I grinned at my lame joke.
I made a few laps before I stuck my face under and just let the water hold me. I couldn’t hold my breath for too long, but it was nice all the same.
WHOOSH!
A huge splash and then arms hauling me up had me spluttering. The shock of it had made me breathe in, and I started to choke.
“What the…?” I coughed out.
“Ava!”
“Naz! What the—” I wheezed. “What are you doing?”
The water swayed around us, and when I could finally open my eyes without them burning, he was staring at me.
“What the fuck are you doing, Ava?”
“Me?I was swimming. What areyoudoing?”
“Saving you. Having a possible heart attack.”
“You thought…you thought I’d drowned myself?”
“I thought you were already drowned.” He took a breath. “Your hair was floating, and…fuck.” He slapped the water, and it popped us both in the face.
“I’m not that desperate.”
We stared at each other until the water calmed.
He reached up and tucked a strand of clinging hair behind my ear. “Birds belong on land, not in water this deep. It weighs down their wings.”
“They occasionally enjoy a bath.”
He nodded and an awkward silence started to fall between us. I went to push away, to head to the steps and then hide in the room he’d first shown me to.
“No,” he said, holding me close to him. He was still in his suit. The white shirt thinned with the water it seemed, clinging to every one of his muscles. “You will not run from me.”
“Listen,” I breathed. “This has been fun. It really has. But I want to speak to Luca. It’s time for me to go. We both know it’s for the best.”
“No.”
“No? You don’t get to decide—”
His hands moved to each side of my head and his lips pressed against mine. I wanted to fight him, to push him away, but I couldn’t. The seconds to this moment had been building, and I…needed it. More than my next breath.
I gave in to it.
I gave him everything.
I let him taste the bitterness of my nonexistent tears and the sweetness of my surrender.
His lips were incredibly soft but firm at the same time. They were gentle, at first, getting to know mine, and then his tongue touched mine and the heat increased. I wrapped my arms around his neck and fell into the fire between us.
In that moment, all that registered was him, and how deep it felt like he was inside of me, even though he wasn’t.
His kiss was a thief, and it was making its way to places I’d always locked.
I pulled back before it could get that far. “I should—” I motioned toward the steps. But I needed a minute. The water felt like it was swaying around me, even though neither of us had moved.
