Chapter 10 #2
Simon couldn’t even comprehend it in time. He caught a glimpse of the long hair, flowing down her back in a stream of silver and gold, ending just above a set of nicely rounded buttocks—and then she was in the ocean, as swift and smooth as a mermaid.
Or a water nymph.
Of course, they didn’t bring any swimwear with them, so the most prudent decision was to go skinny dipping. No, hold on—that wasn’t a prudent decision at all. The normal thing was to stay on the beach, like he—
His wrist yanked.
“No,” Simon told the bond tattoo as if it could hear him. “Don’t do it.” He lifted his eyes to the horizon. “Shanna!”
The tattoo tugged again.
“Don’t—”
He was pulled to his feet and toward the sea.
Was the damn woman practicing competitive swimming?
He realized his potential doom just in time.
Jumping, twisting, and hopping, he managed to shed his shoes, jacket, shirt, and pants before he plunged into the water with his underwear and, of all things, socks, still on.
It was cold, but in a refreshing way, especially after the trek they’d done. He dipped his head underwater, then shook out his hair.
Shanna had stopped about sixty feet away from him. “Nice to see you joining me!”
He shook his head, more in amusement than annoyance, and swam to her. The water was clear enough to not obscure her body, only lay a wavy filter over it, as if it was intent on teasing him, outlining the curves of her breasts and hips.
“Don’t you like it?” she asked.
Simon stuttered in confusion.
“The water. It’s just the right temperature, isn’t it?”
You idiot. Of course she wasn’t asking him if he liked staring at her body.
“It’s surprisingly pleasant,” he said, mentally giving himself the award for the lamest small talk ever produced.
Shanna swam closer, her feet accidentally brushing his legs, like a light kiss from a water creature.
Wet, her eyelashes turned a shade darker and somehow made her eyes look bigger—wide and oh-so-pretty.
They fluttered as she looked down, nursing a partially mysterious, partially amused smile on her lips …
And then she splashed him. “Race you to the heart rock!” she called as she swam sidestroke to the split rock they’d noticed before.
With a head start and her speed, Simon had to shift into a higher gear to catch up. They reached the rock together, and as much as he didn’t want to, he averted his gaze as Shanna climbed onto a flatter surface next to the split part. As he pulled himself out of the water, she started laughing.
“What?” he asked, still amused.
“You didn’t get your socks off!”
“You didn’t give me much time,” he objected through a smile spreading on his lips.
Perched on a rock with the sea lapping at her toes, she looked even more like a mythical creature, her legs drawn up to her chest, revealing only the slight swell of her breast but the entirety of her nicely curved thigh.
“I’m sorry. I was excited.” She gave him a sideways glance. “You look absolutely ridiculous.”
And you look gorgeous. Droplets left on her skin glistened in the sun, giving her a silvery sheen, like a water nymph, bound to take him.
Why did that word keep coming to his mind?
“I’m sorry we didn’t find the answers here,” Shanna said. “Regarding my mom and the bracelet.”
His brain told him it should be inconvenient, but his heart almost rejoiced—not because Shanna failed, but because that meant they had more of the journey ahead of them.
“You’re sure it’s a dead end?”
“It’s not a dead end.” Her lips quirked. “But I’m sure the bracelet isn’t to be found here.”
“That’s all right,” he said. “It’s been a fun day.”
A smile, brighter than the sparkles of sun reflecting off the water, lit up her face, and sucked the breath out of him. Shanna wasn’t shy with smiles, but when she smiled at him, he felt noticed, treasured … loved.
Of course, that was just Shanna being friendly, and him getting a bit too wild in his imagination.
Still, he desperately wanted to earn another smile.
He reached for the first semi-funny thought that came to mind.
“You know, when I was ten and told my dad I wanted to become a SEAL, I didn’t think it would actually happen one day.
” He swept his arm down his body, indicating the similarities with the pose they’d seen the animals take earlier.
Shanna burst out in wild, uncensored laughter, and everything in Simon sang.
“Daddy Seal,” she said, still chuckling. “I’m Mommy Seal, and Chris is the Problematic Teenager Seal … picking up snails on the beach.”
“Nah.” He looked at her from the side, veiling his eyes. “You’re a mermaid.”
Shanna blinked, and her mouth twitched, as if the words awoke something in her—but then she wiped that expression off. “Well, you’re rather built for a seal, too. The animal seal, not the Navy SEAL—I don’t think you are built enough for those …”
“Ouch.” Simon imitated a shot to the heart. “A compliment and a zinger at the same time? You know how to serve them, O’Connell.”
In response, she only raised her chin in mock haughtiness.
“Also, I don’t appreciate being ogled,” he added in a clear jesting tone, “after I tried my best to salvage my clothes.”
“Should’ve come swimming with me when I suggested it,” she said with a dainty shrug.
Simon gazed ahead, blinking against the sparkling sea. Yes, he should have. He should have some fun. He used to know how to do that, didn’t he? Or was that only in his dreams, and in real life, he was a mind-numbingly boring businessman?
Shanna would never smile like this at a mind-numbingly boring businessman.
“Well, Rocky Retreat is over,” Shanna said. “At least, we probably shouldn’t leave Baby Seal Chris alone for too long.” She jumped back into the water, swift and smooth as a dart.
“Wait,” Simon said with sudden urgency. He leaned down, and she swam back to the shelf, holding onto it with her hands. He drew closer still, until their faces were merely inches apart, an invisible force driving him to those mesmerizing stormy sea eyes.
It wouldn’t hurt if he kissed her, would it? He didn’t know why he wanted to do it, only that he did. Fun, adventure-desiring Simon wanted to. He had to if she’d let him.
“Shanna,” he whispered, almost touching her nose.
She stared at him, unmoving, wide-eyed, and then she peeped, “You shouldn’t do it.”
“What?”
And before he knew it, she dipped under the surface of the water and re-emerged a few feet away, swimming back to the shore.
Simon followed close enough that his tattoo never yanked him, but still maintained a respectable distance. Chris waited for them on the beach and waved from the log Simon had previously been sitting on. “By the way, a bird came and took your clothes.”
“What?” Shanna ran to the bushes where she’d left hers.
“Yeah, I have it on video. It was really funny. Brown bird, long neck, about duck-sized. I don’t think it could fly. Just came and dragged off your stuff, one by one.”
“And you didn’t stop it?” Simon came onto the beach after Shanna, sprinting for the dark spot on the sand that was hopefully still his jacket. So much for salvaging his clothes.
“Then I wouldn’t get the funny video,” Chris said.
His shirt and one shoe were missing, but his jacket and pants were still there.
“It took my shirt! And my jacket! And my … bra,” Shanna’s voice came from behind the bushes. “Where is this bird?”
“Oh, it’s long gone,” Chris said casually.
“Here, take my jacket.” Simon moved sideways toward the bush, draping the jacket over it while making it obvious that he wasn’t, under any circumstances, trying to take a peek.
“Thanks.” Shanna emerged, his jacket zipped up to her neck, her cheeks red.
There it was again—that strange satisfaction, now at seeing her wear something his. In her usual bright and colorful clothes, Shanna looked adorable. In his dark, plain jacket, she looked … delectable. Possessable.
His mind was going completely berserk today.
His other parts, he preferred to not even think about.
“Uh, what will you wear?” she asked.
Right. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll be fine.”
They looked around the beach and nearby brush but found no traces of their missing clothes, and soon after, Bella appeared on the horizon. Alfie greeted them with an amused grin as he beheld Shanna, hiding in a too-big jacket, and topless and shoeless Simon. “Weka, ay?”
“I suppose that’s the culprit’s name,” Simon said.
“The two of you better get below deck for the ride back. It’s less windy,” Alfie said with a wink.
An hour later, they disembarked on the beach by the small resort town where they’d started their journey. As they walked down the gangway Alfie extended from the boat onto the beach, Shanna went last and paused by Alfie.
“Thank you,” she said.
“Yeah nah, I’m just a humble tour driver.”
“But thank you anyway. For this … and for Bella.”