A Hush In The Waves

PROLOGUE "Eager?" my swimming instructor asked. His face scrunched in annoyance, clearly irritated as I splashed him with water after my sudden dive into the pool. That's what you get. I just rolled my eyes and pushed forward into the cool water, trying to estimate how long I could hold my breath. Damn it. Not even ten seconds had passed when my body instinctively surfaced to gasp for air. It was so frustrating—why was swimming so hard for me to learn? I leaned back against the poolside, scowling as I watched him swim effortlessly toward me. Oh, boy. How the hell did he become my instructor? His biceps and triceps were clearly defined with every stroke, the muscles flexing smoothly beneath the water. I quickly hid my irritation as he finally swam close enough to me. He ran his hand through his wet hair, then raised an eyebrow and studied my face. When he noticed the frown between my brows, he smiled and shook his head. I knew it. I swore he was going to mock me again, probably tired of trying to teach me how to swim. I was about to speak when, without warning, he grabbed my waist and gently lifted me, sitting me down on the wet cement. He rested his hands on the poolside and held me captive with his intense gaze. My body trembled immediately. "I think we should try another... strategy," he said, his eyes lowering to my trembling lips, a mixture of anxiety, excitement, and the cold still clinging to me. "W-what?" He took a deep breath before looking me in the eyes again. He chewed on his bottom lip and gave me a reassuring look. "Let's try exchanging breath underwater," he said as he moved his muscular body even closer to mine. He then tilted his head slightly while I, stunned, began to fumble in surprise. "W-what?" He looked at me again, directly in the eyes, then quickly brought his lips to my ear. I could feel the depth and warmth of his breath, as well as the gentle squeeze of his hands around my waist before he whispered, breathless, "Smooch my lips, Maurette." I gasped after hearing that from him. It felt as if a strong wind had hit my entire system, sweeping my soul away. Suddenly, I lost my senses. I could see in his eyes that he wanted to say more. What’s with that? I wish he’d stop. For some unknown reason, I immediately wrapped my smooth arms around his neck. I could barely feel the coldness of the cool air brushing against my skin when he placed his hands on my waist, drawing small circles. From the moment he held me, he slid his fingers towards my thighs before guiding me to the center of the pool. As I freed him from my thighs, I held him by his broad shoulders and moved closer. I even saw him bite his lower lip and how he tried to suppress a smile when he noticed that even with my small movements, I was still struggling. He only became serious when he felt my body lightly hit the lower part of his chest due to the waves we created. He stared at my eyes once again. "Ready?" he asked softly. I don't know. If he continues to treat me like this, for sure, I will have a hard time stopping what I'm feeling. I swear I really won't be able to hold this back anymore if it happens, and I'm scared that it might hurt me in the end. My mind went blank immediately. I didn't even know what his question was about. I just nodded. Only to be stunned when he smoothly dragged me with him under the clear water. I quickly gathered my remaining breath and closed my eyes underwater, but when I felt his hand caressing my cheek, I opened my eyes to meet his gaze. We both stared at each other for a couple of seconds, and there I felt myself, my emotions. I know I'm being pretentious right now, but I can't deny it because this is how I feel. I can see in his eyes and actions that he also has feelings for me. Why am I still scared? When I felt I was running out of breath, I didn't prolong it any further. I quickly wrapped my hands around his neck and locked his lips with mine. Our eyes were both shut as we exchanged our breaths, joining our souls. He grasped my thighs again to embrace his abdomen before squeezing the cheeks of my thighs gently. What else am I afraid of? I know that after this swimming lesson, something else will make my heart race. I'm sure the sight of deep water won't scare me anymore, because the thought of him will intimidate me even more. Who wouldn't be afraid of falling for this man? There's no certainty if he's ready to catch you or what. What if he's just playing with me? What if he just lets me drown alone in this feeling in the end?I couldn't bear any next heartbreak. Will he hold my hand and stay with me until the end? Because if yes, I won’t paddle around any longer. We both surfaced after a few more seconds. I thought that was the end of it, but I gasped again when he claimed my lips once more. I kissed him back torridly, leaning against his muscular chest due to losing my balance, and there we continued and fought with the kiss. I felt him pull away for a moment and mischievously smiled when he saw how eager I was for his kiss. He chuckled softly and reclaimed my lips before I could even speak and protest his sudden stop. He softly sucked my bottom lip, which caused me to gasp his name seductively, the first ever kind of tone that I've made in my whole existence. "J-Jeco.."