The sun beat down in rolling waves, the air shimmering. Ella James relaxed on her lounge chair by the pool basking in the warmth while contemplating whether she was ready to dive in again. Deciding against swimming, she sighed and closed her eyes against the light, reveling in the prickling heat playing across her skin.
She was about to fall into a blissful sleep when she was abruptly lifted up and out of her chair by a pair of powerfully strong arms. Struggling to free herself from the steel-like embrace, she blinked furiously in the bright glaring sun.
It was the chuckle that preceded her graceless dunking that gave her the clue she needed to figure out who it was she was going to pummel as soon as she got out of the water. In that last millisecond she stopped struggling and latched onto his neck. The momentum did the rest of the work in hauling him in with her.
The chilly water jarred her a little but was more refreshing than annoying. Still, when her head broke the surface she shrieked, “Ryan!”
She heard his low, slow chuckle immediately behind her. Spinning as sharply as she could manage in 8 feet of water and tangled in her sundress, Ella James splashed him right in the face as he lunged toward her, fully clothed in what must have been a very nice button up shirt and silk tie before its drenching. Ryan slowed at her splash as he shut his eyes to the watery assault but it did not stop his forward motion. Instead he barreled straight into her, blinded and unable to see how close she was. Again she went under, this time a lot harder.
Coming up out of the water Ella James gasped for air. As soon as she could breathe she pounced on him, trying to bring him down and give him his own dunking but he was too solid and easily caught her around her waist. He hauled her once again into his chest and absorbed her momentum with a tight spin before laughing and dunking her again. She came up spluttering.
Ryan’s laughter rang out across the water.
“Hold still.” She yelled.
“Not a chance.” His laughter continued as he tightened his firm grip around her. “I don’t have a death wish. Besides I’m supposed to be working.”
Ella James shrieked as she found her arms pinned to her side with Ryan holding her immobile. As she quit struggling the world outside the two of them faded and blurred and she found herself leaning into his embrace.
One moment she was noticing her brother’s friend in a whole different way and in the next he threw her bodily into the air and back into the water for another dunking. Their battle continued for several more minutes with neither of them really getting the better of the other but she was definitely the only one getting dunked.
Ryan tried again to pin her arms to her side with a huge bear hug but she dodged out of the way. Arms free, she absorbed the pull of his hands on her waist and instead of coming up for air she swam deeper, aiming for his feet and yanked them out from under him. She finally succeeded in pulling him under with her.
It wasn’t until she walloped Ryan on the head by a pool noodle that Ryan stopped long enough for them to notice that they weren’t the only ones witnessing their epic water battle. They found her brother, Adam, standing with his arms crossed, eyes flashing, feet planted, lips compressed in a thin line. If his long suffering expression was any indication he had been standing there a while.
“Joining us?” Ella James called up to him, trying to break the tension. “I am currently attempting to drown your best friend and I’d appreciate the help.” She grinned up at her brother. As an afterthought she added, “He deserves it.”
A miniscule smile broke through Adam’s severe frown. “Ella James, at this point I would happily volunteer but the truth is I need that lousy friend of mine to get out of the pool and finish the deal we’ve been negotiating for months.”
Ryan reached out and pulled Ella James in front of him, pretending to hide from her brother. “Dude,” he called. “I wasn’t planning on getting in. Your sister looked like she was about to suffer from heat stroke and I felt it was my duty as your friend to save your sister from certain trauma. As I was so graciously depositing her in the pool she took me in with her.
“Uh huh.” Adam was not impressed. “Get out.”
Ryan nodded. “Sure thing. Give me a minute to apologize to the fair maiden.”
“Make it quick.” Adam called as he strode back to the house.
Wasting no time once Adam turned his back Ryan spun her around to face him and pushed her against the pool wall, effectively caging her in between his arms and the wall. Stunned by his sudden change from laughing to sultry serious Ella James did her best to look defiant. Ryan stayed still, close but not touching her.
After a long heartstopping pause she cocked her head to the side. “I’m waiting for that apology.” Ella James grinned. It wasn’t often that Ryan offered to apologize without a lot of arm twisting.
His grin turned warm. “Well, I wouldn’t want to keep a lady waiting.” He swooped in and caught her in a scorching kiss. It lasted mere seconds but she was stunned.
Ryan pulled back slowly. He paused and glanced over at the door Adam had gone through, “I think I will finish up this apology later.”
Ella James had just enough time to blink before he hauled himself out of the pool, jogging toward the house. As he reached the door, he looked back and winked at her.
She could only stare at the muscles now well defined by his wet clingy clothes. As he disappeared she came back to her senses and hollered after him, “Ryan!”
