Page 57 of Catch a Kiwi
“Yeh,” Roman said. “I will.”
I said, “Good. Act without expectation. That’s Lao Tzu, and I’m doing it. Also, I’m taking off my clothes. Too uncomfortable doing the rest of this hike afterwards otherwise. Don’t misinterpret.”
Roman
She wasn’t lying. She stripped off her T-shirt and shorts and stood there in her blue sports bra and undies. They weren’t anything special, but that body sure as hell was. She looked made of marble, except that she was turning alaughing gaze to me, all heart-shaped face and big gray eyes, and saying, “What? It’s no more than I’d show in a swimsuit, and I need to remember how to be spontaneous.” Sounding brave, but there was something unsure in her expression, too. Maybe wondering if she could trust me. Anybody would have told her the answer was no.
“No worries,” I said. “Go for it.” I got my own kit off pretty bloody quickly, down to my boxer briefs, then looked for the best spot, said, “Here,” and eased my way down the bank and into the clear water, cold against my skin.
“Wait,” Summer said, hesitating above me. “Should I be more careful?”
“Nah,” I said. “Slide on in here. I’ve got you.”
I got a smile for that, and she slid straight in and shrieked a little as she hit the water, for once not seeming burdened by the cares of the world.
“I’ll stay between you and the dropoff,” I said. “You can probably stand, in fact.”
She tried it. The water came to my chest, but to her neck. “Barely,” she said, and started treading water again. “This is great. I think I could learn to swim better in New Zealand, if I had time. I never really had the chance before. No money for lessons when I was a kid, and later—well, you know. I worked a lot, and I never reallyneededto swim until my survival show, when it was a little late to learn, so …”
“Mm,” I said. I couldn’t see her body well under the water, so why was I so aware of it? She drifted closer to the edge, and I put out a hand and grabbed her upper arm. “Getting close there.”
She said, “You really are a protective man.” Not sounding like that was a bad thing, not today. Big gray eyes looking into mine, white shoulders rising out of the water, and no smile on her lips.
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. My other hand was on her shoulder now, the force of the water pulling her against me.
I could have remembered those trust issues and resisted kissing her. If I’d been a different man, I could have. My hand was on her face, though, her breasts were against my bare chest, and my lips were on hers. And the hunger was right there, flaring like a wildfire. I couldn’t have let her go if I’d tried, and I wasn’t trying. Because she was kissing me back, and she tasted of lemon and raspberries and bourbon-infused maple syrup, sweet and heady. The feel of her swirling through my brain, my hands tightening on her body.
Cold everywhere, except where we weren’t. Where her body was touching mine, there was nothing but heat. I was kissing her more deeply now, my hands tightening around her, wanting to touch so much more. Her mouth was opening under mine, her hands were on my shoulders, and I was pulling her closer, wanting my mouth at her neck, my hands on …
Voices from above us. Laughter. I barely heard them, but Summer pulled back, and I turned my head.
A dad. A mum. And three kids, one of them a boy of thirteen or fourteen with sticking-out ears and his eyes practically starting from his head. Fantasies realized, possibly.
“Hi,” I said, and for some reason, grinned.
The mum said something to the dad that I couldn’t hear over the noise of the water, and he gave a wave and a grin of his own before they all headed down the track again.
“Ah,” I said. “Going to the lower waterfall first. Good plan.”
I looked at Summer, she looked at me, and then she started laughing, and so did I. How could you help it? “I can’t believe it,” she moaned, then put her head against my chest for a moment, which felt pretty bloody good. “The one timeI’m spontaneous. Theonetime. There were no other cars down there! We’ve seen zero people!”
“Yeh,” I said. “Bugger.” Not that I cared. Her legs were brushing against mine and I still had my arms around her, and all of that worked for me.
“We should go,” she said.
“Or not,” I said.
“I’m cold,” she said. “Since you’re protective.” And smiled some more. And I thought,Bloody hell. Bloody hell.But couldn’t think of a single other thing to say.
Until a couple of hours later, when I thought of it.
24
NOT SO MUCH ACCEPTANCE
Summer
“You’re joking,” I said. “Or crazy.”
