Page 100 of One Kind Hand

“What’s Stage Three?” he asked, barely taking his lips off hers.

“Feet in the water,” she said between nips at his bottom lip.

Nodding, he spent a few more seconds kissing her senseless, then he rotated so he faced the pool. Swallowing loudly, he eased his feet in and sucked in a breath, immediately ripping his feet out and resting his heels on the edge.

“You’re doing fine,” she coached. “The water is a nice temperature, right?”

“Yeah, I envisioned it pulling me in though.” His chest heaved as his breathing moved into panting mode.

Charlie wrapped her arm around his. “I won’t let it pull you in, Austin.” She tightened her hold on him. “I promise.”

He dropped a kiss on her bare shoulder, letting his lips rest there for a few moments as he inhaled and exhaled, no doubt trying to stave off a panic attack.

“We can leave any time you want,” she whispered. “Making it through two stages is nothing to scoff at. We can try another time.”

He shook his head, his mouth still pressed to her shoulder. Raising his head, he met her gaze, his eyes as blue as the pool water, but way more unsettled. “I’m not leaving this room until I get in there.” He angled his head to the pool.

Loving his resolve to face this fear, Charlie said, “Okay. No rush. We have as much time as you need.”

Austin moved his heels off the edge again and dipped his feet into the water, sinking his legs in up to his ankles, his calves, his knees. He repositioned his ass on the towel beneath them and rested his hand over hers where she gripped the edge.

Charlie swished her legs back and forth and Austin did the same, letting the water slosh around in front of them.

“I did like to swim as a child,” he said. “My grandparents lived by a lake and every summer my sisters and I would spend two weeks with them. My skin was permanently raisined from swimming so much.”

“Time to get in touch with that dormant fish inside you then,” Charlie said, leaning her arm against his. She pushed off the edge and got into the water, which was only about waist high at this end. She held her hand out to him. “You can use the stairs if you—”

Before she could finish her sentence, Austin took her hand and slid into the water in front of her. He immediately gripped her other hand too, his shoulders up at his ears as he held his breath. Every muscle in his body tensed, and while that was impressive because the man had muscles everywhere, Charlie wanted him to relax.

She took his hands and put them on her hips right at the line where the water lapped against her. “Welcome to Stage Four, Mr. Movie Star.”

Austin pulled his gaze away from the water surrounding their bodies and looked at her. Like a wave undulating through him, his shoulders lowered, his back became less rigid, and his hips lowered as he wrapped his arms around her.

“Is Stage Five this?” He pressed her tightly to his chest, buried his nose in her hair, and bent his knees so they both dropped into the water to their shoulders.

Charlie locked her legs around his waist underwater and encircled his shoulders with her arms, dropping kisses along his whiskered jaw until she found his mouth. They kissed as Austin turned them slowly in the water, his body relaxed enough to meld with hers while still filled with incredible strength. She put her hand over his heart, happy to feel a steady beat, but nothing erratic, showing fear didn’t rule him right now.

If the solid erection poking through their swimsuits at her core was any indication, desire ruled him right now.

She drew her wet fingers through his hair as he cupped her ass and pressed her harder against his hips.

“Fuck,” he whispered when they broke the kiss. He released her, sunk all the way into the water—head and all—then swam away from her. When he came back and reemerged from the water, droplets cascading over his chiseled form and making Charlie abuzz with wanting him, he tipped her face up and kissed her gently on the lips. “Stage Six, complete. Fear of water significantly reduced. The only fear I have now is not getting you back up to my suite fast enough to ravish every inch of you, Badass Chopper Pilot.”

He grabbed her and tossed her over his shoulder, making her squeal with laughter as he carried her to the stairs and climbed out of the pool. Austin wrapped her in a towel then she took another one and hastily wiped him down.

She was prepared to march them right to the elevator, but Austin snagged her around the waist and brought her back for a tight embrace.

“Thank you, Charlie,” he whispered into her ear before nipping at her neck. “Thank you for giving me your hand when I was trapped under the set pavement on the first day we met. Thank you for giving me your hand right now when I was afraid to get in that water.” He raised her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. “Thank you for loving me.”

“And I do love you. So much.” She rose to her tiptoes and captured his mouth, the both of them dripping pool water where they stood.

“I love you too.” Austin nuzzled the top of her head, a few drops of water landing on her from his wet hair.

“C’mon.” She held his hand and tugged him toward the exit. “Let me use these hands on you in the best way I know how.”

Charlie planned to use her hands to bring him all the happiness she could. Every single damn day.

Epilogue