Page 83 of The Marriage Narrative
That wasn’t what he got. She laid into him with fast, efficient strokes—up, down, side to side.
“Why are you being so rough? Be gentle with me,” he said while laughing.
“I’m beingthorough,” she corrected. “Hold still.”
“Yes, ma’am.” A unique, almost pleasant mix of minerals and rich cocoa butter wafted through the dry summer air. “You really believe this stuff works?”
“Scientifically proven. Arms up.” She was a machine. Not a single patch of skin missed from his shoulders to the line of his trunks.
“Does it stop you from tanning?”
She snorted as she focused on his neck and across his traps. “Don’t worry. You’ll still get as sun-kissed as toasted coconut. Want me to do your front?”
Before he could answer, she leaped off the chair and stood in front of him with a huge smile on her face. He had zero idea why putting on sunscreen made her so happy, but he was happy to see it.
However, he couldn’t risk letting her touch his chest. Not in public. He had no idea how he’d react, and he didn’t trust the camera to be enough to keep him in check. “I can do it.”
Zinnia passed him the bottle and then rummaged through her bag until she found another one—an aerosol this time. She dropped into a squat in front of him. “Make sure you cover everywhere and don’t forget your face.” She started spraying his legs, enthusiastically patting it into his skin for good measure. “Perfect. All done.”
He waited patiently while she returned the sunscreen to her bag but caught her around the waist when she tried to sit down. She let out a surprised shriek as he lifted her over his shoulder, one arm firmly locked around the back of her knees.
“Jordan!”Her buoyant giggles added at least fifteen years to his lifespan. “I don’t want to get my hair wet! Or my face! Youknow what? Why don’t I just stay on dry land and watch you swim?”
“I put on sunscreen. You’re getting in the water. Compromise is a wonderful thing.” He walked down the short set of stairs into the shallow end of the pool.
“But it’s only waterproof for up to ninety minutes! We’ll have to get out and reapply!”
“Deal!”
The water hit his waist, and she shrieked again, jerking her legs upward so fast she almost kicked him in the face. “It’s too cold!”
“Your toes barely went in!”
“I need to acclimate first!”
“I have a better idea.” He pulled the chevron-patterned chaise longue closer and carefully lowered her onto it.
“I really don’t know how to swim,” she warned while getting settled. “I think I need those arm things kids wear. Or a life vest—can I have a life vest?”
“We don’t have any.” He took off both their mics and flung them back toward the chairs. “How come you never learned?”
“I didn’t grow up near a pool. Lakes feel murderous to me, like they personally want me dead. Oceans are just off-limits period.”
“Mhmm, but skydiving is perfectly safe and normal.”
“Hey, I will take the sky over the sea any day.” She turned onto her side to face him and looped one arm around his back.
He began ferrying her through the water at a leisurely pace toward the deep end. “I thought you wanted to go sailing with me.”
“I do. I’ll be nice and safe on the boat, on top of the water in my full-body life vest with my rescue whistle. I’mgoing, damn it.” Her eyes began to drift closed while she was still smiling at him.“This is nice. You might’ve been on to something about falling asleep on the water.”
“Don’t.” He risked a kiss on her shoulder. “Can we talk instead?”
She stretched, long and lean and mesmerizing, eyes still closed.
“Zinnia, I know my family isn’t—” He paused, unsure of what to say. No family was perfect, but he was done making excuses for his.
“Your family is fine, Jordan.” Her tone spiked with frustration. “Stop worrying about it. I’m not going anywhere.”
