Body of Water Read Online Free Page A
Author: Stuart Wakefield
as he reached out and pulled the waistband of my trunks out towards him then slid his hand down the front. What the hell was he doing? Talking was out of bounds but this was okay?
"You left the tag on," he smirked, snapping the plastic that tethered it to the fabric and threw it over his shoulder. "Ready?"
CHAPTER FOUR
Lessons
Two flights of stairs later and we were in the basement. The pool was larger than I had expected. Shaun switched on the lights and then dimmed them until the illuminated pool was brighter than the room itself.
Shaun yanked off his t-shirt and shorts and tossed them onto a wooden recliner.
"This is the shallow end, if you want to get in."
I took off my shirt and sat on the edge of the pool where he had indicated.
At the deep end he took up position and prepared to dive in.
I watched how his muscles moved across his ribcage as his arms extended upwards, how his legs flexed when he crouched, ready for his spring, then the perfect line of his body as he took off, arched forwards, and dove cleanly into the water.
I had expected Shaun to be clumsy in the water. I didn't know much about rugby but I knew what a typical player looked like, lumbering down the pitch like a juggernaut.
Shaun swam the length of the pool towards me and surfaced a few feet away, resting his weight on his arms in the shallow water. His shoulders bulged and I felt the familiar heat burn in my chest and work its way down.
"Get in then," he smiled, getting to his feet and holding out his hands.
The water cascaded down Shaun's body, and I felt my stomach twist with anxiety as I stood, desperate that he didn't notice what the heat had done to me. Suddenly unsteady, I waded into the water. It was warm and I was thankful for that.
To my relief something else had caught his eye. "What's that?" He nodded to my pendant.
My hand rose to my chest. "Ruth gave it to me."
"It looks like an arrowhead. What is it, flint?"
"Something like that. It's a sign of protection. Some local custom where's she's from." Since my adoption I had rid myself of my Scottish accent and felt no need to bring any attention to my ancestry. School was all about fitting in.
Shaun waited patiently. He smiled as I moved towards him, not moving backwards into the deeper water until our hands met. He held onto me, his fingers intertwined with mine.
His instructions were gentle. "Relax your neck. Open out your shoulders. Breathe."
But my grip on him tightened. This was a big thing. As far as I could remember I had never been this close to this much water, let alone in it. My experience with the wet stuff extended only as far as baths and showers.
Shaun continued to encourage me. "Do you want to try putting your face in? That's good. Next time try breathing out under the water."
As I breathed out water rushed in and I took an involuntary breath. I came up fast, coughing hard.
"Sorry, sorry. Let's just stand here for a bit while you calm down. Christ, that pump is working overtime."
He was right; there was a definite current in the water around us.
I pinched my nose and concentrated on my breathing.
"Do you want to try floating? It's much easier than you think."
His hand on my back, Shaun coaxed me off my feet and into his arms. I felt vulnerable then. This was more intimate than I thought it would be, alone with this stocky boy in the water.
"Now I want you to straighten out your body. Relax your neck again and let the water support your head. Don't worry, I've got you."
The sound cut in and out as the water lapped at my ears. Shaun's chest pressed against my side as I straightened out, his hands moving to support me between my shoulder blades and lower back.
"Relax, Leven. The water is your friend."
I floated on the surface and closed my eyes. A feeling of warmth and relaxation ballooned within me.
"Are you crying?"
My eyes snapped open and I felt hot tears streak down from the corners. I struggled to cover my face from embarrassment, but lashed
"You left the tag on," he smirked, snapping the plastic that tethered it to the fabric and threw it over his shoulder. "Ready?"
CHAPTER FOUR
Lessons
Two flights of stairs later and we were in the basement. The pool was larger than I had expected. Shaun switched on the lights and then dimmed them until the illuminated pool was brighter than the room itself.
Shaun yanked off his t-shirt and shorts and tossed them onto a wooden recliner.
"This is the shallow end, if you want to get in."
I took off my shirt and sat on the edge of the pool where he had indicated.
At the deep end he took up position and prepared to dive in.
I watched how his muscles moved across his ribcage as his arms extended upwards, how his legs flexed when he crouched, ready for his spring, then the perfect line of his body as he took off, arched forwards, and dove cleanly into the water.
I had expected Shaun to be clumsy in the water. I didn't know much about rugby but I knew what a typical player looked like, lumbering down the pitch like a juggernaut.
Shaun swam the length of the pool towards me and surfaced a few feet away, resting his weight on his arms in the shallow water. His shoulders bulged and I felt the familiar heat burn in my chest and work its way down.
"Get in then," he smiled, getting to his feet and holding out his hands.
The water cascaded down Shaun's body, and I felt my stomach twist with anxiety as I stood, desperate that he didn't notice what the heat had done to me. Suddenly unsteady, I waded into the water. It was warm and I was thankful for that.
To my relief something else had caught his eye. "What's that?" He nodded to my pendant.
My hand rose to my chest. "Ruth gave it to me."
"It looks like an arrowhead. What is it, flint?"
"Something like that. It's a sign of protection. Some local custom where's she's from." Since my adoption I had rid myself of my Scottish accent and felt no need to bring any attention to my ancestry. School was all about fitting in.
Shaun waited patiently. He smiled as I moved towards him, not moving backwards into the deeper water until our hands met. He held onto me, his fingers intertwined with mine.
His instructions were gentle. "Relax your neck. Open out your shoulders. Breathe."
But my grip on him tightened. This was a big thing. As far as I could remember I had never been this close to this much water, let alone in it. My experience with the wet stuff extended only as far as baths and showers.
Shaun continued to encourage me. "Do you want to try putting your face in? That's good. Next time try breathing out under the water."
As I breathed out water rushed in and I took an involuntary breath. I came up fast, coughing hard.
"Sorry, sorry. Let's just stand here for a bit while you calm down. Christ, that pump is working overtime."
He was right; there was a definite current in the water around us.
I pinched my nose and concentrated on my breathing.
"Do you want to try floating? It's much easier than you think."
His hand on my back, Shaun coaxed me off my feet and into his arms. I felt vulnerable then. This was more intimate than I thought it would be, alone with this stocky boy in the water.
"Now I want you to straighten out your body. Relax your neck again and let the water support your head. Don't worry, I've got you."
The sound cut in and out as the water lapped at my ears. Shaun's chest pressed against my side as I straightened out, his hands moving to support me between my shoulder blades and lower back.
"Relax, Leven. The water is your friend."
I floated on the surface and closed my eyes. A feeling of warmth and relaxation ballooned within me.
"Are you crying?"
My eyes snapped open and I felt hot tears streak down from the corners. I struggled to cover my face from embarrassment, but lashed
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