Intercepted (5 page)

“I
’
ll teach you,” he says. “I
’
ll teach you how to swim.”

I straighten up. “
What? You can’
t.”

“Why not?
’

“You are a guest. Besides, what about your girlfriend? Isn
’
t this like…
your vacation?
”

“I told you. Tamara is not my girlfriend. And she
’
s gone.
”

“Oh. What are you still doing here?”

He shrugs. “I like skiing.”

I watch him for a moment, wondering what he does for a living. Whatever it
is must pay well if he can afford skiing here. I refrain the urge to ask and
give him a nod.

“
Look,
” he says. “I am staying
for two more nights. Then I
’
ll fly home
for the week, but I am meeting some friends back here the following weekend for
a guy
’
s trip. We can work on the basics before I leave,
then see where you
’
re at when I
’
m back.” He says it like it
’
s all so simple. It makes me want to punch that
smug expression off his face. We are talking about teaching a person who cannot
get inside water under 80 degrees how to swim in just a few days. Is he
serious?

“Okay?” he says.

“I… You don
’
t even know me.” Is all I am
able to say, because it
’
s true. Why
is he doing this?

“I want to help.” He smiles, answering my thought. “I know what it
’
s like to want something that much. I can help
you.”

“You are not a swimming instructor. I mean, what makes you think you can
do this?”

He raises an eyebrow, watching me with that cocky bastard expression. “I
was a professional water polo player once. Swimming well is a basic
requirement.”

“That doesn
’
t mean you can teach me,” I say
sulkily. He chuckles and it is so distracting.

“Believe me. I can handle you.” He stares straight at me and my breath
catches. There is a double meaning in those words and the challenge sends a
rush of adrenaline through my blood. In other circumstances I would not even
entertain the idea of interacting with someone I find so attractive. Marc is
the only man I am interested in, but frankly, I am desperate and this guy is
throwing me a lifeline.

“I will pay you.”
Yes
. This will make me feel better. Just
swimming lessons. He laughs.

“No. I am doing this as a friend.”

I narrow my eyes. “We are not friends, Jake.”

He laughs again.

“This isn
’
t going to get you anywhere.”

He laughs harder this time. “
Abrasive, aren
’
t we?
Listen, as charming as you are at the moment, I am not looking to get laid, if
that
’
s what you are implying.”

I blush scarlet, pinned under his intense gaze.
Dammit
. He
’
s right. What the hell makes me think he
’
d be interested in me anyway? That was pretty
assuming. But there
’
s something
in the way he looks at me, though. It takes my breath away. Maybe it
’
s all in my head.

“
Well?
” he says.

“Okay.”
Can I do this?
“I mean, thank you. If you think you want
to help me, that would be great.”

“Right on. We can start tomorrow. What time are you free?”

“Um, I am working the lunch shift. Ten to two.”

“We can work before and after. I will meet you here at seven.”

Shit. That
’
s early. “Okay,” I mutter. He
’
s so bossy. I
’
m already questioning whether this is a good
idea. But what choice do I have?

He leans closer and I hold my breath. His eyes lock into mine and I am
lost once again in the kaleidoscope of shades inside them.

“You can do this, Natalia. You can.” He smiles and slides out of the
Jacuzzi with impressive grace. I don
’
t exhale
until he
’
s a good distance away. His
voice saying my name is echoing in my head, and I already know this will be a
challenge in more than one way.

Chapter 8:
Jake

I close the door to my room and walk to the window, raking both hands
through my hair. What the fuck did I just commit to? That was stupid, not to
mention expensive. But the thought of spending the next two days with Natalia
instantly washes off my irritation. Isn
’
t this
what I was after?

I unpack my duffel bag and sink in the bed, glad Tamara is gone and I
have the space to myself. I scan through my email and there
’
s a response from my contractor telling me he
will add the modifications and we should be hearing about the permits this
week. Good. As soon as I get confirmation I can wire the down payment for the
lot. The owner already accepted my offer and has agreed to give me a few more
days until the permits clear. Everything is on track and if there are no more
hurdles we will break ground in Cardiff as soon as mid-March.

On my phone screen there
’
s a text
message from Tamara saying she had a great time and asking me if I am available
again in a couple of weeks. I need to politely reinforce that our relationship
is a business transaction so she doesn
’
t get the
wrong idea. I
’
ve had clients get a bit too
needy before and it never ends well. I text her a quick response letting her
know it was good to see her, as always, but I will be busy for the next month.
There are several more texts from other clients. But as I read through them a
thick sense of dread fills me. I usually don
’
t give in to feelings that pull me down. I am
content with the lifestyle I
’
ve chosen and
have done more than well. I have enough money put away for the surf shop and
will probably keep a few clients after that. Maintaining casual relationships
with women is easy, and as long as they don
’
t expect to reel me in deeper, it works just
fine. An image of Natalia
’
s eyes welled
with tears flashes through my thoughts and the dread resurfaces. Those fierce
green eyes are full of secrets.
So are yours
. I wonder what she would
think of my occupation. Women always look at me differently when I tell them.
They want to be appalled, but they can
’
t help
being intrigued. They want to know if I am worth every penny in bed. Part of me
wants to tell Natalia, just to watch her reaction. Better hold off on that for
now.

The following morning, the pool area is deserted. Not much interest from
the other guests in swimming at seven a.m. in the middle of the winter. My
breath morphs into steam as I approach the foggy surface of the pool. Natalia
is already waiting by the edge, her feet swirling underwater on the first step
as she hugs a thick robe around her. Her face lights up when she sees me.

“Hey.” She smiles and it goes straight to the pit of my stomach.

“Hey.” I smile back. “Ready?”

She shrugs and gives me a small nod of resignation.

“
We don’
t have a lot of time,” I
say. “
But
let’
s start slow. The first thing is
to get you to feel comfortable when you are in the water.”

“Piece of cake.” She smirks. I tilt my head to the side and she blinks,
then raises her palms up.

“Okay. Sorry. You were saying?”

“Right. I want you to hold my hands and step in. Slow.” I see the
immediate change in her expression. The humor is gone and she blanches. “It
’
s okay,” I reassure her. “I
’
ve got you.” I wait until she rids herself of her
robe and as she does, I can
’
t help taking
in the soft curves of her body. She
’
s
fucking perfect everywhere in a black one piece that does excellent things for
her cleavage. I don
’
t want to
look like a perv, so I keep my eyes on hers. She
’
s frowning and as she looks at the water she
bites her lip hard. I tug on her chin to release it and she stills at the
contact. “Relax.” I shrug off my robe and take her hands. She squeezes mine so
tight I
’
m wondering if I
’
ll ever be able to use them again. I smile. “You
have a very firm grip.”

She gasps. “Sorry.” Her face is grim and I wish I could pull her into my
arms.

“It
’
s okay. Just one step at a
time.”

She takes a hesitant first step into the pool. Her breathing is shallow
and I can see how difficult this is for her. She wasn
’
t kidding when she said she doubted she could do
this. Obviously what happened to her when she was young had great impact. I try
to recall my training as a lifeguard when it came to dealing with people that
are drowning. Their first instinct is to clutch their arms around your neck in
panic, which doesn
’
t allow either one of you to
swim. I can see that same panic in her eyes. I need to get her to relax. It
takes her forever to advance another step. At this rate we will be here until
tomorrow and despite the warm water it is fucking freezing.

“Natalia,” I say softly, but in a firm tone. “Look at me.” She looks up
with wide eyes. “Keep walking until you are all the way into the water. I will
not let go of you. This is not that different from the Jacuzzi.” I smile. She
looks terrified, but nods.

“Okay,” she whispers. Her chest is heaving in rapid, short breaths. I
keep my eyes on hers. She takes slow steps, and I tug her hands gently farther
into the water. It takes an eternity for her to be all the way in. She squeezes
her eyes shut as I slowly lure her toward the deep end.

“Stop. Please stop. I need a sec.” Her voice is hoarse and I can tell she
is making a huge effort. I give her a few moments to get used to being all the
way into the water. It is up to her chest. Her hands are crushing mine.

“Natalia. Open your eyes.”

She shakes her head No.

“
I promise it
’
s okay. I won
’
t let go.
”

She opens one eye and I smile, then she opens the other and swallows when
she realizes how far in we are. “Shit.”

“You made it this far, and you are okay.” I smile.

“I
’
m not okay,” she pants. “I am
flipping out, Jake. Please don
’
t let go.
” She
squeezes my hands tighter. Out of the corner of my eye I see a figure
approaching the pool. A guy in a robe and swim cap. I have seen him swimming
laps here before. Her back is turned, so she doesn
’
t see him. She follows my gaze and her eyes
widen. “What?”

“Nothing. Just another swimmer. You are good.”

She lets a shallow breath out and her eyes stay on mine. She
’
s afraid to look away, I can tell. The swimmer
leaps into the water with a loud splash, startling her. Before I can blink she
’
s in my arms, gripping my neck in a deadlock, her
eyes squeezed shut. My arms instinctively wrap around her and I am struck by
the scent of fresh jasmine coming from her hair, which is loosely tied in a
ponytail.
Fuck
. My dick is immediately aware of her body pressed so
tight against mine. She
’
s breathing
hard, and I slowly ease her toward the steps again.

“You are okay. It is just another swimmer. See?” I coerce her to open her
eyes. She does and relaxes a fraction, nodding.

“Right.” She breathes in and out. “I am sorry, Jake. Maybe this was not a
good idea.”

I can tell she
’
s
embarrassed. I hold her face in my hand and her eyes dart to my mouth.
Christ
.
I lift her chin up a little so our eyes meet. “You are doing great. It takes
time, but look at how far you
’
ve come. This
is only the first lesson.” I smile. And I mean it. I am so impressed at how
brave she
’
s been. I can see how difficult
this is for her, and yet, she is still willing to try. It makes me want to see
her succeed even more.

“Come on. We can take a break and try again.” She looks relieved as I say
this. When we reach the shallow end she lets go. My body protests at the
distance with hers. Having her wrapped in my arms felt a lot better than I am
willing to admit.

Our second attempt is a little easier. She lets me lure her in all the
way to her shoulders. She is still tense, but seems a bit more at ease and it
gives me hope. On our third attempt, I hold her body up parallel to the surface
so she is almost floating. It takes a few tries, but she starts to relax. I
think she trusts me a little more and that helps. I sway her back and forth
gently and tell her to let go. It is not easy, but she is trying. She really
wants this to work. With her eyes closed and her hair fanned out into the
water, she looks like a mermaid. Her hair tie is lost somewhere, but she doesn
’
t seem to have noticed and I am liking the sight
of her hair swaying in the water way too much, so I stay quiet. As I get
distracted water trickles in through her half-parted lips and she jerks up,
coughing. Her arms are death-gripping my neck again and I laugh. She asks me if
we can take a break. She looks drained from the tension, and she also has to
get ready for her shift. I reassure her she has done great and tell her I am
proud. She smirks, but she knows she
’
s done
well.

“I will meet you here again this afternoon?” I smile. I
’
m invaded by a sudden sense of hollowness for
having to say goodbye to her. “What time?”

She thinks for a moment. “Um, I
’
m done
at two. So maybe four? Or later if you are busy.”

“Four works. I have a few things to do and it will give me enough time to
hit the slopes.”

She smiles, looking genuinely pleased. “Thank you, Jake.” And it fills my
chest completely.

“You are welcome. You did well.” I nod, leaning on the edge as she goes.
Then I reach for my goggles and sprint into a butterfly stroke to rid my body
of the sudden exhilaration that surges through me.