Page 197 of The Fall
“You good?” A smile pulls at my words.
“It’s the board,” he grumbles. “Or maybe the ocean is tilted on your side.”
“The ocean is definitely tilted.”
His hair is plastered to his forehead, water droplets clinging to his eyelashes. “These boards are different sizes,” he insists. “Yours is wider.”
I shake my head. “Same model.”
He growls under his breath and scoots forward, then manages to clamber to his feet. His arms windmill for a few seconds. His knees are as wobbly as a rookie’s on his first shift, but he finds his balance. He spreads his arms, a triumphant grin breaking across his face. “Eh? Eh?”
A gentle swell rolls under my board. The board lifts under me, and a beat later the swell reaches him, a soft, innocent little nudge.
His board skews sideways and he goes down, a straight drop into the shallows, scattering a school of silver minnows.
A laugh bursts out of me, and I paddle closer to enjoy his good-natured scowl when he surfaces again.
“You’re laughing at me!”
“Me? Never.” My board rocks gently in the water he’s stirring up.
He scoops a handful of water and flings it at me. I paddle backward out of range.
“You’re a menace.”
“But a dry one.”
He narrows his eyes. “You know what would cheer me up?” He swims for the edge of my board and grabs the heel. My board wobbles.
“Oh no.” I try to backpedal with my paddle, but he’s holding me fast.
His smile turns dangerous. “Having company down here...”
“Oh no, no, no?—”
“Come on in, babe,” he says. “The water’s perfect.” He gives one sharp wrench, and my board flips.
For a suspended moment, I am weightless, surrounded by a silent, blue-green world. Then his arms are around me, pulling me to the surface.
“You’rea menace,” I say, the words soft between us.
His laugh rumbles through his chest and into mine. He brushes a thumb over my cheekbone. “You look good wet.”
Our boards drift nearby, bumping together softly. The water cradles us, bringing our bodies closer. He rests his forehead against mine. “You make me happy.”
“Even when I’m beating you at paddle boarding?”
He laughs again. “I was watching your technique.”
“From underwater?”
“Mmm.” He cups my jaw. “I’m a thorough student.”
The ocean bobs us up and down, our legs tangling as we tread water. His eyes, bright blue against his tanned skin, don’t leave mine.
“What did you learn?”
“That you’re graceful. Strong.” He pulls me closer, our chests touching. “And that I want more lessons.”
