Shipwrecked with Mr. Wrong - By Nikki Logan Page 0,39
could speak between pants. ‘I’m okay. I’m okay.’
‘You weren’t in any danger. We’d only been under about twenty seconds. Do you understand?’ She did and nodded. ‘Nothing steals oxygen like panic. But you were fine and once you calmed did you feel it?’
‘It was...’ Words failed her.
His gaze was intent. As if he knew exactly what she meant. Her spine tingled under his stare.
‘Want to try again?’
Moments later, they were back beneath the surface, moving along the edge of the reef. Now without fear, Honor took to the undersea life like a fish back in water. She studied prickly starfish up close where they stuck like glue to the reef; she gently touched a vivid blue sea anemone and watched it curl in; she listened to the click-click telegraph of hidden rocklobster; she even dived right to the sea floor at one point, stretching her lungs to capacity.
Crabs moved along the coral’s upper edge, sea-slugs wobbled in the current and tiny creatures of all kinds darted around them. Rob steered her quickly away from an approaching sea snake—a healthy reminder that even beautiful undersea things could be dangerous—and towards a low point in the reef. It was where they could swim out to the deeper ocean if they wanted to.
Honor didn’t. She was feeling fantastic but not invincible. She baulked as they approached and he slowed and trod water with her.
Just then, a green turtle surfed the swell over the reef’s low point and past them into the lagoon. Honor’s fingers bit into Rob’s shoulder in her excitement and he immediately set off after it, skimming below the surface, his strong legs pumping to catch up.
What a gift.
Rob kept pace with the gentle giant. It had come in from the deep for some rest and recreation in the warmer, shallower waters. She knew the rules regarding contact didn’t stop at the shore and, though she burned to feel its leathery shell, she resisted. It swam parallel and turned its ancient beak-face and looked right at her. For a slow motion split second Honor imagined that it smiled at her.
Her heart nearly stopped.
Then she was rising, breaking through into the sunlight. She’d been too captivated to notice she’d nearly been out of air. But Rob had thought for her.
She spat out the mouthpiece. ‘Oh, my God...’
She tipped her head back and let the sunlight rain down on her face. She sucked in a lungful of air and laughed, loud and joyous, turning back to Rob. ‘Did you see her shell? She had to be close to a century old!’ She laughed again and tipped her head back into the cool water to feel its kiss on her skin.
When she straightened up, Rob’s expression was intense. Shuttered. Had he not heard her? She gripped his shoulders and trod water in front of him. It brought her body in close to his. ‘She might have been here when the Emden sank, Rob!’
His eyes locked with hers through their masks and his energy radiated towards her. Desire bubbled and spat between them like lava hitting the ocean. He moved in closer, put one hand behind her head and leaned in for a kiss...
Their dive masks cracked on impact.
It seemed the most natural thing in the world—once they’d finished laughing—to reach out to touch each other instead. It was the first time she’d heard Rob really laugh, she realised, and then understood his strange expression of moments before. He probably thought she was incapable of laughter.
After the past few years, she was starting to wonder, herself.
He didn’t take his eyes off her as he took a breath and sank below, tugging on her hand. She let the snorkel find its way back into her mouth and fell forward into the water so that she could watch him swimming on his back just below her through her mask glass. Her two hands fitted easily into his as his flippers moved them along.
They drifted in a leisurely way, Honor peering down at Rob, breathing through her snorkel and he looking up at her, holding his breath effortlessly. After a moment, he let himself drift upwards until his body slid along the length of hers. Both their skins were slick with water and sunscreen. He reached his arms around her and, at the last moment, she realised what he was going to do. She took a breath to seal her snorkel as he rolled.
The brief moment out of the water was all he needed to suck in a