had climbed and run and played in the woods, and she had learned that her body was stronger and faster than ever. Much stronger. Inhumanly strong, though she wasn't sure how the nanos managed that. She hadn't bothered to try to figure it out. She was enjoying it too much to care.
"It's a nice night. Want to go for a swim?"
Rachel glanced over the deserted beach and the water reflecting the moonlight. It was a nice night. While yesterday was unseasonably chill, tonight was warm as a summer evening should be, and a moonlight swim sounded enticing. But they hadn't brought any swimsuits.
She smiled to herself and peered up the beach again. They had it all to themselves, which would have been impossible during the day. The few policemen who patrolled at night were watching for under-aged partiers who had already arrived and been sent away by Etienne. Really, she supposed, a swimsuit wasn't absolutely necessary. Etienne had already seen her naked. Several times.
Rather than answer his question verbally, Rachel tossed a wicked grin Etienne's way. Reaching for the hem of her T-shirt with both hands, she raised it up and over her head.
"Beautiful," Etienne murmured as her breasts were bared.
His suddenly serious expression made Rachel laugh, and she tossed her T-shirt in his lap as she got to her feet. She hadn't bothered with a bra tonight. Actually, she didn't wear them much at all anymore. There was no need. Her breasts were firm and perky, as they had never been, the nanos keeping them that way. She was going to save a ton of money in the future.
Standing before him, Rachel unsnapped her jeans and shimmied out of them. She felt herself blush as she did so, but he had seen her naked before, and besides, she was aware that her body was now flawless. It was really rather freeing. Well, mostly. Someday she could actually envision managing undressing without blushing.
A featherlight caress up her calf made her glance down. Etienne was looking heatedly up at her, trailing his fingers lightly along the sensitive skin of her inner leg. If she gave him the chance, Rachel knew they would be rolling around on the sand within minutes, growling like animals--but he was the one who had mentioned a swim, and now she really wanted one. She danced lightly out of his reach and, leaving him seated upon the blanket holding their picnic basket, Rachel turned away to jog lightly to the water's edge.
Her first step into the water was a bit of a shock. While the night was warm, the water was cold. It closed around her foot, but she barely let that slow her down. Rachel continued determinedly forward for several steps until the water reached her waist, then raised her hands and dived under the rounded waves. She swam underwater for what seemed an impossible time, surprised by the fact that she could. When she finally surfaced, it wasn't out of a need for air so much as a curiosity as to how far she'd swum.
Deciding she had a lot more questions to ask Bastien about the effects of nanos, Rachel swiveled in the water. She stopped treading water and nearly sank under the surface upon seeing how far she was from shore, but she then caught herself. Stronger and faster didn't begin to describe her new state. Rachel hadn't been swimming very hard, but she had propelled herself an incredible distance.
A dark shape broke the surface of the lake on her right, and Rachel smiled as Etienne appeared. His hair was slicked close to his head, his eyes again aglow in the moonlight. He swam closer.
"You look beautiful," he said solemnly.
Rachel glanced down at herself. Her breasts were half-revealed above the water, and the silver moonlight gave her skin a pearlescent sheen. Etienne shifted closer, reaching out to catch her hand and draw her forward. As her breasts brushed his chest, he rolled onto his back, taking her with him so that she draped half over his floating chest with her lower body in the water beside him. He began to paddle his feet, propelling them back toward land.
Rachel slid her arms around his waist and went with him, kicking halfheartedly to aid. At last, Etienne stopped and stood. The water reached to just above her breasts as Rachel also stood, but she barely noticed before he pulled her into his arms. She went willingly and lifted her face as he claimed her lips. Rachel