“Come,” he said from some steps away.
She shook her head. “I don’t think I can stand there.”
“Come, I’ll hold you.”
Fear battled desire and he knew which would win just from the look in her eyes. She smiled up at him and he could imagine her thinking, see her wanting and his own smile widened as he held his arms up to her as he would to a child.
“Come, I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Like an anxious child, she nodded her head and reached out as if to grab something before closing her eyes and just jumping straight forward. Her head went under but he caught her around the waist easily and lifted her up. Rowan coughed then wiped the water from her face before putting her hands on his shoulders. They were only inches apart. She was beautiful, he already knew that, but in her eyes was something else too, something innocent and almost trusting. Her smile widened then and she slapped the water’s surface, splashing water all around them.
“Ha!” she laughed, doing it again.
Silas let go with one hand to wipe his eyes but couldn’t help but laugh along with her.
“I want to swim like you did,” she said.
“All right,” he said, and without warning, turned onto his back and pulled her along with him to the opposite end of the lake then back again. She gripped his arm hard but he could hear her laughter. “Just relax and lie still, look up at the sky, and breathe through your mouth. We’ll float.”
She panicked though when he let her go and reached for his arm, almost going under before he could catch her.
“Don’t let me go! I’ll drown!”
“You’ll float, lie back. Come on, relax, Hellcat.”
“Don’t call me that!” she said, turning to lie back. He could see that she wanted this, she wanted it badly, and her sense of adventure was greater than her fear.
“That’s it. I’m going to hold your hand now. Don’t panic, I won’t leave your side, I promise.”
“Ok,” she said, not daring to turn her head now that she was on her back. He could see her breath coming fast and knew she wasn’t relaxed, but that would come. He took her hand and kicked a little. She was a quick study, mimicking his movements so that in no time, she had relaxed enough to look at him while they played.
“You’ve got it. If you’re ever in water and panic, just turn onto your back and breathe. Keep your belly up out of the water and keep it full of air and you’ll float, understand?”
“Yes.”
“Want to go under the fall?” he asked.
He only needed a nod from her to take her. He was a strong swimmer and she was a good student. She trusted him to keep her safe, at least at the moment. Darker thoughts assaulted Silas but he pushed them away. There was enough time for that, now was the time to enjoy and to watch her enjoy.
She screamed loudly once the water splashed on her head but he could see on her face that she was laughing. He held onto her, the force of the fall too strong for her to float here. She put her hands on his shoulders and he pulled her closer until her body pressed against his. Her smile was gone then, replaced by something else, something no longer carefree or childlike. He swam them a little farther back, out of the direct fall of the water and there, pushed some of the hair out of her face, and touched her lips with his thumb.
“You’re very beautiful,” he said, wondering if she could hear him over the water.
She smiled and dropped her gaze.
“No, don’t do that. Your eyes, I want to see them.”
“They’re ugly,” she said, averting them, pushing back against his chest. “Scary.”
He hugged her tighter. “Not scary or ugly. Different. Beautiful.”
She looked up at him again, really was looking at his face this time, studying his features it seemed.
“The men don’t have so much hair at the colony,” she said, touching the stubble at his jaw. He’d have to shave once he got back but he imagined he looked quite barbaric compared to the men she was used to seeing.
Silas leaned toward her slowly. Placing one hand at the back of her head, he brought his mouth to hers. She gasped and tried to pull away but he held her and kissed her gently. There would be time for taking later, for now, he wanted to taste her, he only wanted to taste her. Her lips were wet and soft and she yielded to him, opening her mouth to his when his tongue begged entrance. She was warm and tasted sweet, like nothing he’d tasted before. When she made a sound and he felt her legs wrap around his middle, he swam them to the back of the waterfall and with her back pressed against the rocks there, he slid one hand down to cup her bottom while his kiss grew in intensity, no longer tasting but taking.