The Officer's Runaway Wife & Secret Son novel Chapter 99

The sun in Sunbay City was vicious; by nine in the morning, the glare was blinding.

A white speedboat was docked at the pier. The captain, a local, was helping Rhys load the equipment cases onto the deck.

Under the sunshade at the stern, Clara sat waiting.

She was wearing a black full-body wetsuit and sunglasses, her gaze fixed on the line where the ocean met the sky in the distance.

Rhys was checking the gear.

It was a professional habit; no matter what, he had to verify safety personally to be at ease. He tested both sets of regulators and checked the pressure in the tanks.

Rhys had also changed into professional diving gear. His wet hair was slicked back, revealing a broad forehead and sharp brow bone.

Without his strict uniform, he looked several years younger.

Check complete, he walked over carrying two pairs of fins.

"Try the size."

He handed her the pink pair. "Don't wait until we're underwater to find out they don't fit."

Clara said, "I want the white ones."

"The white ones are a bit too big, they'll slip off." Rhys squatted down, grabbing her ankle without room for argument. "You're used to this pair. Be good."

He was making decisions for her again.

Clara lowered her eyes, watching him bow his head to help her put on the fins.

He was always like this—obsessively attentive to insignificant details, as if that could cancel out his major failures of principle.

"I don't like pink anymore," Clara said. "It's childish."

Rhys didn't stop. He maneuvered her heel into the strap and patted her leg. "You chose these yourself. Didn't you like them back then? Make do for now, I'll buy you new ones next time."

Clara just uttered a flat "Oh."

"Done." Rhys let go, looking over his work with satisfaction. "Perfect fit."

He reached for her hand again, intending to help her put on her dive computer.

Clara reacted quickly this time, pulling her hand back and grabbing the watch buckle. "I'll do it myself."

Rhys's hand paused in mid-air. He sighed helplessly. "Stay close to me once we're down. Don't wander off. The current is strong today."

Rhys stayed right beside her, reaching out to hold her hand.

Speech was impossible underwater; touch became the only way to communicate.

Clara watched Rhys's silhouette ahead of her.

He swam steadily, looking back at her every few seconds to check her status and adjust her trim.

In this sea, with no signal and no noise, he could only look at her. He could only hold onto her.

There was no Margot here, no messy problems, just the sound of each other's breathing.

Clara felt the strength in his grip. Her heart raced, her defenses crumbling just a fraction.

Maybe this wasn't so bad.

If time could stop in this second, if he could just hold onto her tightly like this forever...

After swimming for a while, they hovered near a patch of coral.

A school of small silver fish swirled past. Clara watched, mesmerized, and reached out to touch them. Rhys immediately swam over, shielding her from a potential hidden current.