Read Online Do You Remember? by Mandy Baggot - Free Book Online Page A

face. It smelt of red wine, cheese and fresh bread. He put his hands on her shoulders and slowly, inch by inch, he moved them down her arms, his thumbs brushing past her breasts.
    Her stomach fell down to her feet and she felt a bubbling sensation rising up inside her. She stepped forward and put her hand onto his chest. Taking a deep breath inward her fingers caressed the curve of every accentuated muscle in his lean torso.
    He took her hand from his body and held it tight in his, stopping her exploration.
    ‘Have … have I done something wrong?’ she asked, her voice trembling with nervousness.
    ‘
Non
,’ he replied, shaking his head.
    ‘Then … ’
    ‘We swim now,’ he said, splashing her with water.
    She let out a scream and hurried to splash him back as he raced away up the river.
    ‘Hey! Wait! Slow down!’ Emma called as she tried to run through the water. The muscles in her thighs tightened with every movement. She watched Guy dive into the water, completely disappear from view and then, yards ahead, bob up. She took a long breath, knowing she had to submerge herself and swim to be in with any chance of catching him. She braced herself for the cold and dived into the river.
    Despite the warmth of the day the water was harsh and it felt like a thousand ice cubes had been thrown at her with force. She drew her arms back and forth in a front crawl, determined not to look silly. She was a reasonable swimmer and she wanted to prove herself his equal. She couldn’t be worrying about the cold or the weed or the fact that fish might nibble her toes. This was her first date with a boy she really liked and she needed it to go well.
    Then, all of a sudden, something was dragging her to the left. What was it? Guy? A river creature? Something else? Her arms were flailing, not aiding her movement at all and no matter how furiously she kicked with her legs she was being pulled left … and down. She panicked. She couldn’t keep afloat. Her legs were being taken from under her, her whole body being dragged beneath the surface. She was fighting hard against the current but it was relentless. She was losing her strength. Her arms were like blocks of lead, her legs like useless strands of spaghetti, stringy and weak. The water seeped into her mouth as she struggled to take in air, trying to stay on top of the water but sinking and losing out to the force of nature.
    Just as she thought she was going to lose her life in France, wearing nothing but a pair of cotton pants, she felt a pair of strong hands grip her abdomen. Her face was forced skywards and back up into the sunlight.
    She gasped a mouthful of air and realised then how close she’d been to succumbing to the current. Her chest was heaving, trying to re-establish a comfortable breathing pattern. She dipped back down into the water and realised she wasn’t quite safe yet. She kicked for the bank, summoning up every last ounce of energy she possessed.
    Guy bobbed up from beneath her gripping her again and pulling her to the riverside.
    Finally, they reached the bank, were able to stand up in the water. Emma shivered as her skin pimpled with cold and the fright she’d just had. Without hesitation Guy pulled her into his embrace, wrapping his arms around her body, tightening his frame to hers to warm her.
    ‘
Je suis désolé
 … I am sorry. I did not ask that you swim well. The river … it is … how you say … 
dangereux
,’ Guy said, rubbing his hands up and down her back.
    ‘I thought it was a very big fish … 
un très gros poisson
,’ Emma responded. Her chattering lips let out a small laugh. She’d been scared. Actually she’d been terrified, but it hadn’t been his fault. And the sensation he was giving her now, his skin flush against hers, was more than worth a partial drowning.
    He prised her away from him and she raised her head to meet his eyes.
    ‘I do not want to hurt you, Emma,’ he whispered.
    ‘You won’t,’ she