Read Online Nathan's Vow by Karen Rose Smith - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Karen Rose Smith
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girls?"
She'd turned that one around on
him, all right. He grinned. "We checked out their smiles, of course.
Who was friendly, and who wasn't."
"You expect me to believe
that?" she teased.
He held up one hand. "Scout's
honor."
"I don't think you'd want me
to check with your former den leader."
As they stared at each other for a
few moments, Nathan realized it had been years since he'd bantered with a
woman. Since his divorce, his life had consisted of work and his daughters,
not much else. He'd dated a few women, women who were as serious-minded as he
was. He'd even gone back to their condos. But the nights he'd found release
for a physical need, he'd been dissatisfied and disappointed. He wasn't cut
out to be a game-playing bachelor.
Yet, he hadn't been cut out for
marriage, either.
Gillian descended the steps,
letting each part of her become accustomed to the sensation of the water. As
it lapped up inch by inch, Nathan gave in to the pleasure of the slow torture
of watching her. His pulse pounded as she got wet.
The water at her waist, she raised
her eyes to his. "This is deep enough."
He could see she was serious. The
surge of desire that had aroused him gave way to the need to take away her
fear. "Gillian, water can be friendly. Would you like to learn to enjoy
it?"
Her brown eyes widened. "You
mean learn to swim?"
"It's never too late. You
won't let me pay you for your help. Let me teach you." Before she could
refuse, he added, "If you're going to be in L.A. any length of time, you
should learn. You'll have more fun at the beach."
"Not if I forget
surfing," she said in a dry tone.
He laughed and held out his hand.
"Come on."
She looked at his hand, then she
looked at him. "Come where? You mean I can't learn in three feet of
water?"
"Let's try five."
"But I'm only five-five!"
"Trust me, Gillian. I won't
let anything happen to you." He was sure of that, as sure as he was that
Gillian was different from any woman he'd ever met.
He could see the fear in her eyes
as she walked toward him, but she kept coming. He nodded to the sliding board
at the deep end. "You'll be sliding down that before you know it."
"Not in this lifetime."
He chuckled and backed up.
"Just a little bit further. After the five foot mark it slopes fast to
eight."
"Nathan..."
"It's okay. You don't even
have to get your face wet."
She lifted scared brown eyes to
his. "You're not filling me with confidence."
He held out his hand again.
She took it.
Even in the water, or especially in
the water, Nathan could feel the electricity between them. Ignoring the
messages it was sending to his body, he cleared his throat and said,
"You're going to use me as a ballast. Let my hand take your weight as you
move your legs as if you were pedaling a bicycle."
"And you believe this is going
to work."
"Sure do." Holding out
his other hand, she reluctantly placed hers in it. He could feel the rigidness
and tension in her grip.
"I'm right here. Relax,"
he commanded gently.
"Easy for you to say."
Suppressing a smile, he suggested,
"Pretend it's a beautiful sunny day and you're out for a ride through the
park. You do have bicycles and parks in Indiana."
She glared at him.
"Close your eyes and imagine
it."
She closed her eyes, her long
lashes a brush of light brown against her skin. Golden. Even at night, her
hair, her face, and especially her smile radiated a golden glow.
He didn't quite believe the
rational voice that also denied intuition, feeling, and a sixth sense.
Gillian's body relaxed somewhat and
she attempted to pedal. "Just keep pedaling. Feel the way the water
holds up your body. As long as you keep your legs moving, you can stay near
the top." He slowly worked his way into deeper water. "Now, I'm
going to let go--just use your arms to push the water away in front of you.
I'll be right here to catch you if it doesn't work."
"Let go?"
She'd turned that one around on
him, all right. He grinned. "We checked out their smiles, of course.
Who was friendly, and who wasn't."
"You expect me to believe
that?" she teased.
He held up one hand. "Scout's
honor."
"I don't think you'd want me
to check with your former den leader."
As they stared at each other for a
few moments, Nathan realized it had been years since he'd bantered with a
woman. Since his divorce, his life had consisted of work and his daughters,
not much else. He'd dated a few women, women who were as serious-minded as he
was. He'd even gone back to their condos. But the nights he'd found release
for a physical need, he'd been dissatisfied and disappointed. He wasn't cut
out to be a game-playing bachelor.
Yet, he hadn't been cut out for
marriage, either.
Gillian descended the steps,
letting each part of her become accustomed to the sensation of the water. As
it lapped up inch by inch, Nathan gave in to the pleasure of the slow torture
of watching her. His pulse pounded as she got wet.
The water at her waist, she raised
her eyes to his. "This is deep enough."
He could see she was serious. The
surge of desire that had aroused him gave way to the need to take away her
fear. "Gillian, water can be friendly. Would you like to learn to enjoy
it?"
Her brown eyes widened. "You
mean learn to swim?"
"It's never too late. You
won't let me pay you for your help. Let me teach you." Before she could
refuse, he added, "If you're going to be in L.A. any length of time, you
should learn. You'll have more fun at the beach."
"Not if I forget
surfing," she said in a dry tone.
He laughed and held out his hand.
"Come on."
She looked at his hand, then she
looked at him. "Come where? You mean I can't learn in three feet of
water?"
"Let's try five."
"But I'm only five-five!"
"Trust me, Gillian. I won't
let anything happen to you." He was sure of that, as sure as he was that
Gillian was different from any woman he'd ever met.
He could see the fear in her eyes
as she walked toward him, but she kept coming. He nodded to the sliding board
at the deep end. "You'll be sliding down that before you know it."
"Not in this lifetime."
He chuckled and backed up.
"Just a little bit further. After the five foot mark it slopes fast to
eight."
"Nathan..."
"It's okay. You don't even
have to get your face wet."
She lifted scared brown eyes to
his. "You're not filling me with confidence."
He held out his hand again.
She took it.
Even in the water, or especially in
the water, Nathan could feel the electricity between them. Ignoring the
messages it was sending to his body, he cleared his throat and said,
"You're going to use me as a ballast. Let my hand take your weight as you
move your legs as if you were pedaling a bicycle."
"And you believe this is going
to work."
"Sure do." Holding out
his other hand, she reluctantly placed hers in it. He could feel the rigidness
and tension in her grip.
"I'm right here. Relax,"
he commanded gently.
"Easy for you to say."
Suppressing a smile, he suggested,
"Pretend it's a beautiful sunny day and you're out for a ride through the
park. You do have bicycles and parks in Indiana."
She glared at him.
"Close your eyes and imagine
it."
She closed her eyes, her long
lashes a brush of light brown against her skin. Golden. Even at night, her
hair, her face, and especially her smile radiated a golden glow.
He didn't quite believe the
rational voice that also denied intuition, feeling, and a sixth sense.
Gillian's body relaxed somewhat and
she attempted to pedal. "Just keep pedaling. Feel the way the water
holds up your body. As long as you keep your legs moving, you can stay near
the top." He slowly worked his way into deeper water. "Now, I'm
going to let go--just use your arms to push the water away in front of you.
I'll be right here to catch you if it doesn't work."
"Let go?"
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