She shot him a questioning glance over her shoulder. “What?”
He gave her a slow, hungry smile. “Skinny. Dipping.”
She darted across the deck with a laugh, her curls bouncing against her back. “You have to catch me first.”
A short stack of steps ended at a narrow pathway leading to the stretch of beach closest to the dock and boathouse. She hurdled over the stairs in a practiced maneuver and hit the path at a dead run. The predator in him roared to life and he gave chase. He would have caught her, too, if she hadn’t frozen at the water’s edge. Her stillness had him pulling up beside her, careful not to do anything that might spook her.
“You don’t have to go in,” he reassured.
“I know, but I’ve delayed long enough,” she said grimly. She untied the drape and tossed it onto the sand in a resolute manner. “Let’s give it a try and see what happens.”
It didn’t take long. Constantine stuck right by Gianna’s side. She waded in until the water lapped around her waist. One minute she seemed perfectly normal and the next minute her breath hitched and she spun awkwardly around. Before he could sweep her from the water to safety, she tripped, plummeting beneath the surface.
He was on her within seconds, snatching her up and lifting her high in his arms. But the damage had been done. She lost it. Curling into him, she choked on the water she’d swallowed, weeping in terror. He carried her straight to the cabin and into the bathroom. He turned on the shower, the spray hard and hot. With her still in his arms, he walked into the huge mosaic tiled stall.
“I’m okay, I’m okay,” she wept.
“I know you are. We’ll just stand here, anyway, until you’re more okay.”
He lowered her onto her feet and pushed the wet hair from her eyes and simply held her tight against his chest until her shuddering sobs faded and her heartbeat calmed to a slower rate. The heat helped loosen her tight muscles and ease her trembling. Finally she tilted her head back and looked at him.
“Damn,” she whispered.
His mouth twitched. “Didn’t go the way you planned?” he asked tenderly.
She slicked the moisture from her face. “You could say that.”
“Did you really expect your phobia would disappear the minute you stepped in the water?”
“Yes,” she grumbled. “I did. It’s an irrational knee-jerk reaction. I’m not the one who drowned.”
“Clearly.”
“I’ve never even had a close call,” she continued. “There’s no logical reason for me to fear the water.”
He hated to suggest it, but given the circumstances… “Have you considered therapy?”
“No. It wasn’t until David that I was even willing to accept that I had a problem.” She reached around him to turn off the water and squeezed the water from her hair. “I want you to know this is unacceptable.”
“The shower?”
“No.” A brief smile flirted with her mouth. “That was sort of nice.”
“I can turn the water back on and we can have some more nice,” he offered generously.
Her smile grew. “Thanks, but no.” She exited the stall and grabbed a towel for herself and tossed him the spare. She dried herself in short, angry movements. “I’m telling you, Constantine, before we leave here I will get over this fear. When David had me trapped in his car, I refused to allow him to scare me so badly I couldn’t act. I’m not going to let some ridiculous phobia keep me from enjoying the lake now.”
Constantine dried himself at a more leisurely pace. “I don’t doubt it. Not if you’ve made up your mind to do it.”
She nodded decisively. “Darned right. I used to love to swim. I used to spend all day out on the raft and do flips and dives off of it.” She tossed her towel onto the floor. “I was good, damn it.”
“Ready to go again or do you want to wait until morning?”
Gianna vacillated for a split second. He saw the instant she came to a decision, her mouth assuming a stubborn slant. “No. Now. Right this second while I’m still mad. Before I remember to be scared again.”
She practically ran from the bathroom. He went after her, determined to keep pace with her every step of the way. This time he’d be ready. This time she wouldn’t go under.