He shook his head. “No, I am. I don’t mean to dredge up all this stuff. But with the back…” He shrugged, then grinned. “I’d love to join you in P.E., but I’ve got a note from my mommy.”
She laughed. “Are you sure? I always thought water stuff wasn’t hard on folks with bad backs. We could ask the teacher.”
His gaze drifted toward the far side of the pool where Stuart and a taller man were starting to line up the tanks and other necessary equipment.
“It could be fun,” she prodded. “And I’d really love to have you with me.”
“I’ll watch from here.”
She nodded, more disappointed than she should be, but didn’t argue. “Maybe we can go hang out on the beach after.”
“I’d like that,” he said.
They chatted amiably for the next half hour about nothing, and when Stuart waved her over, Kyra realized she wasn’t particularly interested in a scuba class—she just wanted to sit with Tony, chatting andlaughing. She was perfectly comfortable with him, and the realization that she had a new friend brightened her day considerably.
“Kyra! Come on!”
She waved at Stuart, then smiled apologetically at Tony. “That’s my cue.”
“So it is.”
“You’re sure?”
“I’m sure.” He smiled, a touch amused, a touch devious. “I think I’ll just sit here and watch you fumble about with your gear.”
Her eyes widened. “Fumble?Okay, fella,” she said with a laugh, “now you’ve thrown down the gauntlet. You’re going to see some of the most graceful scuba practice you could possibly imagine.”
He sank back in the chair, fading into the shadows as if he were dug in for the afternoon. “I can’t wait.”
She was wrong, of course. Not only did she soon discover thatgracefuland bulky jackets latched on to heavy air tanks were mutually exclusive—especially out of the water when they were doing the basic skills stuff—but with Tony watching, Kyra felt even more self-conscious.
Every time she looked up, he was smiling at her, the corner of his mouth turned up with just a hint of amusement. He appeared completely relaxed, his large frame filling the lounge chair as he gazed in her direction, as if there was nothing else in the world he couldpossibly want to do other than watch her learn about buoyancy and controlled ascents.
His attention should have been disconcerting—after all, she hardly knew the man—but instead she found herself flattered, and wishing more and more that he were with her instead of simply watching her.
The instructor, David, stood up and clapped his hands for attention. “Okay, folks, time to buddy up. We’re not fully certifying you guys, but we still need to make sure we’ve got down the basics for an emergency. So we’re going to practice buddy breathing. That way if anything happens to your air supply when you’re underwater, you can share with your buddy to get back up to the surface.”
Kyra had already noticed that most folks were taking the class in pairs—probably couples who’d met through their fantasies. But like her, a few were going it alone. She wondered if one of the single guys was the man Merrilee intended to pair her with if Michael intended on staying away. After all, sharing a mouthpiece underwater, holding tight to each other, and depending on your buddy for pure survival…well, that was both adventurous and intimate.
She sighed, her morning sadness returning for the first time since she’d joined Tony. If Michael wasn’t coming back, she wasn’t sure she wanted to continue with the sensual aspect of her fantasy. Sun and surf, sure. But sex…
She shook her head. Mona was right. She wasn’t thecasual-sex type. She’d fallen hard for Michael, anonymous or not. And if she couldn’t have him, she’d just as soon be alone.
On the pool deck, David started matching up all the singles. A nice-looking man with glasses and red hair smiled at her, nodded slightly. She looked away. Probably a perfectly nice guy—and certainly good-looking enough—but she wasn’t interested. Not one little bit.
David pointed to a blond guy, about thirty, with a perfectly toned chest and a matching perfect tan. He was moving toward her from the other side of the pool. “Joe,” David called, “why don’t you be Kyra’s buddy?”
Joe’s gaze skimmed up her body, and she stifled the urge to reach for a towel to cover herself. “No problem,” he said.
No way. She’d much rather hang on the beach with Tony. “That’s okay,” she said. “I’ve changed my—”
“I’m the lady’s buddy.”
She spun around to find Tony standing behind her, gear dangling from one arm, his free hand near his face, clumsily shading his left eye.
Joe crossed his arms over a massive chest. “The dive-master said I was, man.”
“The divemaster’s wrong.”
