Freezing cold, the water closed over her head and shocked the air out of her, but she didn’t panic, didn’t squirm. Instinctively, despite everything, she knew she was safe. Finn’s arms were locked around her like a band and she felt his strong legs kick them back toward the surface. And that wasn’t all she felt. His body was responding to hers and he wasn’t trying to hide it.
Their heads broke the water and he released her.
“Man, that feels good,” he said with a grin that went ear to ear.
She couldn’t help but agree. The sweltering heat that had made her so uncomfortable before had been driven out of her body. But rather than chilling her to the bone, the water felt like silk stroking against her skin—making her aware of each of her nerve endings as they responded to the sensation, and to the nearness of the almost-naked man treading water beside her.
“Sometimes during the school holidays, when Dad would come back to the house at lunchtime, we’d race each other off the jetty. I lived for those moments. Mum would bring a picnic lunch for us and we’d all sit together afterward until he had to get back to work.”
“It sounds like you guys had a great relationship,” Tamsyn said, adopting a lazy breaststroke to swim in circles around him.
“We did. I’m lucky. Even though he died, I still have so many great memories. You missed out on that, didn’t you? Doesn’t seem from what you’ve told me that your father took time out with you kids.”
“No, he didn’t, but we didn’t miss out altogether. We grew up with our cousins, Judd, Raif, Cade and Cathleen. We were always off on one adventure or another, when we weren’t working on the estate somewhere.”
Although she’d quietly envied her cousins their mothers while she was growing up, she’d still had a pretty carefree childhood. Ethan had seen to that. Protective, inclusive—he’d been her rock, and still was in so many ways. And her dad had been there, too, in his own gruff workaholic way, along with her uncle and aunts. But there had still been that vital component missing for her.
The water began to feel chilly again and she gave a little shiver.
“Let’s get out,” Finn suggested, obviously noticing her discomfort. “We can dry in the sun and have something to eat.”
“You brought food?”
“And wine,” he admitted. “Or you can have juice or water if you prefer.”
“Wine would be nice,” she said, striking out for the ladder on the side of the jetty.
She was acutely aware of Finn’s presence behind her as she started up the ladder. It kept her from concentrating as she should on the slippery rungs. Her foot shot off the bar and she started to fall, only to be halted by warm hands at her hips steadying her. The feel of Finn’s hands on her body had her senses reeling and heat flashed through her.
“You okay?” he asked from slightly below her.
“Y-yes, I’m fine,” she said through gritted teeth.
Slowly and determinedly she made her way up the ladder, out of his reach—but only for a moment as a hunk of wet, dripping male came up the ladder right behind her.
He’d have had a good eyeful of her backside, she thought as she finally put her feet onto the wooden jetty and began to walk to where they’d tossed their clothes. She picked up her things and held them in front of her like a shield as he drew closer, suddenly feeling vulnerable in her dripping, clingy underthings.