The distance shortened between us. Water sloshed around us and then settled into quiet ripples. I looked up higher to hold Noah’s intense gaze. His chest heaved faster, and I could feel his hot breath on my skin. That same scent of cedar and dark spices enveloped me in its seductive tease. Goosebumps rose over my skin, and I shivered.

Silence stretched in the vast space, but we weren’t ready to break the tranquil atmosphere. It felt like someone had cast a spell on us. And if we said nothing, we could forget who we were and escape any reason and responsibility.

My breathing turned labored, and I licked my suddenly dry lips. Noah’s gaze flickered down from my eyes, and then back up. Without any warning, he took the last step towards me.

Everything turned into a blur.

One moment, Noah stood in front of me, and the next moment, he disappeared into the pool. I blinked and realized that he had slipped.

Noah yelped and raised his arms as he submerged into the water. I held his hands and tried to pull him upwards, but he was too heavy to lift this way. I quickly submerged myself underwater and caught him in my arms. With a heave, I pulled him into a standing position.

We still stood in the shallow end of the pool, the water barely reaching our waists. The small dip wouldn’t have drowned him, but it had somehow triggered him. He clung to me, his broad chest pressed onto my narrow shoulders, and gasped. His hands wrapped around my back in a tight embrace. I could feel the tremors running through his body as he tried to anchor himself back to safety.

“Are you okay?” I caressed his back to calm him down. “Let’s get out of the pool.”

Noah didn’t reply, so I stayed put. Pressed so close together, I could feel every hard muscle of his body. It molded against mine, and I tried hard to ignore the effect it had on me. Gradually, he calmed down. 

“Noah?” I asked.

“If you keep this a secret," Noah’s voice was a throaty whisper in my ear. “I’ll teach you.”

It took me a moment to understand that he was answering my first question. I pulled back a little to see his face. His expression was a mixture of shock and relief, but color was flooding back into his pale skin.

Our faces were inches away from each other, but neither of us pulled away. I whispered, “I’ll keep the secret.”

Noah’s lips curved into a smile. The dimples appeared again, and I hoped he couldn’t hear my thunderous heartbeat. This was getting ridiculous, really. I held onto kids like this all the time in the pool. They were little scaredy-cats and clung onto instructors like monkeys! And Noah was exactly like them.

Then why was holding onto him so different?

Noah shifted, and his hands strayed from my back and down to my waist. That simple graze lit fire along the length of my spine, and I got my answer quickly. My cheeks heated under his gaze. I fumbled to break whatever was going on between us before I made a fool out of myself.

“Your family owns a yacht company…” I said, more to distract myself. “Why did you never learn to swim?”

His grip tightened around my waist. I didn’t dare meet his eyes. I couldn’t guarantee that I wouldn’t lose myself in them again.

“Given your status,” I continued when Noah didn’t answer, “you must have had a pool in your backyard. You could have learned it when you were a kid.”

It would have been easier too. Like everything else, kids picked up swimming faster than adults.

“Did you have a bad experience?” I asked. “Is that why you didn’t learn in your childhood?”

Noah unwrapped his hands from around my waist. Cold air rushed in as the heat of his body left mine. I should have rejoiced, but the action caught me off-guard. I looked back at his face. His eyes were downcast, the thick eyelashes hiding his emotions from me.

I must have hit the mark. It would explain his fear as an adult. And if that was true, his uncle shouldn’t be forcing him to swim. Not if he wasn’t ready. Angry on his behalf, I asked, “Why is your uncle forcing you to swim now? If this isn’t what you want—"

I paused. This time I had been watching Noah carefully. My stomach twisted as his expression turned dark. His jaw locked in anger, and he turned his face away from me.

“Noah?”

When he looked back at me, there was no hint of amusement in his eyes. In a clipped voice, he said, “Let’s end it here for today.”

I could only stare as he hauled himself out of the water. I closed my gaping mouth and tried to understand what went wrong. Just as his smile made me melt, his true angry expression made me weak in the knees. 

I hurried out of the water. But Noah had already gone into the men’s changing room. I paced outside and went over our conversation inside my head. Was it about his uncle?

My phone rang. I frowned and rushed to the bench. It was my younger sister. “Hey, Liv.”

“Isla!” Olivia shouted over the loud music. “Shit! Are you okay?”

“Huh? I’m fine.” I walked over to one of the French windows. “Where are you?”

“Out on a date.” I heard a door close, and the sound of music muffled. She sighed. “The guy’s so boring. You’re my fake emergency call.”

“From thousands of miles away?” I chuckled and eyed the changing room.

“Yep.” Olivia laughed. “So, gone on any dates recently?”

“I don’t have time—”

“Isla,” Olivia hissed. “Take time out for yourself! Are you still working at the pool?”

I winced. She hated that I worked extra hours to pay for her tuition. But I still couldn’t let her work as a student. Not when I knew how hard it was to survive like that. “No! I stopped working at the public pool.”

“Really?”

“Mm-hmm.” It was a fancy private pool now.

“Then will you please go on a date?” she whined. “Or I swear mom will marry you off to some old rich bachelor!”

I laughed. Her joke wasn’t too off the mark. Just then, I saw Noah step out. “I have to go, Liv. Stay safe!” I rushed towards him and called out, “Noah!”

Noah must have heard me, but he didn’t turn. Without breaking his stride, he opened the door and exited. Cursing, I hurried to follow him. I stopped short when I realized I was still in my swimsuit. I groaned and ran my hand through my hair. A foreboding feeling settled in my stomach. 

Noah was pissed, and I still had no clue why.