Sin for Love by Claudia Bradshaw Page B

 When I chickened out about putting my toes in the water, Reese chased me down the beach, picked me up, and walked out into the ocean until the water was just below his waist.  He tried to persuade me to stand up on my own for the past five minutes.  Nothing was working until he said the words, “I’ve got you,” and memories from being on the dance floor last night came rushing back.  I trusted him.  The feeling was as foreign to me as the waves that were now lapping at my stomach.
    When my feet hit the bottom, I felt the sand and wiggled my toes to make it squish between them while I skimmed the surface of the water with my hands, watching the water move between my fingers.  I am in the fucking ocean!  Just then, something slimy rubbed up against my leg, making me jump and squeal. “Reese! There is something down there! It just touched my leg!”
    He reached down between my legs and pulled out a slimy piece of seaweed while laughing, “Of course there is something down there. It’s the ocean.  But I’m pretty sure you are safe.”
    I instantly felt silly for squealing the way I had, and Reese’s laughing at me didn’t help, so I did what any other girl would do.  I went into attack mode and started splashing him as much as I could.  Of course, that backfired on me as Reese’s strong arms wrapped around me and he took us both completely underwater.
    We spent the rest of the day lying under an umbrella and had a picnic lunch that Reese had packed on the beach.  We also joined in on a game of volleyball with the kids Reese had helped earlier.  Since I’d gotten over my fear of the ocean pretty quickly, we went in for an occasional dip to cool off.  Each time we went in, I tried to repay Reese with a surprise attack dunk, but he was always waiting for me.  At the end of the day, our dunking record was Reese fifteen, Tessa zero.
    We used the outdoor shower that was on the side of the house to remove the saltwater and sand from our bodies before heading inside. Then Reese said that he needed to stop by the shop to sign some paperwork.  I immediately jumped at the chance to see the shop and quickly dressed in a sundress that was white with little yellow flowers and a skinny yellow belt with matching sandals.  I ran some product through my damp hair and let it air dry, knowing that the day at the beach was going to give me amazing waves.  Reese said that the shop wasn’t too far and that we could walk. It would give me a chance to see more of Mission Beach, and I loved the idea.
    Holding hands, we walked along the sidewalk that ran the length of the beach. I was sure we looked like a real couple, and I felt a pinch on my heart when I reminded myself that we weren’t.  Our arrangement was only temporary, and I needed to remember that before I got hurt.
    Needing an excuse to let go of his hand, I turned so I could face him, and as I started skipping backwards, I asked, “Since we have to go back tomorrow, can we have a fire on the roof tonight?”
    “That’s just what I had in mind,” he replied and caught my hand again, the gentle squeeze he gave telling me not to let go again.
    After a few more short blocks, we reached the shop. It was now seven o’clock and the shop had closed for the day.  Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a key to unlock the door, punched the code into the security system, and then reached over and flipped on a couple of lights.
    “Come on. I’ll give you the grand tour,” he said and then led me through the shop, showing me the lounge they had set up with leather recliners, large TVs, a pool table, and a few Xbox’s for customers to enjoy while they waited.  We then moved on to his back offices so he could sign the paperwork we were there for.
    After he had finished everything, he started to lead me back to the front door but I stopped and said, “I want to see the shop, Reese. Where the work is done.”
    “It’s dirty back there, Tessa. You could ruin your