My heart jumped into my throat as I slowly moved down the steps into the pool. Warm water swirled around my calves, my knees, my hips, and I sharply sucked in air when it reached my waist.

Finn stood a few feet away, clad only in a pair of boxer shorts, droplets of water gleaming like diamonds on his muscled chest. He must have proper swimming trunks in the house, so I assumed he'd chosen to wear his boxers so I wouldn't feel weird about being in my underwear.

"I'm right here," he said, and held out both hands. "Can you reach me?"

I eyed the distance between us.

Both of Finn's feet were firmly planted on the floor, he wasn't close to being out of his depth yet, but he was a lot taller than me.

I shuffled closer.

The water rose around my waist, and as it touched the underside of my breasts, panic fluttered inside me. I paused, breathing hard.

"Just a little further," Finn encouraged.

Another step.

Then another.

The floor sloped suddenly down, the water deepening, and I froze, my throat clamming up.

"I can't," I whispered.

"You sure?" Finn's voice was gentle.

I closed my eyes.

I heard the swish of water, then a warm, wet hand cupped my cheek. I opened my eyes. Finn stood in front of me, his grey eyes soft, drops of water sparkling in his messy hair.

"Sorry," I mumbled.

"For what?"

I shrugged. It wasn't my fault, I couldn't help my phobia, but somehow I still felt like I was letting us both down.

"Look." Finn turned my head so I was looking back the way I'd come. "See how much further you've come since yesterday?"

"It only looks like an extra couple of steps," I said.

"That's still two more steps than yesterday."

Well, that was true.

"Hey." Finn's thumb stroked my cheek, and I automatically turned my face into his touch. "Don't beat yourself up, you're doing great."

I let out a shaky breath. "Somehow I don't think you're going to get me swimming before the snow melts though."

He flashed me a cocky grin. "Keep telling yourself that."

"Keep telling yourself that."

His grin only widened.

He slid one arm under my butt and hoisted me up, water sloshing around us. "You know why I'm so confident?" he asked.

I shook my head.

Finn gazed up at me as I braced my hands on his shoulders, feeling that solid muscle under my palms.

"Because the Tasha that I know doesn't run from her fears. She grabs them by the throat and kicks them in the balls," Finn said.

I swallowed a sudden knot in my throat.

Was that how he saw me?

It sure as shit wasn't how I saw myself.

"I'm not sure that's true." My voice came out as a whisper.

Finn shrugged, the movement lifting me higher, then lower. "I disagree. You're here now, aren't you? Facing the water even though you're scared of it."

"I wouldn't be doing that without you though."

"So? That doesn't change anything," Finn said.

I still wasn't convinced of that.

"Maybe you'll never be comfortable going snorkelling or cage-diving with sharks –"

Even the thought of it made me clutch him tighter.

"– but I don't believe you'll be scared of this pool forever. I think you're going to kick its arse," Finn went on.

"Swimming pools don't have asses," I said.

Another shrug.

"I believe in you," Finn said. "I think this will be good for you, and I know that you'll get there, no matter how long it takes." A wicked gleam crept into his eyes as they drifted down, resting on my soaked-through bra. "And in the meantime, I get to enjoy the view."

My nipples, already slightly peaked, hardened even more, pushing insistently at the wet cotton of my bra, and Finn licked his lips.

A throb of sudden need pulsed between my legs.

"Oh, so that's what this is all about," I said.

Finn ran one thumb across my left nipple. "It's definitely a perk."

I locked my hands behind his neck, pressing myself against him. His cock was already rock-hard, a bar of iron between my legs. It was my turn to lick my lips.

"Last time I went in the pool, I was given a reward," I said, gently rolling my hips against Finn.

The slight hitch of his breath was so fucking satisfying.

The first time he'd flirted with me had just been because I was there. If another woman had been in the room, he might have flirted with her instead. His reaction now was genuine.

It was because of me, who I was, what we shared.

If another woman had been in the room now, I don't think Finn would even look at her.

"And you think you deserve another one?" Finn said, his thumb brushing my other nipple.

"If those extra couple of steps are as impressive as you said."

Finn's hand slid down, running over the curve of my hip. "A solid argument."

"I thought so."

His palm glided along the seam of my inner thigh, and I widened my thighs as much as I could, silently begging him.

Finn smiled, not his cocky rockstar grin, but something hungry and wolfish and male, and my stomach filled with butterflies.

God, he was gorgeous.

Finn's thumb found my clit, rubbing gently through my panties, and the breath rushed out of my lungs.

He pressed down harder, and a bolt of electricity shot through me, making my hips buck against him.

"Fuck, that feels good," I whispered.

Finn murmured something but I didn't hear what.

He slid his hand into my panties, his thumb massaging that exquisite bundle of nerve endings, while his fingers moved lower, tracing my entrance, slow and teasing.

My toes curled.

"God," I breathed.

"There you go, flattering me again," Finn said.

A snort of laughter slipped out, and I almost lost my grip but Finn's strong arm held me steady, supporting my weight.

"You're so fucking beautiful," he murmured, his eyes roving over my face.

I wasn't expecting him to say that, and while I was trying to find words to respond, Finn slid one long finger deep inside, and then all I could say was, "Oh."

His finger pumped, his thumb massaged, igniting a storm between my legs, and I tried to help him support my weight, gripping his hips with my knees, but it was too much, the pleasure was too intense, and when he lowered his head and sucked my nipple through my wet bra, I gave up even trying and sagged in his arm, my head tipped back.

Finn hitched me up a little higher, his finger slipping free, and I made a small noise of protest. He strode forward, water lapping against my aching sex as he carried me to the shallow end of the pool, and I thought he'd carry me out, to one of the loungers like last time, but on the second step he stopped, turned, and lowered himself down until he was sitting and I was straddling his lap.

His cock, hot and hard, reared eagerly between us, and I grasped the waist of his boxers and rolled them down, letting it spring free. God, it was a thing of fucking beauty, like the rest of the man.

Finn leaned back on his elbows, half in, half out of the water as he watched me peel off my sodden bra and panties. I wanted to do it slowly, to make him savour the view, but I was afraid of slipping on the wet steps. I tossed my underwear over Finn's head, not caring where they landed, and rose up on my knees, running my hands down my own body, making sure to linger on my breasts, drawing Finn's hungry gaze, before travelling further down to frame the wet junction between my legs.

"Fucking gorgeous," Finn murmured.

He pulled me closer, his palms on the back of my thighs, and shifted position until I was standing directly over him. I paused to look down at him.

Finn stared back at me, his grey eyes storm-dark, his hair darker from the water, glistening beads clinging to the muscles in his chest and stomach, sliding over his defined biceps, down the jutting length of his cock.

His tattoos looked brighter than ever, garish against his tanned skin, and it occurred to me that I couldn't remember the last time I'd noticed the uglier ones. They were a part of him. I'd got used to them.

My eyes locked with Finn's, I slowly lowered myself. As the smooth head of his cock breached me, Finn closed his eyes, but I fought to keep mine open. I wanted to see every expression on his face, wanted to commit every single part of this to memory.

He felt fucking huge in this position, stretching me, filling me, and I almost couldn't take it. I sank further down, as slowly as I could, dragging out every exquisite sensation, until I was fully straddling him, his cock buried deep.

Finn opened his eyes, and his expression took my breath away. He gazed up at me as if I was something truly special, something precious, and as I gazed down at him, I didn't see Finn Donovan, the rockstar I'd crushed on for years, I saw my Finn, the man who was slowly creeping into my heart.

His hands settled on my hips, his black nail polish stark against my pale skin, and gently squeezed, urging me to move.

Bracing my hands on his shoulders, I gave him what we both wanted. I rode him, hard and fast, water sloshing around us, and at first Finn's hands just rested on my hips, but as I increased my rhythm, his grip tightened, and then he was lifting me and slamming me back down, ferociously impaling me on his cock, until all I could do was cling to him, raggedly gasping around the spikes of raw pleasure shooting through me.

Finn lowered his head and ran his tongue over my nipple, the hardness of the metal stud igniting my nerve endings. He bit down, just shy of pain, and I let out a hoarse shout.

Sweet fire raced over my skin and through my veins.

Finn's hips rose to meet mine, driving into me, going deeper and harder than he ever had before, and oh God, I couldn't breathe, I was going to come apart.

"Finn," I gasped.

"Louder," he ordered and bit my other nipple.

"Finn," I screamed.

An explosion of pure bliss ripped through me, every muscle in my body locking tight, my head falling back, and I couldn't keep my eyes open, couldn't keep from shrieking his name over and over.

His arms clamped around my waist, slamming me down once more and holding me in place, his hips jerking against me as he came, hot warmth pulsing deep into my sex.

Finn's tight grip finally relaxed, and I slumped forward, falling across his chest like a ragdoll. His heart beat fast against my ear.

"I like your rewards," I mumbled.

"Do I get the gold medal in fucking?" Finn asked.

"You get all the medals."

His ran his palm up my spine and buried his fingers in my hair. "I'll wear them next time I make you scream."

"Won't they get in the way?"

"Nah, it'll give you something else to hang on to."

I smiled. "Look at you, thinking ahead."

Finn stroked my back and squeezed my butt. "You keep me motivated."

"And to think when we first met, you said I sat like I had a stick up my ass," I teased, tickling his ribs.

He squeezed my butt again. "You did." His voice lowered. "Maybe you'll sit like that again, only this time it'll my stick up your arse."

I spluttered. "Oh my God, you did not just say that."

Finn smiled, arrogant and unrepentant. Fuck, I loved that smile.

Maybe more than just the smile.

Shit.

I was falling.

I was falling and I didn't know how to stop.