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?"