He stops and lifts his head. It takes just a beat before he stands, rips his goggles from his head and sprints to me.
"Laney, Jesus. Why didn't you say something?"
I can't respond because I think I'm freezing to death.
Miguel scoops me up and carries me to the beach. The air is warmer than the water but my wetsuit feels like an icicle. I am able to lift an arm around his neck but my fingers can't connect to hold on.
"Hang on just another minute and you'll be dry and we'll warm you up okay?" Miguel says against my temple. I feel a faint press of his lips; hot against my skin. Each puff of his breath sends cold water droplets cascading down their chosen path. "You're okay, baby," he whispers as a shiver racks me and theendearment sends a wave of heat down my spine. My eyes close and all I want to do is feel his warmth against me as he calls me baby again and again.
He sets me down in the sand and starts to unzip my wetsuit. I shakily reach up and place my hand over his to stop him. My breath is shallow as I push through the pins and needles in my ribcage and I can’t get enough air to tell him why he needs to stop.
"No, Laney, we need to get this off, get your skin back to an ambient temperature. I'm going to take off your wetsuit and dry you off."
"I...I'm...not." I stutter through chattering teeth.
"Shhh," he soothes as he unzips the front of the suit. I keep my eyes focused on his as the zipper opens to reveal I'm not wearing anything under it. "Christ." He curses as he looks around. His eyes return to mine and they’re a mix of concern and something dangerous. He exhales, "I still have to take it off, you'll freeze in it. Hold on."
Miguel stands quickly and runs over to where his t-shirt lays in the sand next to my bag. He picks it up with the towel I brought and comes back to me.
He pulls the neoprene off my shoulders and down my arms. Goosebumps erupt at the change of temperature.
Miguel towels my skin dry, keeping his chest close to mine to try and protect my modesty but he's dripping from his wetsuit and I gasp when a few droplets hit my collarbone.
He wraps the towel around my shoulders before leaning back and peeling his suit off all the way. Some heat returns to my core seeing his body in just a set of short trunks. My lion friend stares back at me, almost smirking knowing the predicament I’m in.
Before I can plead my case with his thigh tattoo, Miguel pulls me to my feet and shimmies my wetsuit off until I'm left in nothing.
Then he sits on the sand and pulls me onto his lap. The towel stays around my shoulders as his hands travel in small circles over my skin to warm me up. He holds me closer, and I twist so we're chest to chest and my breasts seek the warmth of his body.
His hands continue their task up and down my arms, back, shoulders. Shivers spread from the sensation of his hand traveling down my hip to my thigh and my body quakes.
"It's okay, Laney, I got you." Miguel says and he presses me closer into his heat.
My eyes flutter closed and my mind blanks as he quietly soothes and caresses me. Dizziness swirls with the sounds of the beach and the city behind it, the feel of his body against mine, the consistent rise and fall of his chest as he breathes. My head falls to his shoulder and he holds me against him tighter.
When the dizziness turns to a thrumming in my head, I force my eyes open.
"How are you feeling?" He asks and I inhale deeply.
"Better."
"Think you can stand?"
I nod.
Slowly Miguel lifts us from the sand, keeping the towel wrapped around my shoulders.
"Did you bring a change of clothes?"
"No." I say, my voice hoarse.
"Okay, I'll give you mine." He says before walking me over to his bag. He pulls back the towel and holds it up around me and I slip his t-shirt over my head. Then he takes out a pair of shorts and I hold his shoulders as I step into them.
"Do you have someone who can help you at home?"
"Yeah, my roommate, Dee. She’s at work but I’ll call her." I say again, my voice sounding a little stronger but not much.
"Okay, in the meantime I’m coming home with you." He pulls out his phone and I see him pull up his rideshare app before handing it to me to put in my address.
