“No.” She shook her head, but she couldn’t stop laughing. “I’m not some child you can just throw around.”
He grinned. “You’re as light as a child.”
“I am a woman,” she reminded him. “Youhaveto remember that.”
His gaze swept over her as it had many times, and she didn’t know if she could handle all the conflicting messages he kept sending her. Did he want distance or not? “There’s no way I’d forget that.”
He cupped the water and she thought he’d splash her, but he splashed his own face and rubbed at it as if he were shaking something off. He gave her a lopsided grin. “Swim race?”
“Oh, my. As if I could win a swim race with Aquaman.”
“Do you remember when I used to teach you and your friends in the lake back home?”
She nodded. She remembered everything about him. “But even those incredible tips won’t help me today.”
His lips pursed as he studied her. He obviously wanted to race, or maybe he simply wanted something to distract them both from the intense emotion that surrounded them and seemed to burst into an unquenchable flame with any look, touch, or word that may or may not have been intended for such a purpose. Whew. This was going to be a long time waiting to be safe from that jerk General Phillip if she and Aiden couldn’t rein in the longing and respect that kept growing between them. At least it was apparent he felt it too, but he seemed to be better at fighting it or redirecting.
“I’ll use only my arms,” he declared.
“We’ll see if that even helps me.” His arms were so strong she doubted she’d have any advantage.
“To the rocks over there and back.” He pointed to the left about a hundred feet.
She nodded, then she took off with a basic freestyle stroke. He laughed from behind her, as if her cheating was hilarious and wouldn’t even help her. He was probably right. She tried to put her face in the water to swim more efficiently like her instructors had taught her in junior lifeguarding and Aiden had helped her with back in that cold mountain lake, but then she realized she was going at an angle out into the ocean. She kept her head up for a few more strokes.
She could hear Aiden coming behind her, and then he blew past her. She stopped swimming, treaded water, and simply watched him go. He wasn’t kicking his legs, but his upper body was so strong and efficient that he glided through the water like some kind of machine.
He reached the rocks, turned underwater using only his arms, and flew back toward her. He stopped in front of her and blinked the water out of his eyes as he treaded water. “What was that? I didn’t think you’d concede I was the champion so easily.”
She laughed. “That was impressive. I guess you are Aquaman.”
“And a Navy SEAL.”
“Lest I forget.” She squinted at the rocks, the warm sun kissing her forehead. “It’s no competition unless we make it harder.”
“Okay. I’ll just use my legs.”
She tilted her head. “Will that even slow you down?”
“For sure.”
She pointed back toward the shore. “You start over there and you only can do the dolphin kick, like the one in that hard stroke, the um …”
“Butterfly?” His blue eyes glinted at her as if she’d just given him an advantage.
“Yeah,” she said. She would probably lose horribly again, but it was fun trying.
“Sounds good.” He swam off toward the beach, cruising like he had a motor as he used both his arms and legs.
Melene turned from staring at him and took off toward the rocks. She wasn’t one to cheat, but she needed any advantage she could get.
She was getting close to the rocks and he hadn’t reached her yet. She had to get all the way back to the beach, though.
Something large swam underneath her. Melene cried out and almost kicked whatever it was, but as she glanced through the clear water, she could see it was Aiden. His arms were pinned at his sides. His lower body moved like a dolphin and he was gliding quickly toward the rocks. What a showoff.
Melene went underwater and grabbed one of his legs before he was out of reach. It almost ripped from her grasp, but she clamped on and he dragged her a few feet before he stopped. They both surfaced, and she had to release his leg or she’d be dragged back under. He laughed and shook his head at her.
“I didn’t figure my benevolent woman for such a cheater.”