Page 90 of No Strings

We walk together to the buggy, and he throws the bag in. I pick up Esky and put her in the back. But as soon as I sit down, she jumps over onto my lap.

“Seat belt, we have to travel on the main road for a few kilometres.”

About twenty-five minutes later, we’re finally pulling up to what I assume used to be a town at one point. Rhys hops out of the car not saying anything, I follow him with my eyes and when he stops, I decide to also get out. When I reach him, we’re standing on the edge of what I’m sure is not a dam. The water is so clear, and it looks like it goes down forever.

“It used to be an old mine.” Rhys says, seeming to know my question without having to speak it.

“So why call it a dam?”

“Because it now holds water.” He says it as if it’s the most obvious answer. I open my mouth to say something but think against it. Instead, I look behind him and the car, and look again at the rubble.

“Yes, this is a ghost town.” He is walking back to the car.

Pursing my lips, “How did you know what I was thinking?”

“I could hear you from over here.” He chuckles and grabs the bag.

I close the distance because of curiosity, “What do you have in there anyway?”

He throws me my bikini, “Go chuck this on.”

“And where shall I do that?”

He looks at me and smirks.

I look at him not understanding, until I do, “Ah, no, I’m not getting changed here.”

“Why? I have seen you naked, and no one is here.”

“Argh, fine.” With a huff, I get undressed and slip my bikini on, while Rhys watches the whole exchange. His gaze darkens, “No, naughty Cowboy.” I scold him like a puppy, but I’m grinning before I even finish my sentence.

“You know,” he removes his shirt, showing off his muscles and tattoos, then starts on his pants. “I like that you have given me a nickname.”

I’m not even focusing on what he is saying because it’s in that moment, I realise he has gone commando.

“Getting a good look, Princess?”

My eyes snap to him. “I wasn’t looking.”

“No, of course not.” He laughs. “Let’s go.” He grabs my hand and walks me to the edge of what I now know to be an old mine.

“Is this even safe?”

“Probably not.” he says with a shrug.

He releases my hand and jumps in. When he breaches the water, he does that hair flick thing that makes my knees weak. But I'll never tellhim.

Before he can tell me to get in, I take a deep breath and jump.

“I thought I was going to have to push you in.”

“It’s so cold.”

“But refreshing.”

“No, just cold.” I chuckle while treading water. The downside to swimming in an abandoned open cut mine? No ledges to stand on. Esky is barking at us; not liking us being in open water or away from her.

After a couple minutes of swimming around, I swim over to Rhys, who is floating on his back now, to let him know I’m getting out.