Page 86 of My Heart Still Beats
“Uh…it wasn’t fifty-five degrees.”
He gently takes my hand. “I think you’ll like it, Tessa.”
“I’lllikefreezing my ass off?” My teeth chatter at the thought even as the warmth of Ben’s fingers makes me feel a jolt of pleasure. “I don’t think so.”
“Tessa”—his voice gets serious—“trust me on this.”
I roll my eyes. “Yeah, right.”
“I’m totally serious. Braden and I had one yesterday morning. We do it regularly.”
“Does Skye do it with him?”
“Not that I know of, but Braden and I have been doing it for years. It’s stimulating. But also, whether you can believe it or not, it’s really relaxing.”
“How in the hell is freezing your butt off relaxing?”
“First of all, you don’t stay in that long,” he says.
“How long do you stay in?”
“My record, as of yesterday morning, is eleven minutes.”
I drop my jaw. “Are you kidding me? Eleven minutes submerged in cold water? You’re nuts.”
“Not all the way submerged, just up to your neck. Obviously you keep your head out so you can breathe.”
I raise my hands in mock relief. “Oh, you’re not going to make me put on an oxygen mask? Thank God.”
“Trust me.” He meets my gaze. “Youwilllike this.”
I sit up in my lounge chair and face him. “Look. I enjoyed the Falls. You were right about that, but somehow I don’t think you’re right on this one.”
“You may not like it while you’re doing it, but once you’re done? I guarantee you’ll love it.”
“Not for eleven minutes.”
“Of course not. For your first time, you’ll only do three minutes.”
“I’m not sure I can even take three minutes. How about three seconds?”
He smiles at me, and his hand twitches a bit. Does he want to touch me again? I honestly want him to. I can still feel his lips on my cheek from last night.
“I’m afraid you’re on your own,” I say. “Like I said, Betsy and I are having breakfast.”
He eyes my empty plate where my fruit was. Then he stands and looks into my coffee cup, also finding it empty. “Looks like you’re done with breakfast.”
I gesture to Betsy’s full plate and cup of coffee. “She’s not.”
“Her coffee is going to be cold by the time she gets back.”
“Maybe.” I wave to Betsy and Manfred. “But here they come.”
“Thanks for the walk, Manfred,” Betsy says.
Ben stands and offers Betsy her lounger back.
“Hi, Ben,” she says.
