Crossover Crossroads (The Kell and Maille Story)

What if I can't swim?

028: What if I can't swim?

Maille felt her knees go weak. Kell, nearly nude, his upper body riddled with darkly scattered tattoos of things she could make out as the water lapped his skin, was more than she had been prepared for this morning.

"No, that's okay, you swim, I'll watch."

Disappointment flashed briefly in his eyes, but then Kell turned and hopped out of the pool with a mischievous grin. "Oh no..." Maille backed away.

"Water is warm. Perfect." he encouraged.

"I don't want to swim right now." she backed toward the living room door, one hand in front of her imploringly. Kell advanced on her.

"You will wear the peacock dress, you will lay on the floor in my room blowing bubbles, but you will not swim?"

"What if I can't swim?"

He cocked his head at her, as if considering this problem and then forthrightly came to the conclusion it was a bluff. "You can, you can, you can." he said and made a grab for her waist which he was able to capture as she screamed.

Maille's hands came in contact with his chest. Aside from a few hugs, and holding hands their touching had been very--- very limited. She respected he was not attracted to her as a woman--- she had to, he deliberately kept their physical contact minimal. Now her palms burned where they came in contact with his body--- and the way he was crowding her to the pool had plenty of his body touching hers. His legs stepped between hers, his hip jutted against hers, even his feet sidled close and brushed against her ankles.

Maille couldn't process fast enough. If she moved her fingers they brushed over the darker spots of his nipples. If she pushed against him higher it was like wrapping her palms around his neck. She squeezed her eyes shut, knowing her movements branded her a prude and inexperienced. Could he tell she'd never been this close to a grown man before in her life? And definitely not a half-naked one?

His one hand held both of hers together now, as she squirmed to get out of his grasp. His eyes in the dim interior bored into hers, and his lips parted in a panting, struggling, grin. The beads brushed her cheeks, no matter which direction she turned her face.

Molly barked crazily as Kell scooped Maille up unceremoniously and when she thought he would have dumped her into the pool he didn't. He jumped with her.

Maille didn't have a chance to scream. Kell's body beneath hers in the water, pulled up down and down and then she felt him grab her and push off to the surface. She came up sputtering. He came up beside her.

"I think you can swim Maille Mann." he said, and his eyes glinted again as he dunked her under.

There ensued a wild game of ducking and getting away. Having no choice but to get over her inhibitions regarding not just her lack of experience, but his nearly naked body, Maille told herself he was just like one of her brothers and this time she was going to be the center of someone's attention. Not a common occurrence in a family the size of hers.