Cash swung his legs out of bed and tugged on a pair of joggers. Sunlight streamed through the blinds, but the piercing brightness hadn’t stirred Natalia. He wandered into the kitchen. As per his request, the butler had left a jar of ground coffee beans and stocked the fridge with milk and juice. Five minutes later, Cash carried a tray precariously loaded with apple juice and freshly brewed coffee into the bedroom. He placed it on Natalia’s side of the bed.

Her skin had turned a burnished copper from the last few days of lazing on the beach and going for the occasional stroll. He enjoyed relaxing with her and watching her soak up the sun, but today, he had something a little more active in mind. He poured a cup of coffee and wafted it under her nose. She murmured, and her nose wrinkled, but her eyes remained stubbornly closed. She was clearly knackered, and he wished he could let her sleep a little longer, but they had to be at the harbour by ten. He brushed a finger down her cheek, and she murmured again, louder this time. Eventually, her eyes flickered open, and as they focused, she smiled.

“You’ve made coffee.” She pushed herself upright, taking the cup from him. She took a deep breath. “Mmm, not bad.”

“Sorry to wake you.”

“No, you’re not.”

He laughed and held his hands in the air. “Guilty.”

She took a sip, peering at him suspiciously over the rim of the cup. “What are you up to?”

“You’ll find out, in”—he glanced at his watch—“an hour.”

She raised her eyes heavenward. “You love this, don’t you?”

“Surprising you? Yes.”

“Okay. I won’t sulk and spoil it.” She finished the coffee and flung back the covers. “At least tell me what I need to wear.”

“Swimsuit, shorts, and T-shirt.”

“Aha. So we’re going in the water.”

Cash smacked her behind as she climbed out of bed, making her yelp. “Get ready. I’ll order breakfast.”

Forty-five minutes later, they wandered hand in hand down the trail that ran in front of the house and led all the way to the marina. Cash spotted Adam, their PADI instructor, and waved, but when Natalia saw the diving gear lying on the wooden dock, she froze, and her hand tightened beneath his.

“Cash,” she said, uncertainty tinged with fear coming through clearly in her voice. “I don’t think I can do that.”

He studied her panicked expression and then dropped her hand and rubbed soothing circles against her back. “It’s okay, baby. We’ll go at a slow pace. I’ll be there the whole time, and we have an expert instructor.”

As she glanced at him, her eyes appeared huge in her face, the pupils dilated, eclipsing the navy colour of her irises. “Have you done this before?”

“Yes. I’m PADI qualified. If you don’t like it, we don’t have to do it. But try to give it a go.” He gave her a quick hug. “I’ll hold your hand as tight as you do with me every time we fly. How’s that?”

She swallowed, and her breathing quickened. He thought she was going to flat-out refuse, but after a few seconds of staring at the gear, she nodded. “Okay. I’ll try.”

“Good girl.”

They set off walking again, and as they arrived at the wooden dock, Cash shared a look with Adam, who nodded in understanding.

“Welcome,” Adam said, shaking both their hands. “I’ve got a great day planned for us.” He fixed his dark-brown eyes on Natalia, his smile warm and comforting. “I understand you’re new to this. Don’t worry about a thing. We’ll start with the basics, and I’ll take my cues from you.”

She nibbled at the inside of her lip. “I’m a little nervous.”

“I’d be concerned if you weren’t. Everyone is the first time. But once you see what’s beneath the ocean, the sheer beauty and wonder of it takes over. I promise you. Let’s get you kitted up, then we can head out.”

Natalia’s face turned ashen, and she gave Cash a panicked look. “We’re not starting in the swimming pool?”

“No,” Adam said, answering for him. “In my experience, people find it harder to go under in a swimming pool. Out there, you’ll get distracted and forget you’re underwater. Trust me.”

“It’s okay, sweetness,” Cash said, trying to make his voice calm and soothing. He rested a hand on her back and gently coaxed her forward. Her feet seemed glued to the floor, but with a little encouragement, she finally moved.

They donned their wetsuits and climbed aboard the boat. Adam had already loaded the oxygen tanks. As Natalia’s gaze flickered to where the tanks were stacked against the side of the boat, the speed of her breathing escalated. Her eyes grew wider, and Cash began to have second thoughts. If she was this frightened before they’d even left the bay, was it fair to push her? His instincts had told him she would love diving, but the signals she was sending had him questioning whether he’d made a big mistake.

It took thirty minutes to reach the dive site, and by the time Adam had dropped anchor, Natalia was in full-on panic mode. Her breaths were short and shallow, and her cheeks puffed and deflated at alarming speed. When Cash caught Adam’s eye, he stopped prepping the oxygen tanks and knelt down in front of Natalia, taking her hands in his. Under normal circumstances, Cash would have bristled at another man touching his girl, but these weren’t normal circumstances.

“Natalia, look at me,” Adam said in a firm tone.

Her gaze flickered to his before she stared at the ground. “I can’t do it.”

“No one is going to push you into anything. How about we get into the water and have a swim around. Then if you feel up to it, we can do a bit of snorkelling. That way, you can get a look at what’s down there without having to go underwater. How does that sound?”

She nodded, and her breathing slowed a little. With her hand firmly in Adam’s, she climbed down the side of the boat and into the water. Cash breathed a sigh of relief. At least they’d got her that far. For a minute, he’d worried she wouldn’t even go for a swim.

After a few minutes of floating on her back, she relaxed and even started playing about, splashing Cash and laughing when he splashed her back.

“How about a little spot of snorkelling?” Adam said, dropping a mask into the water. “Only if you feel ready.”

Natalia’s eyes brightened. “I think I’d like that.”

Cash helped her put on the mask, and after a few aborted attempts, she began to trust the breathing tube. As she seemed happy and occupied, Cash swam over to where Adam was sitting on the boat steps.

“Think we’ll get her to do it?”

“I’m certain we will,” Adam said. “She’s far from the worst I’ve seen. And I haven’t had a failure yet. It’s hard for some people to trust the equipment and the experts around them. But look at her. She’s taken to snorkelling much quicker than I anticipated. She’s going to be fine.”

“Hey, ace,” Natalia shouted from about twenty feet away. “You’ve got to see this.”

“Looks like you may be right.” Cash grabbed the snorkel mask Adam held out. He swam towards where Natalia was bobbing in the water, her face wet from the sea but flushed with excitement.

“It’s amazing,” she said, grabbing onto his arms. “The colours and different species of fish and the rocks and everything.”

After they’d snorkelled for about twenty minutes, Natalia tapped Cash on the shoulder. He surfaced and pushed his mask on top of his head. “What’s up?”

“I want to do it. The diving. I want to see more.”

“You’re sure?”

“No,” she said. “I’m scared to death. But I trust you. And I trust Adam.”

Cash pulled her to him and kissed her wet, salty mouth. “I’m proud of you.”

“Don’t be too quick with the praise,” she said. “I haven’t done it yet.”

Thirty minutes later, they were suited up and ready to go. Natalia’s breathing was still heavy but nowhere near as fast or shallow as earlier. She leaned towards Adam, eagerly listening to every instruction. He talked them through the hand signals they’d use to communicate and assured her he wouldn’t leave her side. For that matter, neither would Cash.

“Ready?” Cash said as they sat on the edge of the boat with their backs to the water.

“As I’ll ever be,” Natalia said.

They inserted their regulators into their mouths. She clutched his hand, and together, they somersaulted into the water.