What If We Drown ?

What if we Drown (33)

The twins' laughter was like the high pitched tinkling of bells and chimes, their little arms moving swiftly, the water they flung, reaching no higher than Derek's waist.

Sensing her team's need for assistance, Ashlyn stooped to cup her hands in the water and lifted them towards Derek, joining the twins in the shower they bestowed upon him.

Her nose scrunched in laughter when one arc of water reached high enough to crash against his face. Startled for a fraction of a second, he shook his head and wiped his narrowed eyes.

"You!" He laughed, his gaze cutting to Ashlyn. "You started this!"

Ashlyn had but a moment to realize what the spark in his eyes meant before her own widened and she slugged out of his way, the water ricocheting around her. His laughter was drowned by the slapping of the water as he stomped his way towards her, his movements creating their own waves.

The twins continued to squeal and laugh, and went as far as to step aside when Ashlyn tried to hide behind them.

"Go, Uncle Derek," Poppy cheered, jumping on the spot.

Ashlyn feigned shock when the twins grabbed on to her hands to hold her in place, which only made them squeal louder. She knew that she had been caught and that she would pay for her involvement in such a scheme. A punishment she only pretended she didn't want, for the twins' benefit.

"Get her," Sage shrieked, her laughter bubbling around her words, as she moved behind Ashlyn and pushed her towards Derek.

His arms were about her waist in seconds, the wind escaping her lungs for a moment. Ashlyn leaned forward, her knees brushing the surface of the waters below, in the hope that he would let go, but his hold only tightened further.

In one swift movement, Derek turned her in his arms so that her chest was against his. Her feet lifted from the sand below as he held her tightly against his body like a human shield.

The twins required no other signal, as they began to splash again, this time coming at Derek and Ashlyn from both sides. Derek turned her from side to side, warding off as much of the water from himself as he could, while Ashlyn wrapped her arms around his neck, her head thrown back. Their bodies quaked together in laughter as the water swiftly began to seep through the materials of their clothing.

With all the water that fell upon their hands and skin, holding tight proved its own challenge.

Derek's arms tightened around her waist as she began to slip in his arms, and Ashlyn pulled her legs up to wrap them around his waist for extra stability. She tightened her arms around his neck and buried her face against his collarbone, smothering the laughter that had brought on tears.

A sudden shout burst from Derek's lips at the same moment that a heavy weight of water slapped Ashlyn's legs, startling her.

Ashlyn lifted her head at the same moment that Derek spun abruptly to face one of the girls. Consumed by another fit of laughter, Ashlyn took in the sight of a grinning Sage who held an empty sand bucket in the air. That explained where the extra water had come from.

"Now you all wet," Sage jumped on the spot in victory.

The bucket swayed over Sage's head while she danced and laughed, pride radiating off of her. Ashlyn and Derek could only laugh and appreciate her ingenuity, even if it had meant that they ended up wetter than expected.

Ashlyn's dress hugged her body, and her auburn curls felt weighted as they clung to the middle of her back, no doubt tickling Derek's hands as he held her. She felt herself begin to slip in his arms just as Sage stooped to fill the bucket again, a wicked twinkle in her eye.