“Right, uh-huh, okay. And what do I do about the woodpecker hammering in my chest?”
He laughed. “You’re too cute.” He pulled her close, kissing her again. “I promise he’ll go away soon. You’re safe with me, angel. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
“Right. I know. Okay.” Please don’t let me drown.
“You’ve got this, Cait.” His expression turned serious. “You said you used to believe that your mom turned into a mermaid. Think about how this will bring you one step closer to her.”
God, this man . . .
He listened, he saw, and he cared. With that one sentiment, he’d filled her with a renewed sense of purpose.
“Thank you for that. I’m ready now.”
“I told you I’ve always got you. Now lean back, feel my hands under you, and lift your feet.”
She closed her eyes, silently praying she could do it.
As she leaned back, he said, “Open your eyes, Cait. You need to be aware of your surroundings.”
She felt his hands on her back, lifting her.
“I’ve got you. Lift your legs.” As she did, he said, “Good. Now tilt your pelvis up and put your head back. Perfect. Remember to breathe.”
“I’m busy trying not to freak out, and you want me to breathe, too?”
He moved his handsome face into view. “Yes. Breathe.”
She stared up at the clear evening sky. Breathe. Don’t freak out. Breathe. Don’t freak out. “What do I do with my hands?”
“Put them wherever they feel comfortable, but try to keep your body level with the surface.”
She grabbed his arm.
“Cait . . .”
“You said wherever it felt comfortable!”
He laughed. “As much as I like that, it’s not going to help you learn.”
“Buzzkill,” she said under her breath, and realized she was smiling, not freaking out. Yay, me!
“Trust me, baby. I’ll let your hands explore every inch of me when we’re done.”
That thought sent heat pooling in her lower belly, and her butt sank.
“Hey, hey, hey.” He lifted her up. “Concentrate, Cait.”
“How am I supposed to concentrate when you wave the touch-me flag?”
He moved his wolfish grin into view. “Because if you don’t learn to float, you won’t get to touch me at all.”
“That’s cruel.”
“That’s bribery. Now focus, woman. You’ve got a lot of things to learn tonight.”
She closed her eyes for only a second, and when she opened them, she picked a spot in the sky and concentrated on it. She imagined herself as a buoy, feeling the cool water swish along her sides. She focused on that to keep her body parallel, adjusting her hips, legs, and head until she became the buoy floating along the surface.
“That’s it! Good job, Cait. You’ve got it. Keep your chin up. Attagirl!” He held his hands up. “That’s all you, baby.”
She wiggled her fingers. “I’m floating!”
“And floating has never looked so good. Keep it up.” A few seconds passed. “Excellent! I knew you could do it!”
She lowered her legs to stand, and he swept her into his arms, lifting her feet off the ocean floor as he kissed her.
“Look at my amazing girl. There’s nothing you can’t do!”
She laughed, feeling giddy for the first time in her life, and he kissed her again.
“Is it against the rules to have a crush on my teacher?” she asked as he set her on her feet.
“It’s against the rules for you to have a crush on anyone else.” His arms circled her, and he took her in another heat-inducing kiss. “Ready to hold your breath underwater?”
“First I need to catch my breath after that.” She fanned her face, and they both laughed. “I know how to hold my breath. I just panicked the other day.”
“Great. Show me, and we’ll practice enough so you don’t panic if it ever happens again.”
She gulped air into her lungs and sank beneath the surface. He went under with her, giving her a thumbs-up, his hair waving in the water, those blue eyes dancing with joy for her. They broke the surface and took a breath, and then he was kissing her again, sweet and slow and oh so good.
Brant was patient and funny as he put her through the paces, teaching her to tread water, doggy paddle, and do the breaststroke with a flutter kick and her face out of the water, all while filling her up with laughter and kisses. They practiced holding her breath underwater between each lesson, and Brant made funny faces and swam around her like a shark. She was having so much fun, she forgot all about being nervous as she stood in waist-deep water watching him swim out deep one last time. His strong arms sliced through the surface, his thick legs propelling him like motors. He swam too far out, went under, and circled back, stopping about fifteen feet away.
He scrubbed his hand down his face and raked his hair back. Good Lord he was handsome, and he wanted to be hers. That blew her away.
“Okay, babe. Breaststroke.”
She glanced at Scrappy, sleeping on the blanket, and then she set her eyes on Brant. It was his voice she heard guiding her motions as she stretched her arms out in front of her and kicked off the bottom—Outsweep, insweep, glide. Outsweep, insweep, glide—until she was safely in his arms.
“You’re amazing, baby.”
He was the amazing one. “Pay up, Coach.”
His mouth came eagerly down over hers, firm and insistent. He broke the kiss long enough to take off her goggles. Then those magnificent lips were on hers again. She felt his legs kicking, one arm pulling them through the water, the other securely around her as they made out like they’d waited their whole lives to do it—and she felt like she had. He planted his feet on the ocean floor, guiding her legs around his waist as he deepened the kiss. He moaned, and it amped up her arousal. Their kisses were firestorms of pleasure. He felt so good and right, she didn’t want to stop. She had a fleeting thought about trying not to lose control as she had at the bar, but she was making this decision rather than her body making it for her. Brant made her feel cared for and special, and she wanted him more than she wanted her next breath, making it easier to push her worries away and allow her desires to take over. And take over they did.
Their kisses turned feverish, and everything else faded away, leaving them in a bubble of lust and happiness. His rough hands spread over her ass, and she rocked against him, earning a greedy growl that made her go a little wild. She moaned, thrusting her tongue hungrily over his. She had no idea how he was still standing and holding her up, because her body was a bundle of live wires. He tightened his hold on her bottom, sending lightning searing through her, and she squeezed her legs around him, aching for more. But he slowed their kisses to luxurious slides of their tongues. Just when she was about ready to lose her mind, he drew back with a series of tender kisses, leaving them both breathless, as he touched his forehead to hers.
“Jesus, Caity,” he panted out. “Do you have any idea what you do to me?”
She could feel it in every inch of his body, in every kiss, and hear it in the hungry sounds he made. But more importantly, at that very moment she felt it in her heart, because he was giving her the control he’d promised, letting her set their pace.