swim?"
"I was in the timid non-swimmers class every week for six months taking lessons but that feels like a long time ago. I haven't swum since and I've never been in the ocean before."
"It will come back to you."
"I'm phobic," she whispered, blinking away tears.
His hand closed over her ankle. "Kara," he commanded in a firm but gentle voice, "trust me. Give me your hand. I won't let any harm come to you."
She wanted to, she really did. Her breathing came faster, her phobia threatened to overtake her the more she sat there. Sitting on this tiny machine in the ocean was the worst place for her to have a panic attack. The edges of it raced in on her.
She wanted to snorkel with Nate. She just didn't know if she could.
"Stop thinking. Take a deep breath and take my hand."
Chapter Ten
Kara reached her hand out. His warm hand grasped hers. He'd scuba dived all over the world. He wouldn't let anything bad happen to her. She made the leap, her gaze locked on his.
He held her in the water and didn't let her sink under.
She couldn't keep her legs still from nervousness. She licked her lips and tasted salt from the splash she made.
He still held her hand. "Try to relax. Hold still and float."
She couldn't. Her legs wouldn't stop moving. All her nervous energy drove them. Nate moved behind her, releasing her hand and slipped one arm around her waist.
She gasped. Oh God.
"Hold still now. Breathe." He spoke near her ear and his mouth grazed her earlobe, sending tingles down her spine. "I've got you. Relax, let yourself get used to the water."
Her legs moved with a will of their own, so he pulled her backward until she rested in his lap. Her legs finally stopped moving. If she'd thought they were close on the Rhino Rider, it was nothing compared to this. With his hard body behind her and his strong arms around her, she felt safe enough to float.
"Just float," he added in a low tone. "Relax. Breathe."
His breath in her ear sent ripples of tingles down her spine and another kind of tension began. But he held her like this was the most natural thing in the world.
"Shh, I've got you, sweetheart."
They floated and she relaxed. She watched the others already snorkeling, their heads bobbing up and down in the water, having fun. Nate was so patient with her.
He gave her a slight squeeze. "Better now?"
"Yes," she breathed.
"Good." He spoke the word and she closed her eyes, the sun warming her face, soaking in the moment. If only they could stay this way.
"Ready?" He asked.
If only he knew how ready. He could hold her like this any time.
Kara opened her eyes. "Yes, I'm ready."
"Pull down your goggles."
She pulled them over her eyes and nose and panicked for a moment, unable to draw breath, then remembered she was supposed to breathe through her mouth.
"How's the seal?" He looked close. "Here, let me adjust those for you.
She looked through the goggles, breathing through mouth and feeling like an alien bug.
He reached around her and tightened the strap, his mouth inches from hers, and grinned. "That's better."
She smiled and blushed.
"Now the mouthpiece. Breathe through like this, not through your nose."
She put it in her mouth just as he had; his steady gaze bore into her in silent expectation.
I don't want to let him down. I want to do this.
It was time to put her face in the water, something she hadn't learned how to do even in the swim class. Opening her eyes under water brought on severe panic. It went better for her if she kept them closed.
As a scuba diver, Nate probably thought it no big deal and he'd think she was a big baby. She couldn't help it. She didn't know why she panicked in the water or how to make it go away.
That panic threatened to return even now.
Nate grasped her hand.
"Try it. I've got you." His fingers squeezed to reassure. "I won't let you go. Just try."
She tried not to hyperventilate, breathing slowly and deep through the mouthpiece as she put her face under.
Her heart raced
"I was in the timid non-swimmers class every week for six months taking lessons but that feels like a long time ago. I haven't swum since and I've never been in the ocean before."
"It will come back to you."
"I'm phobic," she whispered, blinking away tears.
His hand closed over her ankle. "Kara," he commanded in a firm but gentle voice, "trust me. Give me your hand. I won't let any harm come to you."
She wanted to, she really did. Her breathing came faster, her phobia threatened to overtake her the more she sat there. Sitting on this tiny machine in the ocean was the worst place for her to have a panic attack. The edges of it raced in on her.
She wanted to snorkel with Nate. She just didn't know if she could.
"Stop thinking. Take a deep breath and take my hand."
Chapter Ten
Kara reached her hand out. His warm hand grasped hers. He'd scuba dived all over the world. He wouldn't let anything bad happen to her. She made the leap, her gaze locked on his.
He held her in the water and didn't let her sink under.
She couldn't keep her legs still from nervousness. She licked her lips and tasted salt from the splash she made.
He still held her hand. "Try to relax. Hold still and float."
She couldn't. Her legs wouldn't stop moving. All her nervous energy drove them. Nate moved behind her, releasing her hand and slipped one arm around her waist.
She gasped. Oh God.
"Hold still now. Breathe." He spoke near her ear and his mouth grazed her earlobe, sending tingles down her spine. "I've got you. Relax, let yourself get used to the water."
Her legs moved with a will of their own, so he pulled her backward until she rested in his lap. Her legs finally stopped moving. If she'd thought they were close on the Rhino Rider, it was nothing compared to this. With his hard body behind her and his strong arms around her, she felt safe enough to float.
"Just float," he added in a low tone. "Relax. Breathe."
His breath in her ear sent ripples of tingles down her spine and another kind of tension began. But he held her like this was the most natural thing in the world.
"Shh, I've got you, sweetheart."
They floated and she relaxed. She watched the others already snorkeling, their heads bobbing up and down in the water, having fun. Nate was so patient with her.
He gave her a slight squeeze. "Better now?"
"Yes," she breathed.
"Good." He spoke the word and she closed her eyes, the sun warming her face, soaking in the moment. If only they could stay this way.
"Ready?" He asked.
If only he knew how ready. He could hold her like this any time.
Kara opened her eyes. "Yes, I'm ready."
"Pull down your goggles."
She pulled them over her eyes and nose and panicked for a moment, unable to draw breath, then remembered she was supposed to breathe through her mouth.
"How's the seal?" He looked close. "Here, let me adjust those for you.
She looked through the goggles, breathing through mouth and feeling like an alien bug.
He reached around her and tightened the strap, his mouth inches from hers, and grinned. "That's better."
She smiled and blushed.
"Now the mouthpiece. Breathe through like this, not through your nose."
She put it in her mouth just as he had; his steady gaze bore into her in silent expectation.
I don't want to let him down. I want to do this.
It was time to put her face in the water, something she hadn't learned how to do even in the swim class. Opening her eyes under water brought on severe panic. It went better for her if she kept them closed.
As a scuba diver, Nate probably thought it no big deal and he'd think she was a big baby. She couldn't help it. She didn't know why she panicked in the water or how to make it go away.
That panic threatened to return even now.
Nate grasped her hand.
"Try it. I've got you." His fingers squeezed to reassure. "I won't let you go. Just try."
She tried not to hyperventilate, breathing slowly and deep through the mouthpiece as she put her face under.
Her heart raced
Similar Books
