Chapter 9

 

Kenzie nervously tugged on her swimsuit. It hadn’t been this low cut when she’d tried it on in the store. She looked in the mirror again. Maybe it wasn’t low. She just felt self-conscious all of a sudden, about to walk into the hallway and meet Camden with barely anything on.

She swallowed her nerves. He wasn’t going to be looking at her, anyway. He was her hired date, and nothing more.

She grabbed her towel and opened her hotel room door. Camden was leaning against the wall in a t-shirt and swim trunks, but when he saw her, he stood up straight, his gaze traveling over her. He grinned at her and raised his eyebrows.

So much for him not looking at her. She wrapped her towel around her and smoothed the glare from her face. “Stop it.”

He fell into step beside her. “Sorry. Can’t help it. I’m a man, and you look good in a swimsuit.”

Heat flushed her cheeks. And she hated to admit it, but a little pleasure tingled in her stomach as well. “Thanks. I think.”

“You nervous about tonight?”

She pressed the elevator button and glanced up at him. “Why would I be nervous about tonight?”

He raised an eyebrow. “I’ve heard how wild bachelorette parties can get.”

“You don’t know my sister very well, do you?” She laughed. “Not really the naked-man party girl. She’s more the type that would suggest we all braid each other’s hair and watch Anne of Green Gables.”

He laughed. The elevator doors opened and she stepped inside. Why did his chocolate brown eyes make her insides turn to mush? That wasn’t good. Mason’s eyes did that to her as well. And look how horrible that turned out. She had to get a grip or she’d end up doing stupid things again.

They stepped off the elevator and walked to the indoor pool area. The room sat empty, and she swiped her key card and opened the door. “You’d think there’d be kids in here,” she said, her voice echoing off the bare walls.

Camden pointed to the glass windows. “They’re all in the outside pool.”

Sure enough, the outside pool had swarms of kids in it. Probably because that pool had a waterslide and a diving board. She set her towel down on a white plastic chair. “I can’t complain. It’s kind of nice having the whole pool to ourselves.”

“I agree.” He tossed his towel beside hers and took his shirt off with one fluid motion. Had his muscles gotten more defined since this morning? She tried to look away, but was having a hard time. He walked to the deep end of the pool. “Last one in’s a rotten egg.” He dove into the water, and Kenzie couldn’t help but admire how smoothly he slipped under the glassy surface.

When he emerged, she put her hands on her hips. “No fair. You gave me no kind of warning.”

He grinned at her. “Come on in. It’s a little cold, but once you’re in, you get used to it fast.”

She walked to the ladder at the shallow end of the pool. When she stuck her foot in, the freezing water made her suck in a breath. “A little cold? This is like ice!”

“You’re exaggerating. Jump in.”

She closed her eyes and forced herself to take the first step. The cold made her want to repel, but she stayed in, not wanting Camden to win. “I think I need to get in slowly.”

Camden pushed off the far end of the pool and swam to the shallow end. His arms sliced through the water as if he’d been swimming his whole life. He surfaced and stood, the water dripping off his dark hair and chest. “Slow is overrated. Come on.” He held out his hand.

“I’m getting used to it.”

He glanced down at her feet. “You’re only in up to your ankles.”

“And they’re very cold ankles.”

His lips twitched. “I’ll help you get used to it,” he said, stepping close enough so she could grab his hand.

She looked over to the corner of the room where the heated spa sat. “Maybe I’ll start over there.”

He laughed, and the sound echoed. “Come on, you big baby.” He grabbed her hand.

His hand was warm, despite the water dripping off it. She gripped it tight and took another step down. This one was deeper and the water rose to her knees. The cold made her let out a little squeal.

He grinned, but didn’t say anything, and let her get used to the temperature. After a moment he held out his other hand; she took it, suddenly trusting that he wouldn’t pull her into the water without her permission. She could feel the strength in his hands as they stood together.

“Ready for another step? I think you only have a couple left.”

“Okay,” she said, taking the plunge. The water rose up to her thighs and she squealed with the pinpricks of cold stabbing at her skin. She stepped down to the bottom of the pool, sucking in her breath.

Camden wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Heat from his chest made her heart pound. “See? It’s not so bad.”

“Not so bad,” she repeated, her head in a daze. What was he saying? All she could think about were his lips, which were now so close to hers that she could feel his breath on her face.

“Want to walk a little deeper?” he asked.

She nodded, not trusting her voice. He grabbed her hand, letting go of her waist, and took a few steps toward the deep end. The cold gripped her and she held in a breath, instantly missing his arms around her.

“Maybe it’s best if you just go under.”

The thought of submerging herself into the freezing water wasn’t appealing, but she didn’t want to look like one of those prissy girls her sister hung out with. “You’re right. I need to rip off the band-aid.”

He stopped walking and turned to her. “Yes. Do it.”

She bounced a little on her toes, letting the water reach her upper back. “Yep. I will.”

He waited for her while she stood there, bouncing and trying to convince herself it was time to dunk herself.

“Any time now.”

“I’m mentally preparing myself for full submersion.”

A smile crept onto his face. “That sounds like it might take a while.”

“Nope. I’m almost done.” She let go of his hand and pulled her hair back, looking down at the water.

Another few seconds ticked by. “You fully prepared now?” His smile widened.

“Yes. Yes I am. Here I go.” She plugged her nose and bent her knees. Cold water rushed over her. She let the shock wear off before she surfaced. She wiped the water out of her eyes and grinned at Camden. “That wasn’t so bad.”

He laughed and took a few steps toward the deep end. “Want to swim some laps?”

“Sure, but I’ve never been a great swimmer.”

“You don’t know how to swim?” He raised one eyebrow.

“I’m not sure I’d say that. If you dropped me in the middle of a lake, there’s a fifty-percent chance I wouldn’t drown.”

“Then I won’t drop you in a lake.” He smiled at her. “Want me to teach you?”

Suddenly he was close again, his arms on her sides, his lips . . . gah, she had to stop thinking about his lips. She didn’t need a swimming lesson, but thinking about Camden beside her in the water was appealing. “Sure.” The word came out breathless.

“Okay, show me what you can do, and we’ll go from there.” He stepped back from her. “Swim to the edge of the pool.”

She kicked off the bottom, moving her hands in the way she’d found kept her face afloat, and kicked until she was at the side.

“Good. You can doggie paddle.”

“I didn’t know that’s what I was doing.”

He swam to her and put his hands on the side of the pool. “It’s a perfectly fine way to swim, although you won’t get much speed that way.” He raised his chin toward her. “Put your hands on the side, like this.”

She did as he said.

“Now, see if you can make your legs float.” He raised his legs to show her.

She tried to mimic him, but her legs wouldn’t stay afloat. “I don’t think I can.”

He turned toward her and placed his arms under her, lifting her legs and supporting her stomach. His touch made the butterflies in her stomach go crazy. “Sure you can. Just relax. Your body will naturally float if you’re not afraid of the water. Now breathe in and let it out slowly.”

She felt secure with his arms under her, so she relaxed and tried to do what he’d said. He taught her how to float on her stomach, then how to float on her back, all the while standing close by and holding her steady when needed.

“You’ve done this before, haven’t you?” She eyed him suspiciously.

“Yes, I used to teach swimming classes to little kids during the summer when I was in high school.”

“You’re good at it,” she said, allowing him to hold her as she laid on her back and looked at the ceiling.

Camden showed her a few other things: how to breathe out under the water and how to turn her head to take a breath. He showed her how to move her arms and legs to glide through the water. Then they swam a few laps together. Camden was much faster than she was, but she could already tell she was moving through the water better than when she’d doggie paddled.

“You love the water, don’t you?” she asked after they’d gone a few laps.

“I do. My mom worked extra hours so she could afford a pass to the pool. I would spend hours there during the summers.” He squinted at her. “Your lips are a little blue. Are you cold?”

She nodded. “Yes! This water is freezing.”

He smiled. “Let’s warm you up in the hot tub.”

“You don’t have to ask me twice.” She swam toward the ladder, but he beat her there.

He climbed the steps, then turned and held out his hand. “How long have you been freezing?”

“How long have we been in the pool?”

Camden’s laughter rang out. “Okay, okay. Time to warm up.”

He led her over to the corner and motioned for her to go in first. She stuck her foot in and sighed as the heat enveloped her. She slowly climbed in, the hot water taking a few seconds to get used to. “This is heaven.”

Camden walked to the wall and turned on the jets before stepping into the water. “Wow, this is really warm.”

“Just how I like it.”

He sat beside her. “You’re not one of those always-cold people, are you?” He made a face.

“Maybe. I suppose you’re one of those people who never wears a coat, even in the dead of winter?”

“I can neither confirm nor deny that statement.”

Kenzie threw her head back and laughed. “You hot people are so annoying.”

He leaned closer to her. “Are you calling me hot?”

She looked at the drops of water on his eyelashes, over his deep brown eyes. He definitely was hot. In a rash, flirtatious moment, she blurted out, “You are beyond hot. You’re steamy.”

His lips curled up into a smile, and he drew closer still. “Steamy, huh?”

“Smoldering?” she said, before she could put her head on properly.

“I like smoldering.” He ran a finger down the side of her cheek and tingles erupted over her skin.

She made the mistake of looking at his lips. His perfect lips, sprinkled with tiny drops of water. She couldn’t stop herself. She closed the distance and kissed him.

This kiss started out nothing like their first one. Camden was ready for her, and he welcomed her lips. He cradled her face and pulled her closer. Their lips danced, a rhythm that increased as the intensity of the kiss made her head spin. Her heart pounded and she slid onto his lap.

“Kenzie?”

She broke away from Camden at the voice, plopping off his lap. Tessa stood beside the pool, a wide grin on her face. Eric stood beside her, a towel in each hand. “Hi,” Kenzie said, her face heating.

“I thought that was you,” Tessa said, her voice betraying her amusement. “Mind if we join you? Or do you want some more alone time?”

“No. Um, I mean, yes. Come in. The pool is fine. I mean, the water is fine.” Why wouldn’t her brain work? She wanted to sink into the water to hide from her embarrassment.

She couldn’t wait for this wedding to be over with.