Stephanie
One more lap then I’ll get out.
I’ve been at the pool for almost an hour. My body is screaming at me to get out and go to the spa pool. I’ve pushed myself longer today than I normally would. Resting against the wall of the pool, I catch my breath. I love swimming because it relieves stress, and I’ve been feeling rather wound-up lately.
I steal a glance at the pool entrance. No sign of Jake. He told me he was coming to see me for our race, but so far, he’s a no show. Clearly, he was teasing me and trying to be cheeky. My heart sinks as disappointment washes over me. I’d been hoping to see him. I shouldn’t want to see him, but I do.
I kick off from the end of the pool and make my way down to the other end. My goggles help me see under the water since I can’t see very well without them. A familiar figure crosses the pool floor.
He’s here. I don’t believe it!
My heart leaps into my throat as my brain lets out a silent squeal of delight. He’s wearing swimming trunks and walking with a swagger that makes every woman in the pool stop and stare. I want to yell at them to take their eyes off my man.
He’s not my man, and I can’t be sure he even feels the same way about me as I do him. Like the rest of the women here, I stare at the perfection that is Jake. His broad shoulders are as muscular as his torso, revealing an epic eight pack of washboard abs.
Is he even aware of how fucking good looking he is?
He sits on the side of the pool, dipping his feet in the cool water, grins at me, and beckons me to move closer with a crook of his finger. Like the puppet I am for him, I move, making his grin widen. He’s got me wrapped around his little finger, and he knows it.
“So, you do actually swim. Here I was, thinking that’s what you told everyone.”
“What took you so long to arrive? Weren’t you going to be turning up here like two Mondays ago?” I laugh as I splash him with a bit of water.
He laughs as he slides into the water beside me. “Some of us have to work, Steph. I don’t draw pictures for a living.”
“I don’t draw pictures. I design dresses. Big difference.”
He dips beneath the water and comes back up again. The clear liquid cascades down his built torso like a waterfall. A very sexy waterfall. I want to trail the drips of water with my tongue, licking each one off his delicious skin.
“Steph, my eyes are up here.”
He reaches out a hand to tilt my head to stare into his emerald, lust-filled gaze. I can’t stop the way my body reacts to him. My nipples are hard beneath the flimsy material of my bikini top, and my vagina is begging me to have my dirty way with him. I bite my lip to stifle the groan brewing at the back of my throat. He cocks his head to the side, a smirk crossing his face as if he can read my mind and see what I’m thinking. He can’t possibly know.
“Huh?”
He chuckles. “You were staring.”
“Was not.” I so was and unashamedly too.
“How about that race?” he asks.
“Race? Yes, good idea. Loser buys coffee,” I say in an attempt to distract myself from the thoughts.
“Deal. I’ll have a cappuccino, one sugar, take away, please.”
“You think you’re going to win?”
“I am.”
“Not if I start swimming now.” I begin doing just that, moving backwards and then speed away from him. He’s not that far behind, and suddenly, before I know it, he’s right beside me. He easily passes me, but it’s not hard. I’m not the fastest swimmer. When I finally reach the end, I’m puffing while he remains barely winded.
“Stop fucking grinning at me like that.”
“I believe I won the race. I’m going to enjoy that coffee.” He slides his hands onto my waist, pulling me closer to him. “Best of three?”
“You’re on, but believe me, you used all your puff to do this one lap. I’m going to win the next two.”
“One…two…three...go!” He speeds off ahead of me, literally leaving me in his spray of water. I shake my head before making my way speedily down the pool.
Suddenly, I’m rocked by a sharp pain followed by a cramp down my leg. My body immobilises as my leg curls into a ball beneath me. The weight of my body drags me under the water. I can’t move. I inhale as I sink beneath the surface, pain gripping my leg as I try furiously to rub it out.
Panic sets in, my heart races, and my pulse quickens. I’m going to drown and all because I accepted Jake’s stupid challenge for a second and third race. Hitting bottom, I look up. Using all my strength, I push off from the ground, burst through the water and scream, “Jake!”
Jake
Hearing my name screamed from her lips, sends my heart slamming in my chest. Turning around, I find her head bobbing just beneath the water before she disappears beneath it.
Fuck no! I’m coming Steph.
Immediately, I rush over to her. Darting my head beneath the blue liquid, I can see her leg is curled up, and a visible look of pure agony is on her face.
I swim beneath the water, pulling her up and out, scooping her into my arms. She drapes her arms around me and leans on my shoulder, gasping for air. I pull her backwards in the pool.
This was not how this day was supposed to go.
“Jake, it hurts,” Stephanie whimpers.
“I got you, sugar,” I whisper. Sugar? What the fuck? “Steph…I mean Steph.”
“Next time, we should play Tug of War to win a drink,” she says with a small smile.
“Yeah, maybe I won’t kill you with that one.”
I make our way over to the edge of the pool, and I guide her to the edge where there’s a set of stairs. Clambering out first, I use all my strength to pull her out.
She collapses into my arms at the water’s edge, breathing tense, and I hear light sobs coming from her. A lifeguard runs over.
“Is everything okay?” he asks.
Stephanie nods. “Yes. I just have a cramp in my leg.”
I throw a look at the guy. “I’ve got this.”
“Sir, we’re trained medics, we can help your girlfriend.”
“I’m an army medical doctor. I think I know what I’m doing,” I say through gritted teeth. He backs away.
Damn fucking right mate. The only person touching her today is me.
I force Stephanie to look at me. “I’m going to work out all the cramp, but how about we get somewhere a little more private first.”
“Jake, I can’t go into the men’s changing rooms.”
I chuckle. “You don’t need to. They have family ones here; that’s where we will go. First, though, I’m going to work the cramp out of your foot because I can’t carry you with slippery feet. We’ll both end up hurt.”
I reach for her foot and begin to rub. Balling my fist, I dig it into the arch, and she whimpers as I continue to stretch, dig, and push out the cramp.
“Jake…please stop! It hurts too much.”
Ignoring her pleas, no matter how much my heart aches at her suffering, I continue my movement, and suddenly, I feel the muscle release, and she breathes a sigh of relief.
“See. That part is done. Do you think you can stand so we can hobble over to get our stuff?” I ask.