"Of course, I held back, paced myself so it was close, so I beat you by only a stroke. "
"Held back?" She dipped back her head, studied the stars. "Please. "
"Oh, yeah, I knew what I was doing. You said it was a tie, and I said I'd crushed you. When you got huffy, I dunked you. "
"When I protested your bad call, you dunked me," she corrected.
"You retaliated, as I'd anticipated, by locking your arms around my knees and hauling me under. Whereby, I could engage you in the sort of battle that allowed me, at last, to get my hands on your excellent young ass. It was a moment for me. Then you giggled. "
She made a derisive sound. "I've never giggled in my life. "
"Oh, yeah, you did. You giggled and squirmed and wriggled around until I was so worked up I thought I'd explode. "
She let her feet come up and floated again. "Foolish, foolish boy. When you wrestle naked with a female, she's bound to discover just where your brain cells have gathered. "
"You were fifteen. What did you know?"
Now she smirked. "Enough to wriggle and squirm until I obtained a satisfactory result. "
"You did it on purpose?"
"Of course. Then Ripley and I discussed it in some detail. "
"That better be a lie. " He reached across the water, grabbed a handful of her hair.
"We were both fascinated and amused. And if it soothes your ego, I'll finish this walk down memory lane by telling you I had hot, disturbing, and imaginative dreams for a week afterward. "
He tugged at her hair until their bodies bumped. Then he skimmed his hand over the wet white slope of her breast. "So did I. " He trailed a fingertip down her torso, back up again. "Mia?"
"Mmm. "
"I bet I can still make you giggle. "
Before she could evade, he nipped her by the waist and turned her facedown in the water. Taken by surprise, she flailed for a moment, then rolled when his fingers moved unerringly up her ribs.
"Stop it. " Her hair was in her face, saltwater in her eyes.
"Giggle," he insisted, tickling ruthlessly. "And squirm and wriggle. "
"You idiot. " She couldn't see or catch her breath. Despite her struggles the helpless and foolish laughter escaped. It rolled out of her and over the waves as she slapped at him and tried to wiggle free. She managed to get a grip on his hair and yank, while trying to shove her own out of her face. But he only rolled them over and over into the waves until she was dizzy, disoriented, and brutally aroused.
"Damn octopus. " His hands were everywhere.
"You've got a hell of a squirm. And it still works. Only this time" - he gripped her hips - "why just dream?" And plunged into her.
He went home with her, and they ate bowls of cold pasta like ravenous children. With hunger unabated, they fell into bed and fed off each other.
Tangled with him, she slipped into sleep, and into dreams of floating in a dark sea as peacefully as the moon sailed the night sky. She drifted on her own pleasure, the water cool, the air sweet. In the distance, the shadows and shapes of her island rose out of the sea. It slept, with only the beam from the cliff light guarding it from the dark.
The music of the waves lulled her until she, too, slept.
And the stars erupted into bolts of lightning, stabbing down at the shadows and shapes of her island. Around her the sea began to thrash and heave, pulling her helplessly away from home. She fought, striking out with hard, desperate strokes toward the fog that had begun to build a dirty wall
at the shore. Waves swamped her, spun her into that breathless black, slapped her back, dragged her under.
Roaring filled the night, and the screams that followed it ripped at her heart. With what strength she had left, she reached for the fire inside her. But she was too late to beat the dark. She watched the island fall into the sea. Even as she wept, it pulled her down with it. She woke curled away from Sam, drawn into a tight ball and clinging to the edge of the bed. Trembling, she rose, walked to the window to soothe herself with the view of her garden, of the steady beam of the island light.
Would it come to that? Would she do everything that could be done, and have it still not be enough?
Through the night she heard the long, triumphant howl of a wolf. Knowing that it wanted her to cower, she stepped out onto her little balcony.
"I am fire. " She said it softly. "And what's in me will, one day, purge you. "
"Mia. "
She turned and saw Sam sitting up in bed. "Yes, I'm here. "
"What is it?"
"Nothing. " She came back in, but left the doors open to the night. "Just restless. "
"Come back to bed. " He held out a hand. "Let me help you sleep. "
"All right. " She slid in beside him, turned her body to his. Invitation. But he only drew her close, stroked her hair. "Close your eyes. Let your mind go. Let it go for one night. "
"I'm not - "
"Let it go," he repeated, and stroking her hair, he charmed her into a deep and dreamless sleep.