on her tongue. It wasn’t very clean, but germs built up antibodies right? She laughed thinking of Sean’s disgusted face if he saw her.
He also wouldn’t approve of her going out on the beach alone, probably. If she’d called him, he would have come. But would he have come because he wanted to, or just for her safety? She could only remember the last night they’d had here, where he’d squeezed her hand and looked into her eyes to say he wanted more but could go without. She popped off the barrier into the sand again and walked on the beach. She stopped twenty feet from the edge of where the waves stopped dampening the sand with long, flat, deformed hands and she sat down.
A good distance away, a man in jogging clothing walked a dog. She wanted an excuse not to talk to him and wished she’d brought a book.
She planted her hands deep in the sand and closed her eyes for a while, enjoying the rain and her own thoughts, which tended in a disturbing way to Sean and wishing he were here with her, where they could make out in the—no, that wasn’t right.
She stood, stripped off her T-shirt, and headed out into the waves. They weren’t very high or white capped, so she felt they were safe. She closed her eyes against the shock of cold water that hit her like a wall of needles before her skin began to numb. She was floating pretty far out, in water a little too deep to have her toes touch even on the downward sweep of the waves, when she heard splashing behind her and opened her eyes. She looked back, and saw the man she’d seen previously swimming towards her. Oh no. Not here at the beach. Why couldn’t men just stay away?
She stayed where she was because any further out wasn’t safe, treading water and wondering what he wanted, how to deal with this. Her jaw shook from the cold but she held it taut. If needed, she could duck under and hope to surface somewhere safe and far away from him, but going that deep was asking to get caught in a riptide if there was one. So she just waited, and watched, and tried not to show her fear on her face as he got closer.
When he was nearly close enough to touch her, he stopped.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes,” she said, treading water away from him. “Why?”
“You’re really far out. And it looked like you were in a riptide.”
Nicole looked around her, then back at the shore, noticing that it had certainly gotten farther away while she’d been focused on the swimmer, freaking out and wishing she had called Sean to come with her.
“I’m fine,” she said. “Sorry to worry you.” She scanned the beach. “Is your dog okay?”
“Oh yeah, I just tied him up to the barrier real quick.” He frowned. “I should probably get back though.”
“Me too,” she said, noticing the man was still in his T-shirt. He must have been panicked. “I’ll swim back with you.”
“That’d be great,” he said, his eyes lit up.
She tucked her head between outstretched arms to bodysurf the rest of the way to the beach. She landed where the water was a few feet deep and stood, walking from the waves and wiping water from her face and hair. She was still twisting her hair when she saw him bodysurfing in as well. She walked out and picked up her towel to dry off. When she had gotten most of the water, she pulled on a T-shirt and shorts. She heard a dog whine.
His owner stumbled out of the water, shaking and ringing his clothing. He walked up to her.
“I’m glad you got me in,” he said. “That was a lot of fun.”
“Can I pet him?” Nicole said, nodding towards his dog. “If he’s not too mad at me that is.”
The man grinned. He looked to be in his late twenties, brown hair, blue eyes, and slender build. Average. “Sure, but he doesn’t shake hands with strangers, so I’ll need to know your name.”
Nicole’s stomach started to twist. She didn’t know anything about this man. But she figured even Sean would have to approve of this guy. He’d swum out to save her,
He also wouldn’t approve of her going out on the beach alone, probably. If she’d called him, he would have come. But would he have come because he wanted to, or just for her safety? She could only remember the last night they’d had here, where he’d squeezed her hand and looked into her eyes to say he wanted more but could go without. She popped off the barrier into the sand again and walked on the beach. She stopped twenty feet from the edge of where the waves stopped dampening the sand with long, flat, deformed hands and she sat down.
A good distance away, a man in jogging clothing walked a dog. She wanted an excuse not to talk to him and wished she’d brought a book.
She planted her hands deep in the sand and closed her eyes for a while, enjoying the rain and her own thoughts, which tended in a disturbing way to Sean and wishing he were here with her, where they could make out in the—no, that wasn’t right.
She stood, stripped off her T-shirt, and headed out into the waves. They weren’t very high or white capped, so she felt they were safe. She closed her eyes against the shock of cold water that hit her like a wall of needles before her skin began to numb. She was floating pretty far out, in water a little too deep to have her toes touch even on the downward sweep of the waves, when she heard splashing behind her and opened her eyes. She looked back, and saw the man she’d seen previously swimming towards her. Oh no. Not here at the beach. Why couldn’t men just stay away?
She stayed where she was because any further out wasn’t safe, treading water and wondering what he wanted, how to deal with this. Her jaw shook from the cold but she held it taut. If needed, she could duck under and hope to surface somewhere safe and far away from him, but going that deep was asking to get caught in a riptide if there was one. So she just waited, and watched, and tried not to show her fear on her face as he got closer.
When he was nearly close enough to touch her, he stopped.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes,” she said, treading water away from him. “Why?”
“You’re really far out. And it looked like you were in a riptide.”
Nicole looked around her, then back at the shore, noticing that it had certainly gotten farther away while she’d been focused on the swimmer, freaking out and wishing she had called Sean to come with her.
“I’m fine,” she said. “Sorry to worry you.” She scanned the beach. “Is your dog okay?”
“Oh yeah, I just tied him up to the barrier real quick.” He frowned. “I should probably get back though.”
“Me too,” she said, noticing the man was still in his T-shirt. He must have been panicked. “I’ll swim back with you.”
“That’d be great,” he said, his eyes lit up.
She tucked her head between outstretched arms to bodysurf the rest of the way to the beach. She landed where the water was a few feet deep and stood, walking from the waves and wiping water from her face and hair. She was still twisting her hair when she saw him bodysurfing in as well. She walked out and picked up her towel to dry off. When she had gotten most of the water, she pulled on a T-shirt and shorts. She heard a dog whine.
His owner stumbled out of the water, shaking and ringing his clothing. He walked up to her.
“I’m glad you got me in,” he said. “That was a lot of fun.”
“Can I pet him?” Nicole said, nodding towards his dog. “If he’s not too mad at me that is.”
The man grinned. He looked to be in his late twenties, brown hair, blue eyes, and slender build. Average. “Sure, but he doesn’t shake hands with strangers, so I’ll need to know your name.”
Nicole’s stomach started to twist. She didn’t know anything about this man. But she figured even Sean would have to approve of this guy. He’d swum out to save her,
Similar Books
