She felt a sense of relief wash over her. He hadn't questioned her, and for that, she was grateful.

Bennett executed the butterfly stroke with textbook precision, his form an aesthetic marvel that caught Claudia's eye.

Once he reached the opposite end of the pool, Bennett pivoted and began swimming back towards her. As the distance between them lessened, Claudia found her heart accelerating for reasons she couldn't quite pinpoint. Reaching her, Bennett broke the surface, water cascading from his hair, tracing a liquid path down his face, neck, and chest before merging back with the pool.

Entranced, Claudia found her gaze lingering on the rivulets of water that followed the contour of his collarbone.

She compared it to her own and concluded his was far more elegant. Maybe it was her unabashed staring that prompted Bennett to click his tongue and inquire directly, “What has caught your eye, Mrs. Dreskin?"

Caught off guard and focused as she was on the subject of collarbones, Claudia hesitated.

“I was admiring your collarbone," she finally said.

Lifting her eyes to meet his, she added, “Yours is far more striking than mine

As soon as the words escaped her lips, she felt a flush of regret. She looked away, taking refuge in biting her straw.

With a chuckle, Bennett gently plucked the straw from her mouth.

"Stop biting it. Otherwise, the straw won't last."

Claudia shot him a half-annoyed look.

"I don't need the straw."

Nevertheless, she released her grip on the poor straw and set her juice back on the tray.

“You're a bit of a troublemaker, aren't you, Bennett?" she said, shooting him a quick glance.

"Me? A troublemaker? I have no idea what you're talking about," he retorted, his tone tinged with playful sarcasm as he sipped his juice.

Hesitating for a moment, Claudia ventured a question.

"Did you know that when I'm distracted, I tend to answer questions too quickly?"

“Is that so? I hadn't noticed," Bennett said, frowning slightly as he pondered her words for a moment before responding with a thoughtful earnestness.

Claudia looked at Bennett, her words tinged with realization.

“You have a knack for questioning me when I'm lost in thought."

She considered how many times he had managed to unearth her candid thoughts.

She couldn't fathom why it took her so long to notice this pattern. This wasn't a new development.

Bennett grinned, his words a soft whisper in her ear.