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“And that’s exactly what you did.”

She nodded. “And now I want to finish what he started and teach you how to do it correctly.”

Phoenix closed his hand over the rock. “Your brother could control earth and rock.”

Astrid pursed her lips, trying to hide a smile, but she didn’t say anything.

He continued. “And you can control water.”

She nodded.

He rolled his eyes. “Knowing both of you fairly well, I have a feeling the lesson was to help you control your power, not to actually learn to skip rocks.”

“I’m pretty sure you are right.”

“I have nothing that can help me do it better.”

“But it’s something we all share. Isn’t that enough?”

He smiled, then held out the rock. “Ok, teach me.”

It was far more awkward trying to get his grip right, not only because he was right-handed but because Phoenix was considerably larger than her. As she tried to adjust his grip from behind his broad, muscular back, she laughed. “I see what my brother meant. It’s so much harder when you use the wrong hand.”

He turned and looked at her. “I can use my left if that will help.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I’m ambidextrous.” He moved the rock to the other hand.

“Well, I’ll be damned.” She looked up at him. “You know, you really are fascinating. Even if we do get rid of the curse, I don’t think I want to leave you.”

He smiled, then leaned down and kissed her forehead. “I feel the same way. I’m pretty sure that we are mates, which is why it was impossible to push you out of my life.”

“I felt something like that, and I think you are right. That’s why no matter how much you annoyed me in the beginning, I couldn’t help but let you help me.”

This got a chuckle out of him. “I’m flattered.”

She wrapped her arms around his waist. “You should be. I didn’t beat you up like the last couple of guys who were interested in me.”

Laughing, he pried her arms off of him. “I thought you were going to give me a lesson. So, teacher, show me how it’s done.”

Astrid took the rock from his hand and skipped it easily across the pond. It disappeared for a minute, then came skipping back across the surface.

“Oh, I see how it is.” He shook his head. Then, with a glint in his eye, Phoenix picked her up before the rock returned to the shore. It took all of her power not to drop the rock as he moved behind her and started to skim his hands over her hips and breasts. When she was sure that the rock was safely on the banks of the lake, she turned and pounced on top of him, knocking him to the ground. He gripped her waist, pulling her to him. Once they hit the ground, he rolled over on top of her.

It was dark before she retrieved the rock and they returned to his house, leaving their clothing by the water as they walked back hand in hand.