Chapter 13 — Unpierced

I wondered if I was making a mistake as I took my top and capris off. This wasn't how I'd imagined the day to turn out.

No, I hadn't been expecting to be undressing in front of Emre. 

His eyes were on me as I took everything off and revealed a plain black swimsuit that molded to my modest curves.

I knew my body was nothing special, and yet his eyes on me were making me feel as if I could have graced a magazine centerfold. Easily.

His gaze started from the tip of my toes and burned upwards, moving up and up, his eyes igniting my body wherever his eyes touched. 

"Let me go put on some sunscreen," I said hurriedly, more to get away from him than anything else.

I went to get my bag from the sundeck and sat down there. For a moment I could think clearly.

What was I doing? Getting into the water and with Emre. 

I couldn't think when he touched me. I couldn't say no to the man. 

I squeezed out some sunscreen and applied it to my arms, thinking of a way to back out.

"Ready?" I jumped, realizing Emre had come up and I'd been lost in thought.

"You're trying to think of ways to get out of this, right?" He sat down next to me.

"Let me?" He took the sunscreen bottle from me.

"No, it's okay, I've already put it on."

"Yeah, just on your arms." 

He took me by the arms gently and turned me sideways.

"Okay, tell me, what scares you?"

"It's the ocean Emre, it's not a swimming pool."

"So? There's more salt in the ocean, less chance of sinking," his lips were at my ear.

I didn't know if what he said was fact or bullshit, but I was distracted by his lips.

I felt something cold and wet on my neck, and then his hands were on me, smoothing on sunscreen down my neck and back.

His hands moved down my back in a slow kneading motion and my back arched, my mouth opening.

"What else are you afraid of?" he asked me.

"I...drowning," I could hardly form coherent sentences anymore.

Emre's skillful hands came to my collarbones, and his mouth was on my neck.

"You know how to swim," He whispered, "And I'll be there with you."

He pressed a kiss underneath my ear and then took the lobe in his mouth.

I shivered, my breathing fractured. I was already drowning.

"You know what I love about your ears? Unpierced. Virgin. So hot"

I felt myself getting unbearably aroused at his words. I closed my eyes.

We could just stay here, I thought as Emre pressed another kiss to my neck. I reached out both my hands behind me, roping them around his neck.

Suddenly he took both my hands in his and spun me around.

"If I go any further, we won't be going anywhere."

I tilted my head considering this, and Emre let out a low laugh.

"So, what else are you afraid of?"

I could think of nothing. He'd completely made me forget all my excuses.

I slowly shook my head.

He let go of one hand and, threading his fingers through the other, pulled me down to the swim deck.

"Emre, stop," I put up a token protest—the truth was I was going to do anything he said.

"C'mon, let's do this before you can make up another excuse," he said, reading my mind.

There was a platform ladder for reboarding that I hadn't noticed before. Maybe it hadn't been down before. I looked at Emre quizzically, fidgeting from foot to foot.

I pulled my shoulder-length hair into a messy bun on the top of my head to stop it from getting in the way, then closed my eyes and took a deep breath. 

I opened my eyes and Emre was standing very close to me.

He leaned his head down and, looking me in the eye, said, "I'm waiting for you," then he swiftly turned around and executed a smooth dive into the water.

He swam up to the ladder and gave me a wink, "C'mon, the water is amazing."

It felt like I was doing more than just taking a dive into the ocean. 

It felt like I was taking a chance on him.

I squared my shoulders and slowly climbed down the ladder, sink or swim, this was it.

Emre was treading water when I was waist deep in the water and holding onto the ladder for support.

"Okay, hold on and start kicking your legs. Just don't bend your knees."

I nodded to him and did what he said, kicking my legs in a fluttering motion.

"Okay, now relax, you know this. If you just leave it to your body, it'll come back to you."

I did what he said, feeling my fear subside with his voice. 

I would have laughed at myself if I was in a situation to. The man made me calm down even as he wound me up. He made me feel safe even as he was the one behind most of my trust issues. 

"Okay, now you need to let go of the ladder. Use your hands, palms down. Move your hands back and forth under the water now."

I was slowly getting acclimatized to the water and the feeling of freedom that came with swimming. Suddenly I realized I could do this. I lifted my chin up and let go of the ladder. 

I felt like I was going down, and then I wasn't. I was treading water. I spun around and laughed at Emre.

"I did it"

"I told you, you've forgotten nothing."

I grinned at him. It seemed so effortless now; there wasn't any fear in me anymore.

We started treading water, and then Emre gently guided me through all the motions he'd used before. How to move my hands, how to use my legs until I was swimming with him, albeit not as gracefully as me…

I felt so peaceful in the water, but I knew it was an illusion and only when Emre was close by.

I was near a part of the yacht that I hadn't seen before and was looking at the name painted across it, which was written in Turkish… 

"HAYAT YILDIZI"