Naomi was consumed by uncontrollable giggles as Caspian's worried face hovered over her.
"Did you hit your head?" He asked, causing her to lapse into another round of laughter.
Finally gaining some control over herself, she reached one hand up to pull a large piece of seaweed from his hair and display it for him to see.
"Ah," He said, taking it from her and tossing it aside. She tried to contain her chortling but was unsuccessful, and he found himself joining in her mirth.
Her hair had come loose from its restraints in the tumble and lay around her head like a halo of curls. He brushed some gently from her forehead and her laughter suddenly died away. She leaned her face into his palm, closing her eyes.
He took in the sight of her, sparkling with life and laughter after a fall in the water. Of course his mother had found one of the most flattering swimming dresses possible for Naomi to wear, but the effect was successful.
Up on one elbow, hovering over this captivating sea sprite, he was nearly consumed by emotion.
His thumb traced the outline of her delicate cheek bone, and she sighed with a little smile. Was she as affected by their nearness as he was?
Naomi's eyes opened to look at him, shining with the thrill of their watery adventure.
When she saw the seriousness in his look, she swallowed and bit her lip nervously.
"Stop that," He whispered and she hastily complied as his thumb moved to graze her lower lip. His eyes focused there, beguiled by the tempting color.
She seemed to be searching for some reply or apology to make, but none came as his head slowly lowered, his eyes flickering to hers as if to confirm something there.
Naomi tilted her head towards him the barest amount, and then gasped as his mouth passionately covered hers.
Time seemed to stop as he kissed her, so overwhelmed was she by the sensation. His hand left her cheek, sliding down her neck and across her shoulder and back before coming to a stop at her waist.
Pulling her body against his and deepening the kiss, he felt her tremble in response. Her arms found their way behind his neck and held him closer when he thought she would push him away. His heart thundered in his ears louder than the surf.
Just as he felt his control slipping away entirely, another wave crashed up onto the shore, splashing their faces with its cool spray.
Caspian recoiled, moving away as his ragged breathing punctuated the depth of his abandon.
_____
Naomi sat up and drew her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. Suddenly she felt more vulnerable than she ever had in her life. The damp fabric clung to her shape, and she wondered if this really was what the local women wore to swim.
Her husband stared at her in perfect silence, unmoving, looking as if his entire world had undergone a monumental change in the last several moments.
Finally, she could stand meeting his gaze no longer and dropped her eyes to the sand, wanting to cry for reasons she didn't quite understand. It felt like rejection somehow, though she had not initiated anything about the contact.
Swallowing her tears, she determined not to let him see her cry over this. She blinked the moisture out of her eyes to see an open hand reaching toward her.
Caspian stood in front of her, offering to help her rise. Tentatively, she put her hand in his and allowed him to assist her.
He dropped it once she was standing, and they walked side by side without speaking, a little further from the waterline than they had been.
Most of the time, the silences between them were comfortable and mutual. This quiet was filled with electricity and tension as they walked closely enough to touch each other without doing so.
"The first rule of swimming," He cleared his throat to say, "is not to panic. Staying calm is essential to being near any kind of water."
Naomi nodded, unable to reply. She certainly wasn't calm right now. Her heartbeat still hadn't slowed much.
Caspian continued his verbal discourse on the basics of staying afloat as they continued down the beach. The lecture was a welcome change from the silence, and she warmed to it slowly.
Soon, she began asking questions, and their conversation fell into a companionable back and forth that almost covered the tension underneath it.
At length, they came to the cove that Caspian had spoken of: a nice, calm alcove of water just deep enough to make swimming viable.
She stepped unsteadily into the water, and he offered his hand for support. As she took it, they paused and looked at each other. The magnetic pull was undeniable now, but Caspian launched into a reminder of the most important instructions before releasing her to try on her own.
The rest of the lesson passed with him touching her as little as possible while still maintaining some form of helpful instruction. Somewhat disappointed by the change in his demeanor, but relieved that the tension was kept to a minimum by the distance he kept, Naomi obeyed as best she could.
By the end of the afternoon, her stomach was rumbling, and her muscles were sore, but there was a marked improvement in her ability to keep her head above the water.
Caspian's approving nod was her reward for the hard work, and it was plenty. She beamed at him, dripping and shivering slightly in the air.
His eyes widened and he looked away, his face unreadable again.
"We should head back," He said, and walked back towards the settlement without another word.
She sighed lightly, allowing him to brood as they walked. Having found some courage in her new ability to keep afloat, she determined to enjoy the rest of the day rather than be weighed down by Caspian's fluctuating moods.
"Thank you for the lesson," She offered, to make peace.
"You're welcome." He replied simply.
"About earlier…" She bit her lip, and Caspian cut his eyes over at her as he tensed his shoulders. "Did you say floating on your back or stomach is better?"
Naomi grimaced at the way she chickened out of the real question she had wanted to ask.
"Back is nice if you're relaxing in very calm waters, but floating on your stomach with your face in the water can conserve more energy if done correctly, coming up for breath intermittently," He explained, relaxing a little bit.
"What's next?" She asked curiously, meaning the lessons, but the double meaning hung in the air.
"I'm not sure," Caspian admitted, suddenly stopping. "Naomi, I–"
She paused mid-step, afraid to turn and look at him. The implied rejection earlier had hurt. Direct rejection was sure to be far worse.
He sighed.
"I got carried away earlier. I'm–"
"Please," Naomi whispered. "Please don't apologize to me." She gathered the courage to look him in the eye.
"But–" He tried to interrupt.
"I'm your wife. You've had the right to assert… marital privileges…" She chose her words delicately, "from our first night. You don't need to apologize to me now."
His eyes filled with longing and pain.
"We've spoken frankly at times in the past," He said, "I would like to do so again, now."
Naomi dropped her gaze to the sand and nodded, dreading what he had to say that required such an introduction.
"You know that my parents arranged this life for me. That I would not have chosen it," He began. "I resist, in my heart, being controlled in such a way. I have been determined to resist you, and find myself increasingly unable to do so. It unnerves me and irritates me that I have so little self-control."
His wife looked up at him in confusion. He was determined to resist her? She couldn't deny that she'd felt hints of his reluctance. To hear him name it made several things click into place.
Her heart began to crack. He wasn't trying to love her, as she'd assumed from his wording before. He was trying NOT to love her.
But, he was failing? Is that what he said?
"I thank you for your honesty," She responded, a little flatly. "I do not fully understand your meaning, but I appreciate your candor."
He was irritated by her? Unnerved? It was all very strange.
"I'm not being clear," He passed a hand over his face, "You feel I'm insulting you. I'm not. I'm actually complimenting you, in my own bizarre way."
"I'm confused." She was afraid to say more. She didn't want to hope, lest it be dashed. She didn't want to assume the worst, and offend her husband. So she remained silent.
"Naomi, look at me. Please." He took her hands in his, and she hesitantly looked up at him. Her dark-gold eyes pleaded for honesty.