Beth

An April heat wave had hit Los Angeles. It was supposed to get up to 100 degrees, with not much of an ocean breeze. I figured Mick was just getting up in the early afternoon, so I risked a call.

"Hey," he answered sleepily. "Good timing. I just woke up."

I could imagine him in his kitchen, just finishing a glass of O neg, pajama pants, naked chest, bare feet.

"Good afternoon." I said, "What plans do you have for today, now that it's half over for most of us mortals?"

"I just heard the weather forecast. I'm staying inside."

"That's my delicate flower," I chuckled. "You know, I noticed Josef has a pool."

"That's just for show. I doubt he personally ever uses it."

"Isn't it in the shade this time of day?"

I felt warm at his soft, sexy laugh. "Are you trying to get me into a bathing suit?"

"Do you even own one?"

"Beth, I live in LA. Of course I own a bathing suit."

"It's not a Speedo, is it?" I asked, in mock panic.

His voice went all warm and melty. "I'll let you find out."

"Oh, so you like my idea? Do you think Josef would mind if we borrowed his pool?"

I could almost hear him thinking. Probably weighing how much grief he would get from Josef, versus how much he wanted to see me in a bathing suit.

"I'll call him and ask," he said, almost reluctantly. "By the way, is your suit a bikini?"

"I'll let you find out," I mimicked.

He laughed. "I'll call you back in a minute."

Mick

After I hung up with Beth, I speed-dialed Josef. If he was working from the office today, he probably wouldn't care if we used the pool at his house. I knew, however, that he wouldn't let me have it easily.

"Hey, Mick. Why the hell do we live in LA? I know it's not for the cool ocean breezes."

"It must be the fast cars and faster women," I told him.

"Well, I'm glad we can partake of those things at night, because a vampire wasn't meant to survive in this hostile environment."

"So, are you working from home today?"

"I wish I hadn't had to leave the house. No, I'm stuck in the office, having to put out a few fires my screw-up board members started. Why, did you need something?"

Okay, I thought, here goes. "Can Beth and I borrow your pool?"

A silent beat, then: "Hmmm…some skinny-dipping with the human, eh? A little water nookie? A little Blue Lagoon in the backyard? The underwater mambo?"

"Is that a yes or a no?"

"Wait—I'm not done."

"Go ahead, Josef, get it all out of your system…"

"Doing the breast stroke? Watching the submarine races? Launching the torpedo? Searching for Moby Dick? Diving for pearls and shucking the oyster? Doing the soak and poke? Parting the pink sea? Driving the flesh boat to Tuna Town? Spearing the--"

"Okay, Josef," I tried to get out between guffaws of laughter. "Stop!"

We were both laughing hysterically by then. I wiped my eyes, and held my stomach.

Josef recovered first. "Sure man, it's at your disposal. I'll let Niles know you're com—I mean, that you'll be there."

"Thanks, Josef. I'm so glad I called."

"Anything for the good of humanity."

I had to recover a few minutes before I could call Beth back with the good news.

Beth

When I arrived at Josef's palatial dwelling, I saw that Mick had beaten me there. His old Mercedes was parked in the driveway. I pulled in beside him and went to the door. I had been in this house before, but I was once again impressed by the modern and obviously expensive furnishings: lots of chrome, hardwood, and glass. His butler, Niles, was expecting me, and led me down a long hall to the enclosed patio near the pool. I went out the sliding glass door, looking around for Mick. The clear blue water was a little choppy, so I knew he must have already gotten in. I walked to the edge and looked down to see Mick at the bottom of the pool, not moving. I waited a few seconds, then began counting. I reached thirty. Forty. Fifty. Sixty. He didn't emerge.

"Mick!" I yelled. "Mick!" No movement. "Oh, my God!" I said, dropping my beach bag and kicking off my shoes, not bothering to take off my shorts and t-shirt. I jumped in the pool and swam down to where he lay, face down, eight feet under. I touched his back and he turned over suddenly, grabbed me, and pulled me up with him to the surface.

I came up sputtering, my heart pounding, still in panic mode. "Hi, Beth," he said cheerfully. Still stunned, I remained near him, slowly treading water. My shocked expression must have finally registered.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He reached up and slicked back his hair, swimming closer to me.

"I thought you were drowning," I said in a whisper.

"What?" He noticed I was fully dressed. "You saw me under the water and thought—oh, Beth. I'm sorry!" He pulled me to him and I wrapped my arms around his cold, wet torso. "Honey, vampires don't need to breathe, remember?"

I leaned back to look at him. Of course. How stupid of me. Nevertheless, I was suddenly angry at him, remembering the overwhelming fear I'd just experienced. I began splashing him in the face.

"Don't ever do that to me again!" I yelled. "You scared the hell out of me!"

He caught my splashing hands in his, trying not to laugh.

"Hey, I said I was sorry!" I swam to the nearby ladder and climbed out, standing there, dripping and shivering. I don't know how Josef kept the pool so extremely cold, even on a hot day like this.

Then I was struck with the beauty of Mick St. John, emerging from the water like some sort of god. Poseidon in navy blue swimming trunks. He walked toward me and took me in his arms, his cold lips taking mine in what rapidly turned into a hot melding of mouths. I tried to resist, but in his arms I immediately forgot my anger and fear and held him tighter.

Next thing I knew, he was attempting to remove my soaking wet t-shirt. I had worn my bathing suit underneath, and I guess he was a little anxious to see it. I stepped away, and slowly pulled off my shirt. I watched his eyes light up at the sight of my skimpy black bikini top. His hands reached down to help me unzip my shorts, then pull the wet denim haltingly down my legs. I kicked them away as he kneeled before me, kissing his way up my leg, slowing down as he reached the inside of my trembling thigh. His fingers slipped under the string ties at my hips, then moved their way to my bottom. He stood up so he could push me back into him and kiss me again.

"Wow!" he said softly, admiring my suit, and, I assumed, what was filling it out. "You're hot!"

I laughed. "Hey, no Speedo! I'm so glad!" We smiled at each other a minute.

"Beth," he said, "can we start this date over?"

"Sure. Sorry I overreacted. I still can't get used to all your vampire tricks."

" I remember the first time I went swimming after I was turned. I almost panicked after I'd been underwater about five minutes, even though I had no need to breathe. Just the idea of it can be pretty disturbing. If I'd known you were there, I would have come up right away."

He smiled his sweet and innocent smile, the one that made me melt, gave me one more kiss, then took my hand and walked with me to the shallow end of the pool where the steps were. He walked into the water to his neck, sighing loudly in bliss. The water was freezing, but I went in and under right away to try to get used to it. If it weren't so hot outside, there would be no way I could stay in. We played around like kids for awhile, enjoying just being together in this new environment. He had fun swimming up behind me and surprising me with his vampire stealth, then stealing a kiss before swimming to the other end of the pool in about two seconds.

I was resting against the side of the pool, in a corner where various tropical plants provided a little cover. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. Suddenly, Mick was in front of me, kissing his way up my neck, hands caressing me, seemingly everywhere at once. When his lips met mine, his hand dipped into my bathing suit bottoms at the same time. I moaned and held on to his shoulders. Where we were he could touch bottom, but I couldn't. He continued touching and kissing me until I felt like I couldn't breathe, then he pulled the strings at my hips, and I felt him pull me down on top of him. I didn't know when he'd removed his swimming trunks.

"Mick," I breathed, "the butler…"

"…is to stay out of our hair unless we call for him. No one else is here."

I had never made love in the water before, but here I was with a vampire. The cold water didn't seem to have affected his stamina at all, like it might a human man; in fact, it seemed to have enhanced it. I wrapped my legs around his waist and looked into his eyes, which were silvery and hungry. Our gazes held, and we couldn't look away, as first I, then he, climaxed, the water gently lapping around us. Then I felt his teeth at my neck, seeking more of what he craved. My heart pounded in time with the momentary pain, then the sensual pressure as he drank from me. About a minute passed and he stopped, licking at the bite gently.

"Sorry, Beth," he said when we had both caught our breath. "I didn't plan to do that."

I looked into his eyes. "Sure you didn't," I teased. "Not even in the back of your mind when you agreed to my swimming idea?"

He couldn't meet my eyes anymore, and laughed. "Okay, I confess. Sex in the pool is just one of the many fantasies I've had about you." He looked back up. "Don't tell me this isn't what you wanted too?" He asked suspiciously.

"Oh, I freely admit it," I told him. "What woman wouldn't take advantage of having Mick St. John half naked in a swimming pool?" I looked down through the clear blue water. "Or all naked." My hands roamed over his shoulders and to his chest, marveling that he was mine.

I pulled back to look into his eyes. "Your eyes are the color of the water," I told him. "You know, they change with your surroundings, or with what you're wearing. It took me a long time to figure out their real color. When they're not vampire silver, that is."

"Oh, really." He seemed amused but flattered that I'd noticed his eyes.

"Yes," I went on, undaunted by his amusement. "They are hazel, I think. And I love them. I love you," I said, suddenly trembling with the emotion of it. He overwhelmed me in about every way possible.

"I love you too, Beth. More than I can put into words." He put both hands on my face, and kissed me tenderly, then put his arms around me. A few minutes later, he suddenly swam away from me, under the water. He resurfaced, black bikini bottoms and blue swimming trunks in hand.

"Are you about ready to get out? I think your lips are turning blue." I reached down awkwardly to put on the bottoms. He helped me tie them back on. I watched him pull on his suit, laughing at how difficult it was in the water. He lifted me up by the waist and set me up on the edge of the pool, then followed after me. I got up and grabbed two huge, fluffy towels from a nearby cabinet.

We dried off, but I could tell being out of the water in the heat was taking its toll. I slipped on my sandals, picked up my bag, and let him lead me into the enclosed, air-conditioned patio. Shivering, I wrapped the towel around me. I looked back through the glass at our little oasis.

"That was fun," I said. "It was nice of Josef to let us use the pool. Do you think he'll suspect just how we used it."

Mick followed my gaze to our little corner of the pool. He laughed. "No, I'm sure he didn't even give it a thought."