Third person's POV
Tabitha had thought they were in real trouble, considering this was a private pool with no instructors or lifeguards around.
If anything happened, no one would notice.
Derek appeared out of nowhere, swiftly reaching out one hand to pluck Ayla from the water as if she were a chick, and with the other, he quickly wrapped his arm around Tabitha's waist.
After safely placing Ayla on the shore, he turned to Tabitha with concern and asked, "How are you feeling now?"
"My leg cramped. I just need a moment to recover."
"Alright, hold on tight to me."
At that moment, Tabitha didn't care about maintaining any proper distance between a man and a woman. She wrapped her arms tightly around Derek's neck, waiting for the painful cramps in her leg to subside.
Derek wasn't in a hurry. After confirming Ayla was fine, he just stayed quietly with Tabitha.
It took about ten seconds for the spasms in her calf to gradually ease.
She let out a sigh of relief, only then realizing she was pressed tightly against Derek.
In her fear of sinking, she had clung to him without realizing it.
What was worse, they were in a face-to-face position, her soft chest pressed firmly against him.
It was creating an extremely awkward situation due to the pain and her forceful grip.
To prevent her from slipping back into the water, Derek had to hold onto the pool's edge with one hand while steadying her waist with the other.
His hot body temperature was constantly transmitted to Tabitha.
Their intimate posture would seem charged with flirtation to anyone who saw it.
Realizing this wasn't quite appropriate, Tabitha quickly released her grip.
But forgetting she was still in the water, her body immediately began to sink again.
Derek let out an exasperated sigh and dove back in.
Fortunately, the water wasn't very deep, just over two meters. He quickly wrapped his arm around her waist again, guiding her to the surface.
This time, Tabitha fully understood her predicament and stopped struggling, clinging to Derek's body with the thought of getting safely to shore first.
Derek was wearing only a thin, long-sleeved shirt. As she reached around him, she inadvertently felt his firm and toned waist and abdomen.
She had noticed his good physique when he rescued her from the sea before, but this closer contact revealed a body that was even better than she had imagined.
Tabitha's palms were burning, but she dared not let go.
Derek carried her to the shore, and her face was already flushed red.
This time, Derek said directly, "Don't let go, I'll take you back to your room."
Tabitha kept her head down, not sure if she was imagining things, but it seemed Derek's voice had become deeper and hoarser.
Nestled in Derek's arms, she dared not look at his face, feeling utterly embarrassed by their close contact.
The little troublemaker, Ayla, who had caused this incident, acted as if nothing had happened and obediently followed behind Derek.
Back in the room, Derek carefully put Tabitha down and patiently reminded her, "Be careful."
"Okay."
Tabitha kept her head down, watching the water droplets streaming from Derek's shirt, and cautiously explained, "Um... do you think I'm silly?"
Derek almost laughed out loud. It was the first time in their long hours of interaction that he had seen Tabitha look so cute and shy.
"No, I know it wasn't intentional. It's just because your body hasn't fully recovered yet. Go change your clothes quickly. Don't catch a cold, and I'll head back to my room first."
"Alright."
Tabitha closed the door quickly, shook her head, and tried to banish the images of her intimate contact with Wilmot from her mind.
Derek also hurried back to his room.
He glanced down at his white shirt, noticing the color had started to bleed.
Derek took off his contact lenses, stripped off his clothes, and walked barefoot under the shower.
In the rising steam, his mind was filled with the intimate embrace he had just shared with Tabitha underwater.
His throat involuntarily rolled, his body tensed, and he softly whispered, "Tabitha."