Waterlocked
Page 21

He hadn’t let go of her hand once. Gemma swam through the dark sea, finally becoming accustomed to the water that filled her unmoving lungs. Once she had overcome her initial panic, she discovered Terry was right. Allowing the water to fill her airways was far more comfortable than trying to hold breath that didn’t need to be held. First they were under for only a few minutes. Then a few more, but the longer Gemma stayed beneath the surface, holding Terry’s hand, the more comfortable she became. He didn’t push her, allowing her to swim at her own pace as they slowly moved farther away from the boat.
Despite the cold Northern waters, life was everywhere. The ocean teemed with it. Fish darted away from them in massive silver schools. Sharks, which panicked her at first, fled from them instinctually. Terry had only smiled. From one predator to another, it seemed that the sharks knew what was best for them.
Finally, she pulled him up to the surface and coughed the water from her throat, trying not to gag.
“What—” Cough. “—were you trying to surprise me with again?”
He ran gentle fingers through her hair, tucking the wet strands back behind her ears as he looked around. “They’ve moved off. I suppose it was odd to see them here anyway. They’re usually much deeper.”
“What are you talking about?”
Just then, a tiny light caught her eye. Then another. And another. The moon was full, but the seas were completely dark, except for the tiny rainbow flashes. She looked to her husband, who was grinning.
“Moonjellys.”
“What?” She pulled him closer. “Jellyfish?”
“Not exactly. No stingers on these little beauties. They’re not jellyfish, just called moonjellys.” His hand passed near one, which lit up with tiny lights and moved away. “These fellows are usually drifting far deeper. Caught them earlier tonight and I wanted to show you.” He continued to move through the water, pulling her behind him and every nudge of the water lit up more of the tiny creatures. They rippled and pulsed in the water, flowing around them in glowing currents.
“They’re beautiful. Like stars in the water.”
“They light up if you get close, spread your hand out.”
She did and laughed when she saw the tiny riots of color.
“I’ve never seen a mass of them like this,” he said. “No idea what’s going on. Maybe they just wanted to say hello.”
Gemma looked down till her nose was almost in the water. “Hello back, ocean.”
Without warning, she was enveloped in a tight embrace. Terry wrapped his arms around her and she felt his amnis call to the water around them, holding their bodies buoyant as he swept her into a joyful kiss. She could feel the smile on his lips when he pressed them to her lips, her cheeks, her forehead. He was boyish in his affection. Gemma couldn’t help but smile back.
“Thank you,” he said as he smiled. “Thank you for coming with me.”
“As long… well, as long as you hold my hand, I feel safe.”
“Then I’ll never let it go.” He smiled again and tugged her back toward where the boat must have been. “At least not off shore.”
“That’s highly impractical.”
“I don’t care.”
“Really Terry—”
He dove at her, wrapping her in his arms as they plunged beneath the water and he took her breath away with his lips. Terry rolled in the waves, spinning her in the cloud of moonjellys as they lit up the dark water and surrounded them with tiny rainbows.
He loves me.
He loves me.
He loves me, too…
She broke away with a gasp as they surfaced. Too?
Did she love Terry? What did love even mean to someone as old as she was? Was she even capable of it anymore?
She felt a sudden ache in her chest and blinked away tears.
“Gem?”
“Can we go back to the boat?”
“Too much.” He frowned. “Sorry. This is too much, isn’t it?”
“I’m fine. I’m just… it’s all a bit overwhelming.”
“Of course.” He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled Gemma up on his chest as he lay back in the water. “Relax now. Let me show off a bit. I’ll have us back in no time.”
“Really?” He sped off, but she would have sworn he didn’t move at all. There was no kicking. No effort. Terry simply moved through the ocean, cradling Gemma on his broad chest and stroking her back. She finally relaxed and tucked her head under his chin to enjoy the ride.
“Did you have fun?” he asked.
“Surprisingly yes.”
“We’ll go someplace warmer and explore a reef someday. The cold water doesn’t produce the brilliant colors. The Tropics are fun.”
“Is that why you’re always trying to convince me to go to the Bahamas?”
“That and tiny swimsuits, luv.” He reached down and gave her ass a pinch. “Can’t forget those.”
“Of course not.”
It was getting close to dawn, so they headed directly to their secured room under the boat. For the first time, entering the small outer hatch did not fill Gemma with dread. She simply closed her eyes and pressed her face into Terry’s chest until she could feel the air surrounding them. They both grabbed towels to dry themselves, neither bothering with clothes. They were both more than comfortable in their skins.
Gemma studied him as he readied the room, making sure the heater was turned on for her. She knew the cold didn’t bother him, but she was on the warmer end of the vampire spectrum, so cold did cause discomfort. He tossed another pillow on the low bed, then straightened the linens and grabbed another blanket from a built in chest.