I raise my eyes to his face, focusing on the strong planes of his cheekbones, the scar that cuts across his left eyebrow and down his cheek, the intensity in his gaze.
"That's it," he encourages. "Now, take off your robe and come to the edge. You don't have to getin yet."
With trembling fingers, I untie my robe and let it slip from my shoulders. I see his eyes darken as they sweep over me, a brief flash of heat quickly suppressed. It gives me a strange courage, this reminder that beneath the fear and the tension, there's something else between us. Something electric.
I approach the pool's edge, each step an effort of will. When I reach it, I stare down at the clear water, at Declan standing in its depths, his hand still extended toward me.
"I... I don't think I can," I whisper.
He doesn't push. Just watches me, eyes calm, voice low. "That's what fear does. It sticks to you. Even when it shouldn't."
I glance up at him, searching. "You say that like you know."
His jaw ticks. He nods once. "I do."
That's all he says. But it's enough.
This glimpse of vulnerability from him steadies me somehow. I take a deep breath and sit at the pool's edge, letting my feet dangle in the water. The cool kiss of it against my skin sends a shiver through me, but I don't pull away.
"Good," Declan says softly. "Now, when you're ready, come down to the first step."
It takes me several minutes to gather the courage, but finally, I slip into the water until I'm standing on the topstep. The water laps around my ankles, harmless but still threatening in my mind.
Declan moves closer, standing on the step below mine. "You're doing great," he says, and the pride in his voice warms me from the inside out.
Slowly, agonizingly, we progress. From the first step to the second. From ankles to calves to knees. Each advance is a battle, fear rising and receding like the tide. But Declan is there, patient and steady, his eyes never leaving mine, his voice a constant reassurance.
By the time we reach the third step, where the water swirls around my thighs, I'm trembling with adrenaline and effort. Declan stands directly in front of me now, his hands hovering near my waist, ready to steady me if needed.
"I need a minute," I gasp, overwhelmed by how far I've come and how far there still is to go.
"Take all the time you need," he says. "We're not in a rush."
I focus on my breathing, on the solid feel of the step beneath my feet, on Declan's presence before me. So close that I can see individual droplets of water clinging to his chest, to the dark ink that adorns his skin.
"Your tattoos," I say, partly to distract myself, partly out of genuine curiosity. "What do they mean?"
He glances down at his chest, as if surprised by the question. "Different things," he says after a moment. "Some are reminders. Some are protection. Some are just to cover theugly."
My eyes trace a particularly intricate design that spans his left pectoral. "They're beautiful," I say honestly. "Like an armor made of art."
Something softens in his gaze. "Never thought of them that way."
"Do you regret them?" I ask, then realize I'm echoing my question from the butterfly house. We both realize it, so I gather strength and ask one more time, "Like you regretted kissing me?"
His head snaps up, eyes locking with mine. "I never said I regretted kissing you."
"You pulled away," I remind him. "You said it was a mistake."
He's silent for a long moment, and I can almost see the internal struggle playing out behind his eyes. "Not because I didn't want it," he finally says, his voice lower, rougher. "Because I wanted it too much."
The admission hangs between us, charged with all the things left unsaid.
"Why is that a problem?" I press, needing to understand. "Wanting me?"
"Because I'm not right for you," he says, echoing what Ethan had said before he, too, surrendered to what was between us. "I've got secrets, Jade. Ugly ones. Things that would change the way you look at me."
I shake my head, moving down to the next step without even realizing it, in my need to get closer to him. The water now reaches my waist, but my focus is entirely on the man before me.
