Page 62 of Kai
“For what?”
“You’ll see.” He took the tray from my lap and braced on his feet at the foot of the bed.
He was too attractive for his own good. Hell, I was too attracted to him for my own good.
I shook my head. “I’ve got work to do.”
“You do, but it’s not the kind you can do on your laptop.”
“I don’t understand.” I wrinkled my nose at him. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because the weather’s perfect, the sun’s out, the coast isclear of tangos, and the water is calm and warm.”
“So?” I asked.
“Swimming lessons begin today.”
“Swimming lessons?”I choked on my spit, broke into a coughing fit, and had to pound my fist on my chest before I could talk again. “Who said anything about swimming lessons?”
“It’s time for you to tick off that box on your list.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“You can’t boss me around.”
“Not trying to,” he said. “Don’t want to. Wouldn’t dare.”
“You just did!”
“Not really,” he said. “Today, we have to focus on the mission. Swimming is an operational requirement. You’re on water a hundred percent of the time. We need to be ready for anything. You already know how to fight and how to use a gun. You must be able to swim.”
“What? No! I can’t do it!” I insisted. “Don’t you think I’ve tried swimming before?”
He inclined his head. “You said you had, and I believe you.”
“Tried andfailed,” I reminded him crossly. “Nothing has changed. What’s the difference now?”
“I’m the difference,” he said with a certainty that startled me.
“I don’t—”
“Cece, you’re the quintessential fighter,” he spoke over me. “If you learn to swim, you’ll have yet another tool at your disposal to fight your fears, to feel like the incredibly capable person you are, and to achieve operational readiness. Admit it. Not knowing how to swim frustrates the hell out of you. I can teach you how to swim.”
“I’ve had many qualified instructors.” My voice came outshrill. “Nothing came of it.”
“You haven’t had me.”
I considered his handsome features and had to admire his confidence. He was right. I hadn’t had him. It was a fucking shame. But it was also beside the point.
“You’re brash. You know that? Thinking you can do the impossible.” My stare flew beyond the windows, where the cove gleamed beneath the sunlight as bright as his aura. “You’re not afraid of the water like I am. The ocean has always been kind to you.”
His eyes studied me closely. “Is that what you think?”
The flat note in his voice made me focus a questioning gaze on his face. “Am I wrong?”
“The ocean gives and the ocean takes,” he said flatly. “It’s the rule of the sea.”
