I rolled my eyes and stood in chest-deep water. “I liked that movie. And that scene.”
“Back float.” Alex was not falling for my distraction tactics. “This time, I’ll support your back.”
“I think I’ll be okay on my own.” Up to this point, there’d been no physical contact between Alex and me. The thought of his hands on my body made my toes curl against the glossy tiles.
“Like this?” I eased into the float, but the moment I lifted my feet off the floor, my face disappeared under the water. “This is bullshit.” I spluttered, glaring at the pool for trying to drown me.
“Like this.” A small gasp escaped me as Alex lifted my body. My arms wrapped instinctively around his neck as he lowered me into the water—one hand supporting my head, the other my back.
“Mi fovase,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.”
Our eyes locked, his lashes dark and wet from the water. An electric blue current buzzed between us. His skin against mine. The hard, heavy beating of our hearts. My lips throbbed as his gaze wandered over them, the sensation as red-hot as a caress.
When he lay me on my back, my body offered no resistance.
“How does that feel?” he asked, carrying me through the water.
It feels like I’m trusting you with all of my weight. All of my insecurities. All of me.
Speaking would break the spell, so I nodded.
Moments passed before Alex spoke again. “Arch your back. Chin up. Lift your chest. Arms out, palms toward the sky. That’s it. Just let your legs hang.”
“You won’t let go?”
“Not unless you tell me to.”
I took a deep breath and let my arms float at my sides. My legs stretched out in a V, toes pointing skyward as I lay on my back. Tilting my head up, I gazed at the night sky and focused on a flickering star. A hot, swirling ball of gas, billions of miles away, but I saw a starfish, its five points mirroring my body, floating in the heavens, as I was floating down below. I was a million tiny feelers, moving through life.
In that moment, I felt like Alex was untangling me from all the cords holding me down. He was uncovering my soft, vulnerable underside, feeding the tips of my nerve endings with touch and taste and emotions I’d never experienced before.
“I think I can do it,” I said. “I think I’m ready.”
“You sure?” It sounded like he didn’t want to let go.
He released me slowly, first my head and when I was holding steady, my back.
I held my breath.
And floated.
It was glorious.
For all of three milliseconds, I floated.
Then I turned into a flailing inflatable-arms-tube-man. One of those giant twenty-foot air dancers, waving madly outside used-car sales lots to get your attention.
I clawed my way back to the surface and latched on to the nearest solid object around me. Alex. I clung to him like a panda bear clinging to the last patch of bamboo on the planet. My legs wrapped around his waist and I buried my face in his neck.
Bad water. Bad, bad water.
This was replaced by louder alarm bells.
Naked chest. Naked, naked chest.
And my boobs were squished right up against it.
It dawned on me we were in the shallow end. I was clinging to him in tummy-deep water. At this point, I could slide down his body—down, down, down, and hopefully disappear through the pool drain. However, Alex had instinctively caught me when I’d jumped on him. His arms were clamped around my body—more specifically, he was holding me up by my butt. The longer the moment stretched, the more I could feel things…stir. It wasn’t possible for me to glide down his body without hitting a speed bump. I kept my face hidden in Alex’s neck and pretended to ignore his erection. And let me tell you, this thing felt like it could knock a drink off a table. Maybe if I held still enough, it would go away. Meanwhile, my brain was memorizing every detail for archival purposes, so it could replay them (along with a parade of all of life’s spectacularly awkward moments) at 3 a.m., when these tapes usually played in my head.
