Wife Is A 4-Letter Word by Stephanie Bond Page A

seconds.
    Several hundred feet offshore, they zigzagged the water many times, and Alan could feel her confidence growing with each pass. He could have simply let go to escape the frenzied ride, but he had to admit the experience was rather thrilling. He jammed his body up behind hers, holding fast to her waist and pressing his face into her wet hair, giving in to the sexual zing that pierced his abdomen at holding her so close and bumping against her with every jump and spin.
    She drove faster and faster, jumping higher and higher, landing with belly-flipping spinouts. When they caught the underside of a particularly deep wave, Alan sensed impending doom. Pam screamed in delight, and they were airborne for what seemed like a minute, when Alan decided they would be safer to land separate from the Wave Runner. He lifted his arms to clasp her, harness-style, then twisted off to the side, taking her with him, but releasing her before they hit the water.
    He plunged in, bubbles fizzing around his ears, his senses temporarily clogged with the glug, glug of enveloping water. With two powerful kicks, he reached the surface, then slung water from his eyes and immediately looked for Pam.
    Alan spun all around, treading water, frantically searching for a flash of neon pink, but he saw nothing except the silent wave runner several yards away and endless foamy green-gray waves.

7
    A LAN’S HEART SLAMMED against the wall of his chest and panic coursed through his veins. “Pam!” he shouted, “Pam, where are you?” He swam toward the Wave Runner using long strokes, swallowing great gulps of cold, salty water as waves pushed and pulled at him, elevating his terror. She could have hit her head on the machine when he pulled her off...she could have hit the water at an odd angle and broken her silly neck...she could have been dragged down by an undertow...she could have—
    â€œOf all the...stupid...things...to do!”
    Alan stopped, then went weak with relief as he realized her voice came from the other side of the Wave Runner. She coughed fitfully until she gagged, then coughed more, wheezing, cursing him with every breath. He swam around to find her clinging to the side of the water bike, her golden hair molded to her head and neck, her mouth open to take in as much air as possible. She confronted him with wide, blazing blue eyes.
    â€œWere you trying to kill me?” she croaked, then another coughing spasm overtook her.
    â€œMe?” Alan yelled. “I was trying to keep you from killing us both! We would have been thrown off for sure on that last kamikaze maneuver!”
    â€œWould not!”
    â€œWould too!”
    â€œWould not! ”
    â€œWould too! ”
    Pam stuck her tongue out at him, then reached up to climb back on the Wave Runner. “Next time I’ll leave you on the beach with your book.”
    Alan shook with fury. First she’d given him the scare of his life when he thought she’d drowned, then she yelled at him for spoiling her fun! “Wait just a minute,” he said, grasping her arm and pulling her back into the water.
    â€œLet go of me!”
    â€œI’m driving back.”
    â€œOh no you’re not!”
    He squeezed her upper arm and pulled her face near his. “Oh yes,” he said with finality, “I am.”
    Her eyes widened slightly in surprise, then her mouth tightened, but she didn’t argue. A drop of water slid off the end of her nose and Alan once again marveled at the smoothness of her skin. The thought crossed his mind that she was close enough to kiss, but he was pretty sure she’d drown him if he tried. Her chest heaved with her still-labored breathing, straining the already taxed wet-suit zipper to near bursting. His body leaped in painful response because there was nowhere in his wet suit to expand. But the flash of pain brought him back to reality and he released her slowly, then moved away to a safer distance.
    His