Bruce said nothing more as he soaked in the warm, misty water.
Steam rose slowly between them, blurring the air above the surface.
He really had thought he was going to die. His heart had stopped for an instant, and all he could think about was seeing her.
When he opened his eyes again, she happened to be the first person he saw...
He would never let himself lose her again.
Bruce lowered his head and kissed along her smooth neck, down to her shoulder...
Ripples spread between them, ring after ring, rising and falling gently with their breathing.
Ririko wrapped her arms around his shoulders, her fingers slipping gently through the wet hair at his nape.
"You should stay in the water a little longer to recover properly." Her voice was as soft as a bubble that might burst at a touch.
Bruce's hand slid down her waist and beneath the water. "I've pretty much recovered already."
Ririko gazed into his clear blue eyes. "We'll have to put that to the test."
With that, she placed both hands on his shoulders and pushed him down into the water.
Caught off guard, Bruce sank beneath the surface with her soft body in his arms.
The water closed over their heads, bubbles rising between them.
Only the ends of her black hair floated on the surface, like dark aquatic plants slowly unfurling in the current.
Ririko sat at the edge of the pool, wrapped in the loose linen robe. Her hair was still dripping, droplets falling from its ends onto her shoulders.
Her toes dipped into the pool, gently stirring the surface and sending out tiny rings of ripples.
She looked at Bruce, who was still soaking in the pool.
He leaned against the pool wall with his arms resting