Daring the Bad Boy (Endless Summer)(43)

Try to kiss me again?

But he didn’t. I don’t know if it was relief or disappointment I felt, but he stood, offering his hand to me, and I took it so he could pull me up, my fingers tingling in his grip. He let go as soon as I stood, and I fought the wave of disappointment that threatened. I was being ridiculous. I shouldn’t like Jake in that way. We were friends. That was it. That was all we could be.

“Let’s jump in the shallow end and work on your kicks some more,” he suggested, taking his hat off and tossing it on a nearby chair.

I could do nothing but agree.

…

JAKE

This was pure torture, spending time with Annie, trying to focus on giving her instructions and encouragement when all I really wanted to do was kiss her for being so understanding about my mom’s death. Oh, and stare at her ass in those bright pink bikini bottoms. Maybe even touch that ass in those bright pink bikini bottoms…

Yeah. Couldn’t do it. Couldn’t touch. Shouldn’t even think about it. I scrubbed a hand over my face and told her to turn around so she was facing me, her arms stretched out behind her as she still gripped the concrete edge of the pool, her chest bobbing above the water, giving me a perfect view of her…

I closed my eyes and turned my back on her, dunking under the water to cool myself off as I swam all the way to the deep end before I turned around and swam back. By the time I popped my head out of the water, she was standing, clapping her hands and with a big smile on her face.

“You are such a good swimmer,” she said, her voice wistful.

“Dunk your head underwater and you’ll be halfway there,” I tell her.

Her smile fell and fear filled her eyes. “I don’t think I’m ready for that yet,” she admitted in a whisper.

“You did it last night,” I pointed out. “When you jumped in the water with me. And you did it that night I saved you at the dock, too.”

“That was different.” She ducked her head, suddenly shy. I didn’t get her. She’d been so bold last night. I’d been so proud of her, she’d looked so pretty, I’d come scarily close to kissing her in front of freaking everyone.

But I hadn’t. I’d been the chicken last night while she’d been the brave one.

“Find some of that courage you had last night and use it right now,” I suggested, but she shook her head, remaining quiet.

“Annie. The only way you’re going to feel comfortable in the water is if you completely submerge yourself in it. Like you did last night,” I told her, trying to keep my voice gentle. I didn’t want to yell or sound too demanding, but the girl needed some major encouragement. I knew that so much of her fear was mental, even if she hadn’t told me the story of why. And though I’d just spilled my guts, I hadn’t pushed. She’d reveal everything when she was ready. And maybe then, we’d have a breakthrough.

For now, it was all baby steps, pretty much all the time. I’d never been the most patient person, but for Annie, I’d try.

She shook her head. “No.”

“Why not?”

“It scares me.”

“Do you take a shower?”

She frowned. “Of course I do.”

“How often?”

“Why such a sudden interest in my personal hygiene?”

“Just answer the question.”

“Once a day at least, sometimes twice.” She stared at me incredulously.

“You stick your face in the water every time you take a shower, right?”

Realization dawned and she scowled. “That’s totally different.”

“Not really.”

She sighed and pushed away from the ledge, wading closer to me. “Fine, you want to see me stick my face in the water?”

“I’d frickin’ love to see you stick your face in the water,” I practically taunted.

Annie waded closer as I floated out farther. She frowned as she followed me, getting chest deep before she stopped, her face so close to the water I thought she really was going to do it.

She took such a deep breath I could see the gust of air ripple the water directly in front of her when she slowly exhaled. Her head bent, she closed her eyes, pressed her lips together, and actually…

Dipped her face in the water.

Her head immediately popped back up, her eyes still squeezed shut as she let out a shuddery sob. I rushed toward her, slicing through the water until I had her in my arms, her head tucked under mine and her face pressed against my chest. “Shit, Annie. You didn’t have to do that,” I muttered as I felt her body quake. She was crying. I could hear the hiccuping breaths, the little sniffles in between, and I felt like a complete * for pushing her so hard.

I didn’t understand why she’d jumped into the water last night, yet tonight, she couldn’t even duck her head in the pool. We were safer here, right now, than we ever were last night.

“I’m just so tired of being scared,” she whispered, her lips moving across my skin when she spoke, and I shivered because wow, even though she was sad and crying and a trembling mess in my arms, that brief touch of her mouth on me felt good.

Too good.

She looped her arms around my neck and clung to me, crying into my shoulder, and I just let her. Smoothed my hand over her hair, an all-out war happening within me as I wondered if I should touch her anywhere else. We were standing in the middle of the pool completely wrapped around each other, so much skin making actual contact, and here I was, almost afraid to touch her.