went suddenly silent.
Sarah could smell the pond before they reached it. The east side was mostly swamp water and cattails and the smell of algae and mud was pungent. But the rest of the pond was clear enough . They stopped on the muddy bank to remove their clothes.
“The local kids come out here sometimes, but we should be safe today. They wouldn’t be home from school yet.”
She unbuttoned her blouse and took it off. E ven though she was still fully clothed in a bathing suit when she was finished , the act of removing it in front of Tom felt somehow sinful . Sliding her shorts down her hips, she refused to glance over and see if he was watching her.
Still without looking his way, she dove into the water. It was a little tepid and muddy but refreshingly cool compared to the steamy air. She swam to the opposite side where the cattails grew and halfway back again before she finally looked at Tom.
He stood on the muddy bank, testing the water with one foot. John’s navy swim trunks covered him from his waist to mid-thigh and in that moment, Sarah would have given anything to have them disappear so she could see all of him .
“Can you swim?” she called.
He looked at her with a small smile and dove in, cutting cleanly through the water, re surfacing then stroking toward her. He looked like a glistening wet jigsaw puzzle, his colors pure and rich in the reflecting light. He swam slowly around her.
Sarah trod water, waving her arms beneath the surface to keep afloat. “This feels great. I was so hot.” She leaned back and floated, eyes closed, aware of Tom still lazily circling her in a side-crawl.
His hand touched her heel lightly and she started, afraid for a moment he was going to duck her under . But he merely turned her in an easy circle, round and round like a floating leaf, as he swam.
Sarah relaxed and let him rotate her. With her eyes closed and body suspended, she felt weightless , almost bodiless. She realized he was playing with her , the first sign of anything remotely playful she ’d seen from him, and she was touched.
After spinning her around for a while, he ducked underwater and swam away across the pond like a wild animal that had dared to come close then just as quickly retreated.
Sarah dove under the surface herself and shot off in pursuit of Tom . She caught up to him in the shallows , where her feet touched bottom and t he water level stopped at her chest . Impulsively, she scooped water with both hands and drove it toward him.
He stood there letting it sweep over his head. He sputtered and blinked but didn’t fight back.
“Come on. Race you across.” She turned and swam toward the opposite shore.
In seconds he was beside her, and then ahead of her. He cut cleanly through the water while she churned in his wake. He stood in the shallows on t he far side of the pond, waiting for her with a big smile on his face. His teeth were white against his brilliant skin and his eyes crinkled at the corners.
“ S o you’re fast. How are you in a water fight?” She planted her feet on the muddy bottom and splashed him again.
When he continu ed to stand there, Sarah teased, “Show me what you got. Fight back.”
He hesitated then pushed a wall of water at her.
Sarah retaliated. Soon the surface of the pond was a churning battleground. As she shrieked, choked and laughed, she realized Tom was laughing too--actually laughing out loud. She ’ d never heard such a beautiful sound as his deep-throated chuckle .
“Truce!” she finally called , holding up her hands. “Enough. I surrender.”
He stopped immediately, but his smile lingered. Water beaded on his body and his long eyelashes. He was a beautiful sight and Sarah ’s heart beat faster just looking at him .
They waded out of the pond and stretched on the grass away from the muddy edge. S un soaked into their bodies and Sarah closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of the pond , pine trees and the nearby wild grapes, sweet and
Sarah could smell the pond before they reached it. The east side was mostly swamp water and cattails and the smell of algae and mud was pungent. But the rest of the pond was clear enough . They stopped on the muddy bank to remove their clothes.
“The local kids come out here sometimes, but we should be safe today. They wouldn’t be home from school yet.”
She unbuttoned her blouse and took it off. E ven though she was still fully clothed in a bathing suit when she was finished , the act of removing it in front of Tom felt somehow sinful . Sliding her shorts down her hips, she refused to glance over and see if he was watching her.
Still without looking his way, she dove into the water. It was a little tepid and muddy but refreshingly cool compared to the steamy air. She swam to the opposite side where the cattails grew and halfway back again before she finally looked at Tom.
He stood on the muddy bank, testing the water with one foot. John’s navy swim trunks covered him from his waist to mid-thigh and in that moment, Sarah would have given anything to have them disappear so she could see all of him .
“Can you swim?” she called.
He looked at her with a small smile and dove in, cutting cleanly through the water, re surfacing then stroking toward her. He looked like a glistening wet jigsaw puzzle, his colors pure and rich in the reflecting light. He swam slowly around her.
Sarah trod water, waving her arms beneath the surface to keep afloat. “This feels great. I was so hot.” She leaned back and floated, eyes closed, aware of Tom still lazily circling her in a side-crawl.
His hand touched her heel lightly and she started, afraid for a moment he was going to duck her under . But he merely turned her in an easy circle, round and round like a floating leaf, as he swam.
Sarah relaxed and let him rotate her. With her eyes closed and body suspended, she felt weightless , almost bodiless. She realized he was playing with her , the first sign of anything remotely playful she ’d seen from him, and she was touched.
After spinning her around for a while, he ducked underwater and swam away across the pond like a wild animal that had dared to come close then just as quickly retreated.
Sarah dove under the surface herself and shot off in pursuit of Tom . She caught up to him in the shallows , where her feet touched bottom and t he water level stopped at her chest . Impulsively, she scooped water with both hands and drove it toward him.
He stood there letting it sweep over his head. He sputtered and blinked but didn’t fight back.
“Come on. Race you across.” She turned and swam toward the opposite shore.
In seconds he was beside her, and then ahead of her. He cut cleanly through the water while she churned in his wake. He stood in the shallows on t he far side of the pond, waiting for her with a big smile on his face. His teeth were white against his brilliant skin and his eyes crinkled at the corners.
“ S o you’re fast. How are you in a water fight?” She planted her feet on the muddy bottom and splashed him again.
When he continu ed to stand there, Sarah teased, “Show me what you got. Fight back.”
He hesitated then pushed a wall of water at her.
Sarah retaliated. Soon the surface of the pond was a churning battleground. As she shrieked, choked and laughed, she realized Tom was laughing too--actually laughing out loud. She ’ d never heard such a beautiful sound as his deep-throated chuckle .
“Truce!” she finally called , holding up her hands. “Enough. I surrender.”
He stopped immediately, but his smile lingered. Water beaded on his body and his long eyelashes. He was a beautiful sight and Sarah ’s heart beat faster just looking at him .
They waded out of the pond and stretched on the grass away from the muddy edge. S un soaked into their bodies and Sarah closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of the pond , pine trees and the nearby wild grapes, sweet and
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