Page 26 of Mission Shift

“Swimming,” she said as she moved, “was always my escape.” After a few more strokes, she paused, treading water as she drew a little closer. “I used to swim every chance I got when I was a little girl. It made me feel…free. Happy.” She gave a small shrug, staring off into the distance, her eyes becoming unfocused.

“Then life happened,” she said in a flat, almost dismissive tone, but I saw the shadow of pain in her eyes. She looked away, running a hand through her wet hair and rolling her lips in, inhaling deeply through her nose. “Anyhow,” she added with forced nonchalance, “now swimming is just a skill to keep sharp like all the others.”

She swam closer to me, and I watched her in silence. Whatever had stolen that sense of happiness from her wasn’t somethingshe was going to disclose easily, and I wasn’t about to pry. We’d only barely made peace.

Only a few feet from me now, she continued treading water effortlessly. The surface of the water rippled gently with her movements.

“You know,” she said, raising her chin in the air, “there’s no way you’re surviving out here without me. The border alone would eat you alive, not to mention making it back into Ukrainian territory.” She tilted her head, her wild blonde hair sticking up in every direction like she was some badass Tinker Bell. “Face it, Boy Scout. You need me, and you had better figure out how to take orders.”

A dark chuckle rumbled from my chest. Of course she couldn’t resist making sure I knew who was boss. Daria wasn’t just confident—she was cocky, over-the-top, I-own-the-world full of herself. But for reasons that defied logic, her smartass edge now intrigued me more than it pissed me off. Somehow, she made me want to prove her wrong and agree with her all at once.

My legs moved steadily beneath me, keeping me afloat as I studied her face. I’d bet good money her bark was worse than her bite. What made her tick? How could someone so drop-dead gorgeous—a literal goddess—be a down-in-the-trenches double agent, let alone project that much bravado without flinching? There was more behind the steel, and damned if I didn’t want to figure her out.

“You’re insufferable,” I teased, splashing water in her direction with a lazy swipe.

Daria’s smirk widened as she lifted a hand to shield her face. “Is that all you’ve got?” she taunted.

“Oh, you’re asking for it now.” I cupped a handful of water and launched it at her, harder this time.

“Pathetic!” she shouted, sending a wave of water back my way.

Her dare wasn’t one I’d back away from.

The splashes came faster, our movements creating chaos on the river’s surface. I lunged toward her, reaching for her shoulder to give her a good dunk, but she dodged, laughing as she retaliated. With perfect aim, her leg snagged me behind the knees and flipped me backward.

“Okay, that’s it!” I warned, shaking my head like a dog and chasing after her again.

Daria wasn’t backing down. “Oh, I’m shaking,” she goaded. “Catch me if you can!”

Before she could escape, I grabbed her wrist, and the fight shifted from a playful tussle to a full-blown skirmish, both of us vying for dominance. I captured her neck with my hand and dunked her before she slipped from my grasp. Then she dipped underwater. Suddenly, she flew up out of the water, slapping her palms hard against my chest, forcefully enough to push me back a foot. But I wasn’t letting her get the upper hand that easily. I grabbed her wrist and twisted it, pulling her under again. In response, she kicked furiously at any part of my body she could connect with, breaking my slippery hold.

She resurfaced with a huge smile on her face. Sunlight glinted off the water and cast sparkles across her skin, but there wasn’t time to appreciate it. Daria was fast. She dove under again, and I lost sight of her. The next thing I knew, she had me by the ankles and was tugging me under.

The water, stirred up by our roughhousing, was now murky, but I could still see the glee in her expression as she pulled me deeper. I wrestled with her until I broke free. Then, kicking hard, I burst through the surface, water streaming down my face. A moment later, she emerged in front of me, laughing. And just like that, I wanted to be the man who could always make her laugh.

Damn her and her ability to knock me completely off-balance with nothing but a laugh and a splash. But she was the first rayof sunshine I’d felt in years, and like it or not, I was inexplicably drawn to her.

We were breathing hard now. Our movements slowed as we circled each other. Her eyes gleamed with competitive fire.

“You’re not bad—for a babysitter,” I admitted, grinning broadly. “But you’ve got to know this is one arena you can’t win in.”

“Keep talking,” she shot back. “We’ll see who wins this.”

I surged forward, grabbing her waist and dunking her under. She disappeared beneath the surface, her legs thrashing. Water splashed everywhere as she shot back up, her hair plastered to her face. She didn’t waste a second and lunged at me, wrapping her legs around my hips in a vise-like grip and shaking her head, flinging water from her hair.

It was like being caught by an octopus. With her thighs locked securely around me, I struggled to keep my head above the surface. She was relentless and slippery as she gripped my shoulders and tried to wrestle me into submission.

I focused on getting closer to shore so that I could gain better footing, all while she bucked against me in a futile attempt to force me under. Her skin was warm against mine despite the cool water, her tight nipples grazing against my chest with every move. Our proximity had my body responding in ways that were beyond any man’s control.

My cock snapped to attention, growing rock hard, pressing against her entrance. She froze, her lips just inches away from mine. I glanced up, and the sight of her knocked the air out of my lungs.

Water droplets clung to her skin, sliding down her cheeks and neck like liquid diamonds. Rivulets traced the curves of her shoulders before falling back into the lake. Her lips parted as she caught her breath.

But it was her eyes that completely slayed me—crystals of light blue, like the clearest ocean at the edge of a white sandy beach, catching the light in a way that made them shimmer. They held me captive. In them, I saw a mix of defiance and…desire. No longer did she look like a soldier or a spy or even the Ice Queen who loved to torment me. She looked like something otherworldly, an imp sent to destroy me in the best way possible.

Chapter ten

God, the way he looked at me… His eyes were dark, heated, full of unrestrained desire. It was like nothing I’d ever seen—like nothing I’d ever let myself have. And for once, I didn’t care about the mission, the war, or the endless lies that had shaped my life. Right now, I wanted this. I wanted him.

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