“Delightful. It’s hard to believe how cold it is outside.”
“Don’t think about that, or you’ll start to shiver.”
I swam a lap and stopped. We were both in the shallower end.
“I know that took a lot of courage,” he said, stepping closer. “Was it me or the pool?”
“I’d be lying if I didn’t say both.”
He lowered himself and glided to my left, then behind me and to my right, each circle he made drawing him closer. Finally, he reached out, and I took his hand. Neither of us spoke as he gently pulled me toward him.
“Troy,” I said when we were inches apart.
“Don’t speak. I’m afraid I’ll wake up in bed and realize this was a dream.”
I was going to say I wasn’t ready, but he kissed me with our bodies softly pressed against each other. Then he lifted me unexpectedly and tossed me into the water.
“You creep!” I cried, and splashed him. He splashed me back, and I swam away. He dog-paddled up to me, spurting water like a whale, and when I tried to swim away again, he seized my ankle and d
rew me back to him.
“Right now, this is my birthday and Christmas wrapped into one moment,” he said, and kissed me again. This time, I was really kissing him back and welcoming his hands on my waist and up and over my breasts. He whispered my name and said, “Nothing has ever happened to us before this moment.” Then he lifted me in his arms, carrying me through the water to the steps. He brought me to a chaise lounge and immediately began to dry me with one of the thick terry towels, meticulously moving between my toes and over my legs. I reached for another towel and began to dry him.
We laughed, kissed, and held each other.
“Comfortable?”
“Yes,” I said.
He stepped to the side and brought back a thin blanket. Then he put his arm around me, and we lay there listening to the music.
“Can you forget enough to welcome me into your heart?” he asked.
“I think so. I’m trying.”
“Maybe we should pretend to be Adam and Eve, just created.”
“Yes, maybe.”
“God wants me to discover you, realize your beauty. He wants us to enjoy each other. They had to have some time like this before the snake came.”
“Maybe.”
His lips were moving over my neck and down over my breasts, gently lifting them with his cheeks and pressing his lips to my nipples. I felt his hardness when he moved against me. Memories flashed like hot sparks. I drove them back into the darkness by kissing Troy even harder, even longer.
“I am like Adam, and this is the first day,” he whispered.
“And I am Eve,” I said.
“Then you’ll believe me when I say I love you more than anyone in the world.”
I was able to laugh. I was able to be naked beside him, to feel his sex, to let him touch me and kiss me anywhere he wanted and not scream or cringe. This wasn’t simply two people making love. For me, it was a true rebirth. I wanted it more than he could. My legs relaxed and opened to him.
“Wait,” he said, and stepped off the chaise lounge. He was back in moments. I heard him tearing the wrapper. “I don’t want to tell you how long I’ve had this.”
“I hope it’s still good.”
“Oh, it is, and so am I,” he said, returning to me.