A New Kind of Love (step sister/step brother romance)

Chapter Six

And then we were falling.

Wind was rushing past my ears. I squeezed my eyes shut. The butterflies in my stomach felt more like animals running around inside of me. I gripped Brendon's hand tighter and in an instant, it was over. I was enveloped in ice water and I felt all my limbs go numb as I thrashed around in the freezing cold water of the pool.

Adrenaline pulsed through my veins as I realized I needed to kick to the surface of the water.

The burst of energy was awesomely overwhelming. I felt like time had slowed down as I opened my eyes and in front, behind and to my sides was grey, icy water.

Before I could take action, I was yanked out of the water by warm hands. I coughed up water that was lodged in my throat on the side of the pool. Those warm hands had started to pat my back to comfort me.

My awareness of the cold was suddenly banished as I looked up and was lost, again, in Brendon's eyes.

I looked him up and down and saw that, like me, he was soaked wet and shivering. His dark hair was dripping over his angular face and sparkling water drops were scattered over his chest.

"You look, bedazzled?" I offered through my chattering teeth.

God bless him he laughed and lifted me to my feet. "I think we need to get you inside before you get hyperthermia, young lady."

His warm arms circled my waist and he led me to the patio doors. I screamed as a man's face suddenly came into view, directly in front of my own, through the tinted glass.

"You better not be planning to come through these doors dripping wet, children!" I only just heard the cleaning man from before say. His words were muffled by the mask he had on, and I could barely hear him through the thick glass.

I held a hand to my heart and sighed in relief, it was only crazy pants. I hoped Brendon hadn't noticed how on edge I had been since meeting him, but judging by his stare, which was currently fixed on the hand on my chest, he had.

Wait a minute...I looked down and realized my underwear had gone completely see through.

Bastard.

I banged on the doors now, not only freezing but deeply embarrassed. "Let us in! It's freezing!" I yelled so he could hear me.

"I just cleaned this room, thank you very much!" he hollered back. We heard the distinctive click of him locking the doors.

I shrieked in frustration and banged my fist against the glass. I couldn't feel my face, or my fingertips...or my bottom, which thanks to our dip was in perfect view.

"Don't worry, I got this," Brendon said, grabbing my fists before they hit the doors again.

He dropped my fists after he was sure I wouldn't lash out again and beckoned for me to follow him back towards the pool. I hadn't noticed it before, but there was a pool house only a few meters beyond where Brendon was now jogging! We were saved!

I walked as fast as my freezing limbs would let me and found Brendon standing on the stone doorstep looking furious. I followed his gaze to the door and saw a note stuck to it, it wrote –

Kids, I have locked this door because I am a mean man, and you laughed about the vacuum of doom.

Sincerely, Amberwood cleaning service

My teeth were chattering so violently I found it difficult to hear myself think. I could only register parts of what Brendan was saying, stuff like, "bloody hell I'll sue them," and, "all because of that vacuum."