“How’s the water?” I asked as he approached.
“Warm,” he said, smoothing the hair away from his face with both hands and positioning himself gracefully onto his stomach beside me on the blanket. “You should go for a swim. It feels great.”
I said nothing. He was facing the water, his chin propped on his crossed wrists. His body, glistening in the moonlight, was beautiful and distracting. He seemed to sense I was watching him and rolled to his side to face me. A shock of dark hair had fallen into his eyes.
“You seem anxious about something.”
“I know.” We sat looking at each other. I hadn’t taken my eyes off of his body since he came out of the water, and I suddenly remembered this and looked down at my hands, clasped around my legs. “Why did you agree to come?” I ventured.
“I don’t know. I guess I just felt like it tonight.”
“Felt like what?” I asked, unable to keep from watching him again.
“Swimming, being around people… being with you.”
“With me?” I chuckled. “Since when?”
He didn’t smile, and I couldn’t read his expression.
“Since tonight,” he said, more softly. “Why not?”
He sat up, leaning back on one arm. I felt foolish for laughing. I knew he was sincere, but that didn’t make it any easier to believe.
“Do you want anything more to eat?” I asked, very quietly, reaching into the basket that separated us. He stopped my hand, moving the basket away. I knew this look, and I had wanted it from him, but now that I had it I didn’t know what to do. I felt his other hand cup the side of my face, and I sensed him moving closer to me. I closed my eyes, stiffening slightly.
“Christine,” he said. I opened my eyes again. He was much nearer, his breath warm and sweet against my face. “Do you want this?” he asked.
I remember nodding involuntarily, the muscles of my neck jerking.
“Then relax.”
“Warm,” he said, smoothing the hair away from his face with both hands and positioning himself gracefully onto his stomach beside me on the blanket. “You should go for a swim. It feels great.”
I said nothing. He was facing the water, his chin propped on his crossed wrists. His body, glistening in the moonlight, was beautiful and distracting. He seemed to sense I was watching him and rolled to his side to face me. A shock of dark hair had fallen into his eyes.
“You seem anxious about something.”
“I know.” We sat looking at each other. I hadn’t taken my eyes off of his body since he came out of the water, and I suddenly remembered this and looked down at my hands, clasped around my legs. “Why did you agree to come?” I ventured.
“I don’t know. I guess I just felt like it tonight.”
“Felt like what?” I asked, unable to keep from watching him again.
“Swimming, being around people… being with you.”
“With me?” I chuckled. “Since when?”
He didn’t smile, and I couldn’t read his expression.
“Since tonight,” he said, more softly. “Why not?”
He sat up, leaning back on one arm. I felt foolish for laughing. I knew he was sincere, but that didn’t make it any easier to believe.
“Do you want anything more to eat?” I asked, very quietly, reaching into the basket that separated us. He stopped my hand, moving the basket away. I knew this look, and I had wanted it from him, but now that I had it I didn’t know what to do. I felt his other hand cup the side of my face, and I sensed him moving closer to me. I closed my eyes, stiffening slightly.
“Christine,” he said. I opened my eyes again. He was much nearer, his breath warm and sweet against my face. “Do you want this?” he asked.
I remember nodding involuntarily, the muscles of my neck jerking.
“Then relax.”
2 comments:
It ended before the kiss happened! Aaagh!
My bad guys, not the author that submitted. This one will be reposted in it's entirety on July 22nd. My apology to this author who, for the sake of the contest, will remain un-named.
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