Page 41 of The Pakhan's Forced Bride
“I’m not getting in there,” she shouts in horror.
“You can do this,” I laugh, handing her a pair of goggles. “I promise you, it’s going to be incredible.”
She reaches out to take the goggles and then holds my hand as I guide her, step by step, into the glass-bottom pool.
The sharks circle beneath us, and Belle is reluctant to move off the steps.
She sinks her body into the water but doesn’t swim away from the sides. I move closer to her, hyperaware of her skin against my skin. “Pull the goggles down like this and make sure the strap is tight enough not to let water in.” She nods, the goggles fitted over her eyes.
“Now follow me. Take a deep breath and stay close. I’m right with you, okay?” I reassure her.
She looks terrified, but she nods and takes a massive breath in.
I dive beneath the water, and she follows. Her hair flows out around her like a halo. Her skin glows in the soft light of the water.
We look down, able to see the sharks in full clarity now, their massive bodies gliding past the bottom of the boat.
She holds her breath as long as she can before swimming up again. I follow her, and as soon as she takes a fresh lungful of air, she is talking, fast and excited.
“I can’t believe how big they are. And beautiful. And terrifying, and I was so close. It was almost like I could touch them. I can’t believe it. I never thought I’d ever see anything like this.” She talks quickly, words spilling from her as adrenaline pulses in her blood.
She’s talking so much she can barely get a breath in, and I swim her to the side of the step. Her face is glowing as she pulls the goggles off. “This is the craziest thing I’ve ever done in my entire life,” she shouts.
I don’t know what comes over me. Her joy is infectious. She’s a muse and an angel. A cheerleader and a temptress. I reach out and wrap my hand around the back of her neck and pull her against me in the water.
My lips crash into hers, and we’re kissing again.
My body floods with pulsing desire, my mouth moving against hers, her skin against mine.
The boat rocks on a wave, and she pushes harder against me. Belle lets out a squeal of fright and pulls away from the kiss.
“Can the glass break?” she asks, her eyes wide with fear.
I laugh and shake my head. “Almost impossible.”
“Almost?”
I nod, pulling her close again, but just as I’m about to kiss her, the captain calls my name. Belle squeals and ducks behind me as he walks into the pool area.
“Sir, I’m terribly sorry to interrupt,” he says sheepishly. “We’ve received several warnings, and we were forced to head back to shore. We’ll be back in the harbor in a few moments. It’s not recommended to stay on the yacht tonight.”
I clench my jaw. I was hoping to spoil Belle with a sunrise breakfast on the yacht tomorrow morning.
And after the kiss, I was thinking about taking her right here in this pool.
“We’ll be out in a minute. Thank you, captain,” I say, disappointed.
The boat jolts against another wave as the ocean gets rougher, and Belle yelps, clinging to me.
“Let’s get out and get you dry and dressed before we get to shore,” I say, not wanting to share her beautiful nakedness with anyone else.
She nods, and we climb out of the pool.
When we dock in the harbor, my hormones are still raging. She was naked in my arms—well, almost naked. And she clearly wanted it as much as I did. Was it just in the moment, the thrill of the swim, or would she want me again?
Belle is standing close to me near the railing, leaning against my side. Her gentle affection tells me she does want more. That it isn’t over yet. Her hand is resting on my arm, her fingers brushing soft patterns on my shirt.
The captain ties us down and lowers the walkway for us to disembark.
