Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Finch
I didn't know how I was going to get through this without touching her. Especially when she dropped her towel and revealed a coral pink two piece that sat high on her hips, the neckline cut like something a 50's pin-up might wear. Immediately, I had flashbacks to when she’d dropped her towel the night before, of how she’d been shy and nervous, of how by dawn, she hadn’t hesitated at all. Now she walked around like she knew exactly how gorgeous she was. And I felt glad that I got to give her that little nudge she needed. The confidence already existed in her, but I loved that I could be a part of getting her to finally reveal it.
"Finch?"
"What?" I realized I hadn't been paying a lick of attention to what she’d asked.
Frankie’s cheeks dimpled as if she knew exactly where my mind was. “What are we doing today?”
"Um.” I clapped my hands together, trying to formulate a game plan. "You know, I think we're ready for the deep end."
Her smile fell. "I don't know . . ."
"It's just the same as the shallow end."
Her face scrunched. “Except it's not."
"I think you should jump in."
Frankie’s eyes flew wide at that. “Have you lost your ever-loving mind?"
"It'll be good practice if you fall in the water," I pointed out. "You've already practiced kicking up to the surface. It's just now you won't be able to put your feet down."
"Yeah, I don't like the sound of that."
I took a step toward her and extended out my hand. "Come on, Frankie," I prodded. "You know I'd never let you drown, right? I'll be in the water, ready to grab you if you freak out."
"I'm freaking out right now,” she countered, waving to her feet. “On dry land.”
"Okay," I said, easing off. “It’s your call. Let's start in the shallow end again then."
Instead of taking my hand, Frankie squared her shoulders and said, "No. I can do it."
“There's my girl," I said with a laugh. I had a sneaking suspicion if I called her bluff, she'd agree. I knew that kind of stubborn determination all too well.
Turning, I dove into the deep end. When I emerged, I slicked my hair back and smiled at Frankie as she stood at the edge of the pool. Her toes gripped the tiles as if she might inadvertently fling herself off at any moment.
"Okay," she said, her shoulders rising and falling with resolution.
"Remember to turn around and kick back toward the wall,” I called encouragingly.
"Yep.” She nodded.
"You've got this."
"Uh-huh," she said, biting her bottom lip. But she didn't move.
"If you jump, I promise to feast on you tonight."
She let out a nervous laugh. "You would’ve done that anyway," she countered.
"Good point." I laughed. "Okay, how about I show you my strap?”
“Is using sex as a reward part of the casual hookup guidebook?”
“It is if it’s working.”
She laughed a little lighter this time. "You make an excellent argument."
"I'm very compelling." I splashed water at her playfully. "Come on, Goldilocks. You jump and I’ll give you a record-breaking number of orgasms tonight, seems like a fair deal?—”
She jumped before I could even finish my sentence. Water sprayed the air as I laughed. I watched the foaming bubbles, waiting for her to reemerge. She kicked upward and tilted her head back in anticipation of breaking the surface, but she'd misjudged the distance and was still underwater. It all happened so fast. I saw the moment she panicked and started flailing instead of kicking. I shot over to her, grabbing her by the upper arm and hoisting her the rest of the way above the surface.
"You're okay, you're okay," I said as she wheezed and coughed. I swam us over to the steps that lead out of the deep end and sat her on the top step.
Her eyes were so wide, searching, panicking. "Breathe," I coached. “Listen to my voice, take a deep breath."
But instead of her breathing steadying out, it just grew more ragged. She began hyperventilating. I’d seen it before in both human and animal alike. This kind of panicking was not good.
"Breathe, Frankie," I commanded, holding her cheeks in both hands.
She didn't hear me, didn't even give the subtlest of nods, lost in her own hysteria.
"Fuck," I gritted out, doing the first thing I could think of.
I pulled her face to mine and kissed her. At first, she didn't reciprocate as I worked my lips over hers, but then she started moving, started responding, her breathing steadying to match my slow, luxuriating kiss. We kept kissing as her hands clinging to me eased, her shallow pants turning into soft, gentle breaths.
I pulled back just enough to lean my forehead to hers. "You okay?"
She swallowed and nodded. "Do they teach you that in vet school?”
“It was an oversight on their part to omit Making Out with Animals 101,” I teased, leaning in and kissing her again. Her once clinging hands now pulled me closer through the water as my hips settled between her thighs. My tongue dove into her mouth and I kissed her deeper before realizing what I was doing.
I pulled away instantly, searching her eyes. "I was just trying to steady your breathing," I said, clearing my throat.
"Really?"
"Not really," I admitted with a chuckle. "I just got, uh, caught up in the moment and decided to kiss you again."
Her eyes searched mine as if she might find answers there. "Like a casual friends who kiss friends thing?”
"No, yes, I don't know." Shit.
"Thank you for clarifying," she quipped.
My jaw clenched. Now it was my turn to panic. I shouldn’t have done that. It was reckless and stupid and blurred the clear lines we’d admirably drawn. I was spinning something that didn’t have to be complicated into an intricate spider’s web. We weren’t dating but we pretended like we were. We weren’t hooking up until we did. I had no idea what friends who were fake dating but also casually having sex looked like. Maybe this was it?
"I'm sorry. I?—”
"If there's anything you've taught me, Goldfinch Lachlan, it's that we don't always need everything figured out," she said. "Now, I'm going to go again."
I raised my eyebrows at her. "What?"
“I’m going again.”
"I'm impressed.” I knew she wouldn’t believe me, but I added, “You’re braver than me.”
She was. She asked for what she wanted in a way that I admired. She faced her fears head-on in a way I never had.
" But ,” she added as she squeezed the water out of her ponytail, “you have to kiss me again after I jump.” She arched a wicked eyebrow. “For safety purposes, of course.”
"You drive a hard bargain, Goldilocks," I replied. "But I agree."