Shea piled a heap of shaved turkey breast onto his sandwich, added a second slice of bread, and was just about to take a bite of his lunch when the persistent barking of his dog, Goldie, demanded he find out what had her so excited. She was probably chasing seagulls out on the beach, which was a favorite past-time of hers.
He headed out onto the deck, intent on calling Goldie in from the beach so she didn’t annoy the other sun worshipers out there. But instead of playing with the birds who were scrounging for crumbs of food in the sand, Shea found his Golden Retriever running anxiously back and forth along the shore, right where the water lapped at her paws.
He whistled for her, loud and sharp, and she stopped and glanced back at him. Normally, she’d immediately obey his command to return home, but this time she didn’t. She resumed her unrelenting barking again, her attention focused on something out in the water.
Frowning, Shea glanced further out and finally saw the person that was trying to call for help, a good fifty yards out in the ocean. A bobbing head just breaking the surface, and weak attempts to tread water while fighting the current sucking them out to sea.
Immediately realizing that they were caught in a rip tide, Shea didn’t hesitate. He was already in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, and he quickly kicked off his shoes before vaulting over the deck railing and hit the sand running.
He dove into the ocean, and thanks to his teenage years spent as a lifeguard, he reached the person in seconds -- and was shocked to discover that it was his neighbor, Claire, who’d gotten trapped in the current. Her eyes were filled with terror and she looked exhausted, as though she was barely hanging on.
He wrapped his arm around her mid-section so she no longer had to struggle to stay afloat. “Just relax against me and I’ll get you back to the beach safely,” he said, and was glad when she trusted him enough to let him do all the work, which wasn’t always the case when you were trying to save someone in a panic.
With Claire secured in his embrace, he began hauling her limp, buoyant body parallel to the strong channel of water until they were out of danger of the rip tide, then started back toward the shore. Once they were there, he lifted her in his arms, carried her to the dry sand and laid her down, wanting to make sure that she was okay and didn’t need any kind of medical treatment, or CPR. She rolled to her side, coughing and gasping for air, and he gave her a moment to calm down and get her bearings.
He quickly assessed her stability. At least she was breathing on her own, but he had no doubt she was shaken badly by the incident, as he was, Shea realized. His heart was pounding hard and fast in his chest, and a surge of adrenaline raced through his blood.
Thank God Goldie had seen her in time.
Kneeling beside Claire, he reached out and gently pushed wet strands of her golden blonde hair away from her face, waiting for her to catch her breath and her panic to subside. Her cheek was so smooth and soft against his fingertips, as he always imagined it would be. Despite the gravity of the situation, the attraction he’d always felt toward Claire swelled to the surface in a rush of desire and lust and wanting.
Swallowing hard against those emotions, he reminded himself that she was a married woman. Even if her husband was an arrogant jackass and didn’t deserve someone as warm, sweet, and caring as she seemed to be. Caressing her skin for the sheer pleasure of it was strictly off limits for him.
And he’d do well to remember that.
