Page 97 of Refraction

Calvin yelped at him, laughing. “You just want to grab my ass.”

“Well, yes. But….” Tucker helped Calvin stretch back, letting Calvin take his time, learn where he was in this new watery world.

“Okay….” Calvin wrapped an arm around his pretty tight for a second but quickly relaxed it and let him go. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to—okay. You got me. I’m good.”

Calvin actually stopped babbling, started breathing, and seemed to be really trying to relax. Even the back of Calvin’s head was getting wet.

Tucker was happy as a pig in shit. He didn’t care if this was all they did today. He was wet and cool, the sun was going down, and there was a breeze. Life was good.

“Am I doing okay? This is pretty awesome. Feels nice after all that hot sun.” He watched as Calvin’s arms floated out to the side and water splashed and pooled on Calvin’s belly and hips, wet skin reflecting the fading light.

“You’re rocking it. I love the way it cools me down.” There were other parts that got him off—the way the water touched him everywhere, the way it held him, the way he felt safe in the pool—but they sounded stupid as hell, so he didn’t bother to say them out loud.

“It feels like… kind of like the waterwantsto hold me up. It’s kind of, I don’t know. Clingy? Is that weird?”

“No. It’s meant to buoy, huh? We’re made of water, right?”

“I guess, yeah.” Calvin’s fingers wiggled and splashed. “I want to go under. I want to know what that feels like.”

“Okay. You want to hold on to me and we go together or just me lower you here?”

“I can? I didn’t think you’d say yes! You go with me. Should I stand up?” Calvin got a little wobbly in the water.

“You totally can.” Tucker hauled Calvin upright, encouraging his lover’s legs to wrap around his waist. “You ready?”

Calvin’s arms went around his neck too. The quick little kiss took him by surprise, and the smile that followed lit up Calvin’s face. “Now I’m ready.”

“I’ll bend down on three. Ready? One. Two. Three.” He ducked down, dunking them both.

Calvin held on tight but came up laughing, shaking the water from his hair and eyes. “Again!”

He ducked them again, both of them laughing when they came up this time.

“So fun, tiger!” Calvin leaned in and kissed him again, lips slippery and tasting like salt.

He turned them in a slow circle, the water sliding all around them.

“I think I like this swimming thing. What else do I need to learn?” Calvin lifted the hair out of his eyes and combed it back with gentle fingers.

“We can try all sorts of things.” He eased back, floating with Calvin resting on his chest.

“Mmm. Or we can just do this for a while.” Calvin was just as relaxed as could be. “You have any swimming stories? How old were you when you learned?”

“I don’t remember. Little. My folks are beach people, pool people, and I don’t remember not knowing how. I remember the first time I slept in the water. We were at the lake, and my dad hooked a floaty to the canoe, and I just snoozed while they fished.”

“What an adorable memory. You were little, I guess. I’ve slept in a couple of barns but never on the water anywhere.” Calvin’s feet were paddling slowly in the water.

“Three or four. We went out for my birthday.”

“Back when you were painting still lifes like your mom. Do you remember painting back then? Did it feel like it does now?”

“I think it’s different now. I was just copying other people then. Now it’s all internal.”

Calvin nodded. “Makes sense. When did you move out here on your own?”

“Granny deeded me the land ten years ago, give or take. She wanted me to have a place all my own.”

“And you moved right in? Was she still here?”

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