, the end dipped in the water, and she has water droplets all over her face from jumping in.

I step a little closer, just so I can watch one slide down her cheek.

Goddamn, she’s pretty.

I think the water must bring out the color of her eyes because they’repiercingright now. She’s never looked more beautiful. Especially with her attention solely on me, never looking away as I shift a little bit closer.

I can’t help it—I might die if I don’t touch her. Lifting my hand, I place it gently on her face and wipe a water droplet from her cheek.

Her breath hitches at my touch. I wonder if she’ll pull away, or if she’ll do me the honor of staying this close. I won’t make any move to kiss her, even though every fiber of my being is screaming at me to lean in. I just…want her close.

I watch indecision war in her eyes. She glances at my lips, and I wonder if she’s thinking about our kiss, the one that never happened. Sometimes when she looks at me, I swear she’s thinking of it too. When her gaze lifts again, her hand comes up to cover mine. And a breath whooshes from my lungs when she leans into my touch, her eyes dropping to half-mast.

“Roman,” she murmurs, sounding as dazed as I did a minute ago. It’s not a warning, as I thought it might be, though.

My eyes drop to her lips, the need to taste the sound only growing.She’s so perfect.

But I’m not yet completely out of my mind. I know where we are. I know what’s allowed and what’s not. It’s not like the night she drove me home, when we could pretend…

“I know,” I murmur, letting my thumb brush over her cheek again. Just to touch her soft skin, to feel the warmth of the flush.

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