Read Online Nathan's Vow by Karen Rose Smith - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Karen Rose Smith
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Without
thinking, she stopped the leg movements and began to go under.
Nathan immediately grabbed her
around the waist and held tight. "You're fine. Hold onto me."
Gillian's arms linked around his
neck and she held on as if her life were in danger. She might be in more
danger in his arms than in the water. The press of her against him created a
swirl of desire that almost made his arms weak. But they couldn't be weak
because they were holding Gillian. He wouldn't drop her. He wouldn't give her
a reason not to trust him.
Her knee brushed him, and he sucked
in a breath. Working his way through the water to the shallow end, he gently
set her on the steps. She clung for a moment then took her arms from around
his neck.
Nathan hadn't let anything happen
to her. Her own fear had made her sink. As he sat beside her, she scanned his
long arms, his powerful legs. The sight of him in black, shiny trunks was
plenty of incentive for her heart to triple its rhythm, let alone holding onto
him as if he were a life preserver. When dressed, he was handsome. With next
to nothing covering him, Nathan's sex appeal was overwhelming.
Holding his hands was one thing,
holding onto him when they could both feel every curve and plane beneath their
suits was another. She was trembling and she wasn't sure it was from almost
sinking under the water.
"Gillian? Are you all right?"
She stared at his chest, the line
of hair down the middle. "I'm fine. I just feel a little foolish."
"There's nothing to feel
foolish about. Fear is very real. But so is the buoyancy of water. If you're
in it long enough, you'll get comfortable. Give it some time."
Taking a deep breath, she stared up
at the black velvet sky.
Following her gaze, he said,
"When I was a kid, I wanted to be an astronaut. I guess I thought if I
could fly past the stars, all my problems would go away."
The night all around them, the
shimmering glow of the underwater lights, seemed to make sharing confidences
possible. "The sky has always held a fascination for me," she
confessed softly. "The clouds, the moon in all its phases, but especially
the stars. As a child, I remember looking out my bedroom window and thinking
if I could just reach up and grab a star, somehow capture the light and keep it
with me, I'd understand why I was different from everyone else, why I saw
pictures no one else saw. It was a silly thought, but it made sense at the
time."
"And now?"
His voice drew her as the starlight
once had. "Now, I know I'll never understand the stars, the moon, the
universe, why I'm different."
"Not different.
Special."
When she looked at Nathan, fire
leapt in his eyes and she caught her breath. The moment held too much intimacy
for her to bear. In such a short time, he had come to mean too much. She
forced herself to remember his daughters, his ex-wife. Breaking eye contact,
she wrapped her arms around herself. "I'm getting chilled. I think I'll
go in."
He watched her hands on her arms.
"Maybe we can try again tomorrow."
"Maybe. But you don't have to
devote your time to me. If there are things you want to do--"
"Some work, but mostly I try
to unwind on Sundays."
"I usually go to church."
He studied her then offered,
"I can take you if you'd like."
"I don't know the churches in
your area very well. It might be better if I stay here and see what I can pick
up about the girls." Standing, she made her way up the steps and dried
off with one of the towels on the table. "Thank you for the lesson."
He didn't follow her out of the
water. "If you'd like a snack before turning in--"
Quickly, she shrugged into her
cover-up. "No. I'm fine. I'll see you in the morning."
Nathan nodded.
Gillian let herself inside the
sliding doors. When she glanced over her shoulder, she saw Nathan swimming
vigorously.
His long strokes took him across
the pool in no time. He turned and swam back. She was so tempted
thinking, she stopped the leg movements and began to go under.
Nathan immediately grabbed her
around the waist and held tight. "You're fine. Hold onto me."
Gillian's arms linked around his
neck and she held on as if her life were in danger. She might be in more
danger in his arms than in the water. The press of her against him created a
swirl of desire that almost made his arms weak. But they couldn't be weak
because they were holding Gillian. He wouldn't drop her. He wouldn't give her
a reason not to trust him.
Her knee brushed him, and he sucked
in a breath. Working his way through the water to the shallow end, he gently
set her on the steps. She clung for a moment then took her arms from around
his neck.
Nathan hadn't let anything happen
to her. Her own fear had made her sink. As he sat beside her, she scanned his
long arms, his powerful legs. The sight of him in black, shiny trunks was
plenty of incentive for her heart to triple its rhythm, let alone holding onto
him as if he were a life preserver. When dressed, he was handsome. With next
to nothing covering him, Nathan's sex appeal was overwhelming.
Holding his hands was one thing,
holding onto him when they could both feel every curve and plane beneath their
suits was another. She was trembling and she wasn't sure it was from almost
sinking under the water.
"Gillian? Are you all right?"
She stared at his chest, the line
of hair down the middle. "I'm fine. I just feel a little foolish."
"There's nothing to feel
foolish about. Fear is very real. But so is the buoyancy of water. If you're
in it long enough, you'll get comfortable. Give it some time."
Taking a deep breath, she stared up
at the black velvet sky.
Following her gaze, he said,
"When I was a kid, I wanted to be an astronaut. I guess I thought if I
could fly past the stars, all my problems would go away."
The night all around them, the
shimmering glow of the underwater lights, seemed to make sharing confidences
possible. "The sky has always held a fascination for me," she
confessed softly. "The clouds, the moon in all its phases, but especially
the stars. As a child, I remember looking out my bedroom window and thinking
if I could just reach up and grab a star, somehow capture the light and keep it
with me, I'd understand why I was different from everyone else, why I saw
pictures no one else saw. It was a silly thought, but it made sense at the
time."
"And now?"
His voice drew her as the starlight
once had. "Now, I know I'll never understand the stars, the moon, the
universe, why I'm different."
"Not different.
Special."
When she looked at Nathan, fire
leapt in his eyes and she caught her breath. The moment held too much intimacy
for her to bear. In such a short time, he had come to mean too much. She
forced herself to remember his daughters, his ex-wife. Breaking eye contact,
she wrapped her arms around herself. "I'm getting chilled. I think I'll
go in."
He watched her hands on her arms.
"Maybe we can try again tomorrow."
"Maybe. But you don't have to
devote your time to me. If there are things you want to do--"
"Some work, but mostly I try
to unwind on Sundays."
"I usually go to church."
He studied her then offered,
"I can take you if you'd like."
"I don't know the churches in
your area very well. It might be better if I stay here and see what I can pick
up about the girls." Standing, she made her way up the steps and dried
off with one of the towels on the table. "Thank you for the lesson."
He didn't follow her out of the
water. "If you'd like a snack before turning in--"
Quickly, she shrugged into her
cover-up. "No. I'm fine. I'll see you in the morning."
Nathan nodded.
Gillian let herself inside the
sliding doors. When she glanced over her shoulder, she saw Nathan swimming
vigorously.
His long strokes took him across
the pool in no time. He turned and swam back. She was so tempted
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