by J Q Anderson
“I fell in a pool when I was young. It was dark, cold. So cold.” I pick up my knees and hug them, the chill expanding from within. I squeeze my eyes to shut out the memory. His hand startles me as it wraps around my arm.
“I’m sorry. It’s alright now.”
When I look up he’s right next to me, his eyes warm. For the first time I notice they are not a solid brown. Speckles of green and a gold spread out from his irises, like sun rays. They are beautiful. “I’m screwed,” I whisper, unable to look away.
“I’ll teach you,” he says. “I’ll teach you how to swim.”
I straighten up. “What? You can’t.”
“Why not?’
“You are a guest. Besides, what about your girlfriend? Isn’t this like… your vacation?”
“I told you. Tamara is not my girlfriend. And she’s gone.”
“Oh. What are you still doing here?”
He shrugs. “I like skiing.”
I watch him for a moment, wondering what he does for a living. Whatever it is must pay well if he can afford skiing here. I refrain the urge to ask and give him a nod.
“Look,” he says. “I am staying for two more nights. Then I’ll fly home for the week, but I am meeting some friends back here the following weekend for a guy’s trip. We can work on the basics before I leave, then see where you’re at when I’m back.” He says it like it’s all so simple. It makes me want to punch that smug expression off his face. We are talking about teaching a person who cannot get inside water under 80 degrees how to swim in just a few days. Is he serious?
“Okay?” he says.
“I… You don’t even know me.” Is all I am able to say, because it’s true. Why is he doing this?
“I want to help.” He smiles, answering my thought. “I know what it’s like to want something that much. I can help you.”
“You are not a swimming instructor. I mean, what makes you think you can do this?”
He raises an eyebrow, watching me with that cocky bastard expression. “I was a professional water polo player once. Swimming well is a basic requirement.”
“That doesn’t mean you can teach me,” I say sulkily. He chuckles and it is so distracting.
“Believe me. I can handle you.” He stares straight at me and my breath catches. There is a double meaning in those words and the challenge sends a rush of adrenaline through my blood. In other circumstances I would not even entertain the idea of interacting with someone I find so attractive. Marc is the only man I am interested in, but frankly, I am desperate and this guy is throwing me a lifeline.
“I will pay you.” Yes. This will make me feel better. Just swimming lessons. He laughs.
“No. I am doing this as a friend.”
I narrow my eyes. “We are not friends, Jake.”
He laughs again.
“This isn’t going to get you anywhere.”
He laughs harder this time. “Abrasive, aren’t we? Listen, as charming as you are at the moment, I am not looking to get laid, if that’s what you are implying.”
I blush scarlet, pinned under his intense gaze. Dammit. He’s right. What the hell makes me think he’d be interested in me anyway? That was pretty assuming. But there’s something in the way he looks at me, though. It takes my breath away. Maybe it’s all in my head.
“Well?” he says.
“Okay.” Can I do this? “I mean, thank you. If you think you want to help me, that would be great.”
“Right on. We can start tomorrow. What time are you free?”
“Um, I am working the lunch shift. Ten to two.”
“We can work before and after. I will meet you here at seven.”
Shit. That’s early. “Okay,” I mutter. He’s so bossy. I’m already questioning whether this is a good idea. But what choice do I have?
He leans closer and I hold my breath. His eyes lock into mine and I am lost once again in the kaleidoscope of shades inside them.
“You can do this, Natalia. You can.” He smiles and slides out of the Jacuzzi with impressive grace. I don’t exhale until he’s a good distance away. His voice saying my name is echoing in my head, and I already know this will be a challenge in more than one way.
Chapter 8: Jake
I close the door to my room and walk to the window, raking both hands through my hair. What the fuck did I just commit to? That was stupid, not to mention expensive. But the thought of spending the next two days with Natalia instantly washes off my irritation. Isn’t this what I was after?
I unpack my duffel bag and sink in the bed, glad Tamara is gone and I have the space to myself. I scan through my email and there’s a response from my contractor telling me he will add the modifications and we should be hearing about the permits this week. Good. As soon as I get confirmation I can wire the down payment for the lot. The owner already accepted my offer and has agreed to give me a few more days until the permits clear. Everything is on track and if there are no more hurdles we will break ground in Cardiff as soon as mid-March.
On my phone screen there’s a text message from Tamara saying she had a great time and asking me if I am available again in a couple of weeks. I need to politely reinforce that our relationship is a business transaction so she doesn’t get the wrong idea. I’ve had clients get a bit too needy before and it never ends well. I text her a quick response letting her know it was good to see her, as always, but I will be busy for the next month. There are several more texts from other clients. But as I read through them a thick sense of dread fills me. I usually don’t give in to feelings that pull me down. I am content with the lifestyle I’ve chosen and have done more than well. I have enough money put away for the surf shop and will probably keep a few clients after that. Maintaining casual relationships with women is easy, and as long as they don’t expect to reel me in deeper, it works just fine. An image of Natalia’s eyes welled with tears flashes through my thoughts and the dread resurfaces. Those fierce green eyes are full of secrets. So are yours. I wonder what she would think of my occupation. Women always look at me differently when I tell them. They want to be appalled, but they can’t help being intrigued. They want to know if I am worth every penny in bed. Part of me wants to tell Natalia, just to watch her reaction. Better hold off on that for now.
The following morning, the pool area is deserted. Not much interest from the other guests in swimming at seven a.m. in the middle of the winter. My breath morphs into steam as I approach the foggy surface of the pool. Natalia is already waiting by the edge, her feet swirling underwater on the first step as she hugs a thick robe around her. Her face lights up when she sees me.
“Hey.” She smiles and it goes straight to the pit of my stomach.
“Hey.” I smile back. “Ready?”
She shrugs and gives me a small nod of resignation.
“We don’t have a lot of time,” I say. “But let’s start slow. The first thing is to get you to feel comfortable when you are in the water.”
“Piece of cake.” She smirks. I tilt my head to the side and she blinks, then raises her palms up.
“Okay. Sorry. You were saying?”
“Right. I want you to hold my hands and step in. Slow.” I see the immediate change in her expression. The humor is gone and she blanches. “It’s okay,” I reassure her. “I’ve got you.” I wait until she rids herself of her robe and as she does, I can’t help taking in the soft curves of her body. She’s fucking perfect everywhere in a black one piece that does excellent things for her cleavage. I don’t want to look like a perv, so I keep my eyes on hers. She’s frowning and as she looks at the water she bites her lip hard. I tug on her chin to release it and she stills at the contact. “Relax.” I shrug off my robe and take her hands. She squeezes mine so tight I’m wondering if I’ll ever be able to use them again. I smile. “You have a very firm grip.”
She gasps. “Sorry.” Her face is grim and I wish I could pull her into my arms.
“It’s okay. Just one step at a time.”
She takes a hesitant first step into the pool. Her breathing is shallow and I can see how difficult this is for her. She wasn’t kidding when she said she doubted she could do this. Obviously what happened to her when she was young had great impact. I try to recall my training as a lifeguard when it came to dealing with people that are drowning. Their first instinct is to clutch their arms around your neck in panic, which doesn’t allow either one of you to swim. I can see that same panic in her eyes. I need to get her to relax. It takes her forever to advance another step. At this rate we will be here until tomorrow and despite the warm water it is fucking freezing.
“Natalia,” I say softly, but in a firm tone. “Look at me.” She looks up with wide eyes. “Keep walking until you are all the way into the water. I will not let go of you. This is not that different from the Jacuzzi.” I smile. She looks terrified, but nods.
“Okay,” she whispers. Her chest is heaving in rapid, short breaths. I keep my eyes on hers. She takes slow steps, and I tug her hands gently farther into the water. It takes an eternity for her to be all the way in. She squeezes her eyes shut as I slowly lure her toward the deep end.
“Stop. Please stop. I need a sec.” Her voice is hoarse and I can tell she is making a huge effort. I give her a few moments to get used to being all the way into the water. It is up to her chest. Her hands are crushing mine.
“Natalia. Open your eyes.”
She shakes her head No.
“I promise it’s okay. I won’t let go.”
She opens one eye and I smile, then she opens the other and swallows when she realizes how far in we are. “Shit.”
“You made it this far, and you are okay.” I smile.
“I’m not okay,” she pants. “I am flipping out, Jake. Please don’t let go.” She squeezes my hands tighter. Out of the corner of my eye I see a figure approaching the pool. A guy in a robe and swim cap. I have seen him swimming laps here before. Her back is turned, so she doesn’t see him. She follows my gaze and her eyes widen. “What?”
“Nothing. Just another swimmer. You are good.”
She lets a shallow breath out and her eyes stay on mine. She’s afraid to look away, I can tell. The swimmer leaps into the water with a loud splash, startling her. Before I can blink she’s in my arms, gripping my neck in a deadlock, her eyes squeezed shut. My arms instinctively wrap around her and I am struck by the scent of fresh jasmine coming from her hair, which is loosely tied in a ponytail. Fuck. My dick is immediately aware of her body pressed so tight against mine. She’s breathing hard, and I slowly ease her toward the steps again.
“You are okay. It is just another swimmer. See?” I coerce her to open her eyes. She does and relaxes a fraction, nodding.
“Right.” She breathes in and out. “I am sorry, Jake. Maybe this was not a good idea.”
I can tell she’s embarrassed. I hold her face in my hand and her eyes dart to my mouth. Christ. I lift her chin up a little so our eyes meet. “You are doing great. It takes time, but look at how far you’ve come. This is only the first lesson.” I smile. And I mean it. I am so impressed at how brave she’s been. I can see how difficult this is for her, and yet, she is still willing to try. It makes me want to see her succeed even more.
“Come on. We can take a break and try again.” She looks relieved as I say this. When we reach the shallow end she lets go. My body protests at the distance with hers. Having her wrapped in my arms felt a lot better than I am willing to admit.
Our second attempt is a little easier. She lets me lure her in all the way to her shoulders. She is still tense, but seems a bit more at ease and it gives me hope. On our third attempt, I hold her body up parallel to the surface so she is almost floating. It takes a few tries, but she starts to relax. I think she trusts me a little more and that helps. I sway her back and forth gently and tell her to let go. It is not easy, but she is trying. She really wants this to work. With her eyes closed and her hair fanned out into the water, she looks like a mermaid. Her hair tie is lost somewhere, but she doesn’t seem to have noticed and I am liking the sight of her hair swaying in the water way too much, so I stay quiet. As I get distracted water trickles in through her half-parted lips and she jerks up, coughing. Her arms are death-gripping my neck again and I laugh. She asks me if we can take a break. She looks drained from the tension, and she also has to get ready for her shift. I reassure her she has done great and tell her I am proud. She smirks, but she knows she’s done well.
“I will meet you here again this afternoon?” I smile. I’m invaded by a sudden sense of hollowness for having to say goodbye to her. “What time?”
She thinks for a moment. “Um, I’m done at two. So maybe four? Or later if you are busy.”
“Four works. I have a few things to do and it will give me enough time to hit the slopes.”
She smiles, looking genuinely pleased. “Thank you, Jake.” And it fills my chest completely.
“You are welcome. You did well.” I nod, leaning on the edge as she goes. Then I reach for my goggles and sprint into a butterfly stroke to rid my body of the sudden exhilaration that surges through me.
Chapter 9: Natalia:
Dani and Zack have already set up our station when I barge into the lounge. Zack raises his eyebrows. I am never late. Dani gives me a wicked grin and nods.
“You look a bit ruffled up. Was he good?” She winks.
I ignore her and pull my hair up in a ponytail, catching my breath. “I’m pooped. Who knew learning how to swim could be this exhausting.”
“Well.” Dani chuckles. “You were probably distracted by your instructor’s yummy looks. How did you get the hottest guy in the lodge to give you private swimming lessons?”
“I did not get him to do anything. He offered.” I frown.
“Right. Lucky you.” She laughs. Zack shakes his head and says nothing. I am lucky last night resulted in big winnings for both of us, so I’m hoping he’ll give me a pass for being late.
The lounge is packed with the morning skiers. Even though it’s only Wednesday, the lodge is filling up quickly with the weekend crowd. This means good tips, so everyone’s mood is up. Dani and I attend to our respective stations. As we wait for Zack to fill our drink orders, she quizzes me about my morning lesson with Jake. I keep it vague, but she is relentless and tries to make everything I say sound dirty.
“I told you. It’s not like that. He’s just… really nice. Will you give that rotten brain of yours a break?”
She gives me a smug smile. “If you don’t want him, I’ll take him. Would that be weird?” She scrunches her nose. “I can get over it, if you can.”
“Dani.” I sigh. “Just… stop, okay?” I whip around and storm to my section, doing my best to ignore her grilling the rest of our shift.
Jake is already waiting when I hurry out to the pool. As I approach, I frown at the three swimmers occupying the lanes. Jake catches the change in my expression and laughs, shaking his head. The Jacuzzi is also taken by two girls that look tipsy and frankly, are being way too loud. They are giggling at two guys that are sitting on the edge with their feet in the water and the rest of their ski clothes still on.
“I thought you bailed on me.” Jake greets me with a genuine smile that makes me feel instantly warm. I don’t even want to admit to myself how much I’ve been looking forward to our session. I made several mistakes in my orders at lunch because I was too distracted thinking about the way Jake was holding me in the water this morning. It was as if a swarm of butterflies had invaded me, their wings thrumming frantically inside my stomach. Then those dreams last night… After the horrid nightmares where Tango saves me from drowning over and over, I had this erotic dreams about Jake. My mouth is dry as flashbacks cross through my mind, unbidden. Jake pressing me against the Jacuzzi wall, our faces covered in sweat as he grips my hair at the nape and his tongue thrusts into my mouth.
“Hey.” He smiles and I blush furiously.
“Sorry. My shift ran long.”
“You okay? You look a bit tired.”
I pull my hair up in a knot. “I’m fine. Just had a late poker game last night.” I look up at him. “It was a favor I owed Zack, before you say anything. Then I had nightmares the rest of the night.”
He frowns. “Nightmares?”
“Yes. About the water.” I keep the rest of the dreams to myself.
“Do you want to tell me?” He looks concerned and it’s endearing.
“No.” I shake my head. “I don’t want to think about it. Let’s get started.”
“Okay,” he nods, eyeing me warily. “How do you feel about the progress we’ve made so far?”
I smile. “I am not going to lie. It still makes me very, very nervous to get into the pool, but the panic is much less.”
“Okay,” he says, and I think he’s pleased with my response. “Today I’m going to teach you to not drown.”
“Helpful.” I nod and he chuckles.
“I’m glad your sarcasm is intact. Get in the water.”
I stifle a smile at his bossy tone and obey. Anxiety expands in my chest with every step. He watches me patiently until the water is up to my waist and I look up, letting him know this is as far as I am willing to go. He pulls his robe off and I look away because I don’t want to look at him in that speedo. It is amazing how someone like Jake can make a skimpy scrap of fabric look so… hot. He quickly gets into the water and reaches for something on the edge of the pool.
“Here. Put these on.” He hands me a pair of goggles and I raise my eyebrows. No way. He shakes his head. “Just put them on. I want you to be able to see my legs under water. I’m going to teach you how to egg-beat.”
“Egg what?”
“You’ll learn the egg-beater movement. It’s what water polo players do to stay above water. Treading.”
I eye him skeptically and slip the goggles on. He takes me deeper into the pool until the water is up to my shoulders. He is much taller than me, about six feet four, I guess, so he has to go in deeper than me. Then he moves a bit farther and instructs me to dip my face in the water and just watch his legs. This morning he made me put my head all the way underwater several times. I hated it at first and needed him to hold my hand, but I want to show him he isn’t wasting his time, so even though my heart is kicking the hell out of my chest, I push myself and do it on my own. Underwater, he is swirling his lower legs at the knees in a movement that resembles the whisks of a hand mixer. Exactly like he described. It looks like he is egg-beating with his legs. I come up for air, then dip my face in and watch him again. While he does this, his hands go up and down in a flying-like movement that allows him to keep his head and even his shoulders above water. My attention is temporarily derailed by the way his muscles flex underwater. I watch him for a long while, knowing he can’t see me. It’s beautiful. I scold myself and come up for air. I am impressed because above the surface, he is almost immobile.