Page 11 of Powerless
"Hey, Mari," he greeted, shielding his eyes from the sun. "You are a sight to behold," he added, taking in my bikini.
I ignored his comment and sat on the edge, dipping my feet into the water next to him.
"Let me see your hand."
"Sweet of you to worry," he chuckled. "But it's nothing, baby girl. Church was just frustrating, that's all."
"I'm not leaving you alone until you let me see."
"Well, that's fine with me," he grinned, dipping his head back so his blond hair spread across the surface. "I like you right where you are."
"Come on, Gunner," I extended my hand to him. "I saw blood in the water. Give it."
"Hmm," he pretended to consider it for a moment. "Only because I'll never turn down a pretty girl holding my hand."
I couldn't think of a snappy comeback, so I distracted myself with examining his scraped knuckles while the flush creeped up my neck and into my cheeks.
"You'll be fine. Just don't make a habit out of punching solid walls."
I released his hand, but he kept it in my lap for a few seconds before letting it drop back into the pool. Water droplets trailed from my knees down my calves like fingertips.
"I won't." His voice carried an edge of seriousness. "I just had to pretend it was someone's face."
"Whose?"
"Doesn't matter. Hey!" His grin returned as he tickled along the bottoms of my feet. "Want your first swim lesson?"
"No!" I kicked toward his chest, hitting him with a good splash. "Not after that stunt you pulled."
This guy picked me up and dropped me in the poolbeforeI had a chance to say I couldn't swim.
"I won't do that again, promise." He went serious again, grabbing my foot and giving it a gentle squeeze. "I'll just show you how to float on your back. Super simple."
I stopped kicking, enjoying his grip on my ankle more than I'd like to admit.
"You won't let me drown?"
"Cross my heart." He did the motion over his chest. "You trust me, Mari?"
I steeled myself, grabbing the edge just outside my knees. "Yeah, I do."
His smile lit up his eyes at that point, shining like two sapphires. "Okay. Hop in when you're ready."
We were at the shallow end, so I knew I'd hit the bottom safely. Still, I appreciated that he moved in front of me so I could hold onto his shoulders as I slid off the edge and into the water.
"I got you." Gunner placed a gentle hold on my waist until my feet hit the bottom.
"Okay," I breathed, looking up at him. "Now what?" The closeness of him was overwhelming, and yet the safest place to be.
"Turn this way." He guided me with a hand on the back of my arm until the side of my body faced his chest. "Now start leaning back like you're lying down in a bathtub."
"Uh..."
"Your feet are going to want to float up. Just let them. I've got your back." The weight of his hand pressed to my lower back. "I won't let you sink, Mari."
I nodded before grabbing his forearm with one hand and the pool ledge with the other. "Don't ask me to let go, 'cause I won't."
"That's all right," he smiled. "Hold onto me all you want."
