Page 31 of Best Laid Plans
‘Are you coming in? It feels wonderful!’ she shouted, aware that her pulse had picked up again at the discovery that he’d been watching her all this time.
He paused for a moment and she got the distinct impression he was searching for an excuse not to join her, but apparently he thought better of it, pulling his T-shirt over his head in one deft move and stepping up onto the edge of the boat.
Indigo trod water, feeling her body being lifted and dropped by the gentle waves as she stared in rapt delight at his muscular physique, immensely glad of the cooling effect of the water as her body surged with nervous heat.
He dived in with the same grace he applied to every physical action and swam towards her, powering through the water. When he reached her, he stopped, barely touching distance away and gave her a wide grin.
‘You’re right; it does feel wonderful.’
She smiled back, wishing with all her heart that it was okay for her to reach out to him, to slide into his arms and wrap her legs around his waist, to ride the waves with him and laugh and play, then kiss him hard, so he’d know how much she was enjoying being here with him. How he’d opened up this whole new sense of excitement for life in her that she so desperately wanted to cling on to.
For this to betheirholiday.
She longed to ask him how he’d feel about spending the rest of his week with her, but she knew she’d be on dangerous ground. This link between them was so tenuous it would snap as soon as she put any kind of pressure on it.
So, instead, in an attempt to relieve her frustration and wipe that easy smile off his face, she drew back her hand and swished a sheet of water at him.
He didn’t see it coming and got a face full.
‘Right!’ he said with an ominous growl after he’d recovered from the surprise of it, wiping the water off his face with an expression that promised retaliation.
She shrieked and swam away from him, turning back to find him in hot pursuit.
They laughed and played like a couple of kids, chasing each other through the water and sending great sprays of it back and forth until Indigo held up her hand in defeat, her eyes now stinging from the make-up she’d forgotten to take off before jumping into the sea.
‘Ow, ow, ow! My eyes! Wait, Julien, wait, I can’t see.’ Distracted by the smarting pain, she forgot to kick and dipped down into the water, sucking in a mouthful of it.
Kicking back up in alarm, she spluttered, coughing the water out and wincing at the revolting taste.
‘Are you okay?’ she heard Julien say, somewhere close by.
She nodded, but proved herself wrong by accidentally taking in another gulp of briny water when she drew in a breath to try and cough the sharpness out of her throat, starting to panic as she felt herself sinking back down beneath the waves again.
‘It’s okay, I’ve got you,’ he said right next to her now.
She felt his arm slide around her waist, and he pulled her securely against his chest, lifting her further out of the water. She clung to him, wrapping her legs around his hips to make it easier for him to swim and he kicked hard, quickly taking them the few metres back to the boat.
Reaching to grab hold of the rail at the stern, he hauled them both onto the diving platform and they toppled backwards with the momentum, Indigo landing on her back beneath him.
He looked down at her, his face only inches from hers, his eyes dark with alarm.
‘Are you okay?’ he asked, the concern in his voice making her shiver.
She was suddenly acutely aware of how little clothing she was wearing and how solid and warm the boat’s deck was under her back and how good the hard press of his body felt between her legs.
All she could do was nod in response.
‘You look like a bedraggled panda,’ he murmured, his voice sounding rough and deep as he ran his thumbs gently under her eyes, wiping the make-up away.
The simple tenderness of this action undid her and, from out of nowhere, an overwhelming urge to cry hit her, forcing the air from her lungs and tightening her throat. But she didn’t want to let the tears come. Not like this, not with him looking at her like he was. He’d see it – her vulnerability and need. So, in the absence of a better idea, she raised her head those few precious inches and kissed him.
In her head, she’d meant it to be a kiss of gratitude, an apology to smooth away his worry, an acknowledgement of his act of kindness, but, as soon as her lips touched his, she was lost.
She let out a small moan as she registered the firmness of his mouth, then a gasp as his lips parted so she could sweep the tip of her tongue against his.
He tasted so good: musky and seductive and sweet all wrapped up into one delicious essence. Pressing her lips harder against his, she tightened her grip and pulled his body closer to her, so she was hard up against his solid chest, revelling in the strength of him as she wrapped her limbs around him.
She was drowning again, only this time in his scent, turning into a bundle of nerve endings under his touch. Her whole body sang with joy as she felt the power of him surround her, drawing her down deep into the oblivion of the kiss.
