Page 63 of Kai
Don’t ask, don’t ask, don’t ask. It would only lead to more intimacy. I’d sworn off intimacy with Kai. It would also lead to more questions. But did I follow my own advice?
Nope.
“What has the ocean taken from you?” I asked, my voice tentative.
“A lot.” He hesitated and then added. “But it has also kept me sane.”
“How so?”
“I thought you didn’t wanna talk at all, but we could try it as long as you’re willing to talk about why you’re so frightened of the ocean.” When I sealed my lips and shook my head fervently, he raised his eyebrows. “Very well, then. Put on your bathing suit. Or don’t.” He wiggled his eyebrows wickedly. “Either way, swimming lessons begin in ten.”
Chapter Twenty-one
Kai
“Panic is the enemy of success,” I instructed, barely supporting Cece’s back with my open palms as she attempted to float. “Clear your mind. Inflate your lungs. Relax. Feel the water. It wants to hug you, if only you’ll let it.”
Cece’s chest rose with a determined breath. She closed her eyes and allowed her arms to drift to her side. Water droplets perched on her lips and eyelashes, glittering on her face like gems. Her hair spread around her head, a dark halo. She looked so sexy wearing a tiny red bikini that displayed most of her creamy skin to perfection.
As she mounted my surfboard before I swam her over to the beach, she’d complained about the bikini belonging to Affie and not her. Then she’d accused her sisters of plotting against her. Treading water next to the board, I’d laughed. I’d said that it made a lot more sense that Thena and Missy had plotted againstmysanity. The blush that colored her cheeks stole my breath.
Yeah, flirting was an important part of my strategy.
Now, keeping my guard up and my senses alert, I squinted toward the shore, where tame little waves lapped at the sand. My Tak was well within sight, propped up on the beach towel under the umbrella, leaning against the lunch basket I’d packed. It was dialed into the signals my team had secured, especially the one for Booming Voice’s watercraft. If anything or anybody triggered one of my radars, cameras, or sensors, it would set off the alarms, giving us ample warning to act.
We’d already practiced kicking for quite a while. She’d been tired, but she’d done well.Kick, kick, kick,I’d called out,side stroking right next to her and the kickboard I’d used to teach her. You’ve got strong legs, Cece. You can do it.
She’d also learned the basic breaststroke. It still looked more like a dog paddle, but she made it work. Going underwater was a no-go, at least for now, but floating was at the top of my list.
As Cece stayed afloat now, I slowly withdrew my hands from under her. With her eyes closed, she didn’t notice. Moving silently, I set my chronometer and let it run. A minute. Two minutes. Three minutes. I grinned. She didn’t know it, but she floated on her own.
The water licked and stroked her. I fought the urge to do the same. Looking down at her, I had a hard time keeping my dick under control. Her stiff nipples peeked through the thin fabric, baiting me, although not a hint of her raven pubic hair insinuated itself through the wet bikini.
She’d shaved. This explained why, instead of ten minutes, she’d taken over thirty before she showed up onSerenity’sdeck, where I waited with our beach gear ready. She’d done a thorough job. The clear outline of her private lips came through the clingy triangle that cupped her pussy, tempting me to forget all about the damn lesson.
How I wanted to pull on the red strings, undo the little bows at either side of her hips, and inspect her freshly shaved pussy. My pained dick was stuck in the up and ready position, and my brain kept flashing recollections of her orgasms, testing my will.
Dial it down, Marine, I reminded myself.One step at a time.Objective number one: teach her to swim, K-man.
Learning to swim was important to her, to her self-esteem. She needed a win, and I wanted to be the one to give it to her. Also, getting her to the point she could fend for herself in case of an emergency was vital. Our situation involved the sea allaround us. Plus, if I was her instructor, she had no choice but to talk to me, to listen to what I had to say.
“You’re doing great,” I encouraged. “You’re floating all on your own.”
It was the wrong thing to say.
“Oh God, oh God, oh God.” Her ass sank, and she thrashed in the water, splashing and cursing, desperately trying to keep her face near the surface, her eyes showing a lot of white. “I’m going to drown!” she sputtered. “Help! What do I do?”
“How about you put your feet down?” I suggested, keeping a straight face. “You’re in four feet of water, Sorceress.”
“Oh.” Allowing her feet to sink down to the soft sand, she braced on her legs.
I stopped my chronometer.
Her face flushed with embarrassment, and she worked at controlling her breaths to get over her panic. The waterline came up to just above her navel. Her breasts pushed up and down, straining her scanty top. Her nipples played peekaboo with me and my horny.
Patience is a virtue, K-man. Remember when you used to be patient, BC—Before Cece?
“That was dumb.” She punched the surface with her fists. “I’m such an idiot.”
