Chapter 451 Kiss in the Water
"Anna, what are you doing?" Bella's voice trembled as she could only cling to Colin's shoulders. She wanted to let go but was afraid of being swept away by the waves.
Colin was also at a loss. He didn't dare rashly put his arms around Bella, just standing there stiffly, letting Bella hold onto his shoulders. The two were so close they could feel each other's breathing and heartbeat.
"I should just hold you instead, Anna." Bella tried to find some sense of security, her eyes full of pleading.
But Anna seemed to be enjoying this: "Bella, don't be shy. Look how strong Colin is, you'd definitely be safe with him holding you. Besides, I heard Sterling is an excellent swimmer. How come after being with him for so long, you still haven't learned to swim? You're basically no different from someone who can't swim at all."
Seeing how awkward they both looked, Anna laughed so hard she doubled over: "What's wrong with you two? I think it's totally fine! I can swim, and you can't, Bella. A hug won't kill you, right? Don't worry, I trust you!"
But Colin was crying silently inside. Anna trusted Bella, but he didn't trust himself—his body's natural reactions were beyond his control.
He looked around desperately, his gaze landing on the shore not far away, where Sterling was leisurely sipping a cold drink, seemingly oblivious to the chaos here.
Colin saw him as a savior and frantically tried to signal Sterling with his eyes, hoping he would look over and understand his predicament. Finally, Sterling's gaze shifted over and met Colin's eyes.
Colin's heart leaped with joy. He provocatively raised his hand, pretending to embrace Bella. Sure enough, Sterling put down his drink, a flash of displeasure in his eyes. Without hesitation, he got into the water and walked toward them. Colin felt secretly relieved, knowing that once Sterling arrived, he'd be free.
Soon, another wave surged forward, the massive wall of water seeming to swallow everything, instantly covering everyone's heads. In this chaos and panic, Bella's hands accidentally slipped from Colin's shoulders, and she began grabbing wildly in terror, trying to find something to hold onto.
The water current around her was turbulent, and she felt as if she was being pulled into a huge whirlpool, unable to escape. Just then, a strong arm suddenly wrapped around her waist from behind, holding her firmly and helping her steady herself in the surging waves.
When she recovered, Bella struggled to open her eyes, trying to see what was happening around her. She found that Colin and Anna had been swept about 6 feet away, both struggling to keep their footing.
So who was holding her from behind? This thought flashed through Bella's mind, and she suddenly turned to look.
She met Sterling's cool, deep eyes, and an inexplicable feeling welled up in Bella's heart. She instinctively tried to break free from his arm, wanting to prove her independence and strength.
However, just then, her body suddenly sank down, as if pulled by an invisible force. Her heart jumped in alarm, and reflexively she tightened her arms around Sterling's neck, her voice carrying a trace of panic and helplessness: "Take me to shore!"
Sterling's response was unexpected. He coolly uttered one word: "No."
This made her somewhat angry. Before Bella could finish speaking, Sterling interrupted her. Not only did he have no intention of taking her back to shore, but he carried her toward deeper water. A hint of challenge flashed in his eyes: "Let go if you dare."
Bella felt a mix of helplessness and anger. In this situation, how could she dare let go: "You know perfectly well I can't let go!" Bella's voice carried a tremor of desperation. "If I'd known this would happen, I should have brought a float down with me!"
Sterling seemed indifferent to her reaction. He still looked at her coldly, a barely perceptible smile playing at the corner of his mouth. That smile seemed to contain some deeper meaning, impossible to fathom.
Just as Bella was about to explode and call for a lifeguard, Sterling suddenly lowered his head and sealed her lips with his. The kiss came suddenly and fiercely, catching Bella off guard. At the same time, the waves surged forward again, covering the sound of their breathing.
Under the cover of the waves, Sterling brazenly used his tongue to pry open her teeth and explore deeply. This move made Bella even more panicked, but she couldn't break free. She could only let the tide surround them and let Sterling's lips and tongue have their way in her mouth.
This time, Bella didn't choke on water. When the waves finally receded, Sterling also ended that suffocating kiss.
Bella panted slightly, her gaze lowered, not daring to look at him directly. But she could clearly feel Sterling's breathing become heavy and irregular, and the waves of heat transmitted between their tightly pressed bodies made her cheeks flush crimson.
Physical reactions in this situation were unavoidable, but the sense of shame came like a tide, almost suffocating Bella. She tried to make her voice sound calm and natural, but the tremor still betrayed her nervousness and unease: "I... I'm thirsty... I need to go up and get some water..."
Sterling's gaze was deep and complex. He seemed able to see through her thoughts but chose silence. He nodded gently, wrapped one arm around her waist, and paddled with the other hand, carrying her toward the shore.
His movements were gentle yet powerful, giving Bella an unprecedented sense of security.
Reaching the shore, Sterling quickly helped Bella up, then ran alone to a nearby stand to buy her a cold drink. When he returned, his face carried a barely perceptible smile, as if everything that had just happened was merely a small episode.
"Drink up." He handed the cold drink to Bella, his tone carrying a hint of barely detectable affection.
Bella took the cold drink, the icy bottle pressed against her burning cheeks, bringing waves of coolness. She gently unscrewed the cap and drank in small sips, trying to calm the panic and shyness in her heart.
Sterling silently watched her from the side, his eyes showing both tenderness and determination. He knew that the kiss just now had broken some kind of balance between them.
Bella didn't dare go back in the water. After the earlier frightening episode, she just wanted to find a quiet place to sit down and calm herself.
So she found an empty beach chair and sat down comfortably. Shortly after she sat down, the spot next to her was taken by a stranger.
This made Bella secretly relieved, because it meant Sterling had to sit somewhere else, with a full three people between them. For her, this was undoubtedly a good thing—at least it allowed her to temporarily avoid that awkwardness.
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