"I have secrets too," I tell him. "Things that aren't pretty. Things that have shaped me in ways I'm not proud of."
"Not like mine," he insists.
"You don't know that." I move closer, until barely inches separate us. "But I respect that you want to keep them. I just wish it wasn't so."
His hands finally come to rest on my waist, steadying me in the water, but the touch is electric. I can feel the heat of his palms through the thin material of my swimsuit, feel the slight tremor in his fingers that betrays his own struggle for control.
"One more step," he says, his voice tight. "Then we need to go under. Just for five seconds."
When I start to protest, he interrupts me by saying, "I'll go with you."
Fear surges anew at the thought of water closing over my head, but I've come too far to back down now. "Together?" I echo, uncertain.
He nods, his hands sliding down my arms until our fingers intertwine. "Together. I won't let go," he promises. "Not for asecond."
I let him guide me to the final step, where the water laps just below my breasts. His hands hold mine firmly, our fingers locked together like we're making some silent pact.
"I'll count," he says. "Five seconds. That's all. And I'll be right there with you, the whole time."
I look into his eyes, drawing courage from the certainty I find there.
"Ready?" he asks.
I take a deep breath and nod.
"One, two, three."
We bend our knees in unison, letting the water rise to our chins, our ears, then over our heads.
The world goes muffled. Blue-green. My lungs seize with instinctive panic, but Declan's hands are wrapped around mine, solid and steady.
One... two...
I want to bolt for the surface, but I see him through the shimmer. His eyes are locked on mine, anchoring me.
Three... four...
My chest burns.
Five!
We burst upward together, breaking the surface with twin gasps. Water streams from my hair, my face, but Ibarely notice because I've done it! I've faced the fear that's haunted me and survived.
"You did it!" Declan's voice is filled with a joy I've never heard from him before. "Jade, you did it!"
The exhilaration of victory rushes through me, and I laugh, actually laugh, as my feet find the step again. "I did it," I echo, hardly believing it myself.
Without thinking, I throw my arms around his neck, caught up in the moment of triumph. His hands come to my waist automatically, holding me steady in the water. Our bodies press together, wet skin against wet skin, and suddenly the air between us changes, charged with something beyond celebration.
I become acutely aware of every point of contact between us. His broad chest against mine. His powerful thighs brushing my own. His hands, large and warm on my waist, fingers splayed across the small of my back.
"Jade," he says, my name a warning and a plea all at once.
I should pull away. I know I should. But the victory, the adrenaline, the heat of him against me... it all conspires to keep me exactly where I am, caught in his embrace.
Something breaks in his expression, restraint crumbling beneath desire. His hand slides up my back to cup the nape of my neck, fingers tangling in my wet hair. He pulls me closer, hesitating just a breath away from my lips.
"Last chance to stop this," he murmurs, his breath warm against mymouth.
