Dangerous Allies // Cato Hadley

Part 17: Cooling Off

Her face grew serious when she noticed the frantic look on his face. His head started to bob in and out of the water and her heart began to race.

"Help!" With one straggled cry he disappeared under the water.

Without skipping a beat she plunged into the river. The murky water was hard to see through, unlike the ocean she was used to.

Dread filled her gut as she searched for the man who had disappeared. Her hand grasped a large forearm and she pulled his massive body out of the water. She fought against the weight of his limp body and the water below her as she dragged him up on the rocks.

His eyes were shut and his breathing was shallow.

"Shit." She hissed, tapping his face lightly with her hand. "Wake up."

She told herself that the only reason she wanted him awake was because the other careers would try to kill her if he was dead. The other reason was far scarier to think about than death.

She held her ear to his mouth, praying she would feel his breath on her skin.

Nothing.

"Damn it Cato." She grabbed his face and lowered her lips to his.

She blew into his mouth and was more than surprised when he blew right back.

With a yelp she jerked her head away.

He sat up to laugh hysterically at the girl who just tried to save his life.

"If you wanted a kiss all you had to do was ask." He grinned. "No need to wait till I'm unconscious."

"That was mean!" She yelled, slapping his chest.

"No, this is mean." He said, grabbing her waist in his large hands.

"Put me down!" She kicked and slapped at him, but it was no use. He threw her straight back into the water.

She swam back to the surface and spit the fresh water from her mouth. "Asshole!"

He pulled his wet shirt from his back and threw it to the ground. She watched his muscles ripple as he pulled the belt from his waist.

His stomach tensed as he twisted himself out of his pants, making something stir deep in Eve. She wondered what his skin felt like when it tensed like that.

She didn't get much time to marvel at the man in only his underwear before his body was hurdling towards her.

She ducked under the water, missing the giant splash that followed his plunge.

When she resurfaced he was standing in the middle of the river with a bright smile on his face.

Standing?

"You can touch?" Her mouth fell open as she treaded against the water.

"Would you have come back in to save me if you knew I could?" He grinned.

"Of course not." She scoffed.

"Then I'm glad I lied." His smile was enough for her to forget why she was mad.