diving in - Grant

[LEANNA CROMWELL]

Leanna sighed as she shut down her laptop and got up off the bed before moving to her dresser looking for one of her bathing suits. Swimming was something she’d missed when being held captive by the people who had a grudge against her dad. She had been a water baby who’d grown up still loving to swim as a past-time or just something she did when she needed to think. It was also a way for her to relax and calm down which was why right now she wanted to just swim until her arms and legs got sore and she was tired enough to sleep without thinking. Everything going on since she’d gotten back? Her dad hiring a man to babysit protect her while they had to pretend to be engaged for her family’s image and her mother’s sake was just ridiculous in her opinion and she didn’t know how long she could put up with it all before she quit going along with her father’s plans and just sent Grant packing because while she was free to come and go as she pleased constantly having someone trailing after her and watching her every move was just as bad as being locked up…there was no real freedom in living that way and she was going to end up going crazy or doing something really stupid.

Getting changed into one of her bathing suits once she’d found them she grabbed the wrap that went over it before digging up a hair-tie to pull her hair up out of her face. Taking off all jewelry leaving it on the dresser so she wouldn’t lose anything in the water she headed out of her room making her way down to the huge indoor pool that was basically hers even though it was in her father’s house and she didn’t want a whole lot to do with the man right now. She didn’t have her own place and hadn’t yet gotten around to getting one either though it was in her plans to do so in order to get away from her dad and maybe get a break from Grant if she could convince him he didn’t need to follow her around when they weren’t in her dad’s house where he’d notice. Sighing she pushed way those thoughts as she padded through the house quietly toward the area with the pool stopping once inside the door to go through the closet inside the pool room to get a towel for herself, her goggles to prevent hurting her eyes under water, and her diving rings. To anyone else they’d look like hula hoops and if they weren’t weighted to sink in the pool they probably could be used as them too.

Moving to one of the chairs she dropped the towel and then turned toward the water dipping a foot in as she pulled on the goggles to test that it was heated still and glad when it was. She would have to thank her mother for thinking of that for her since she was sure the woman had been the one to keep it heated for her. Tossing the rings at one time into the large pool she watched them sink before pulling off the wrap and climbing up onto the diving board. Grant hadn’t made an appearance yet though he’d said he was going to swim too, she didn’t mind either way since you could easily swim and not have too much contact with the other person if that’s what you chose. Taking a breath and launching herself off the board she dove into the water instantly soothed by the feel of being back in the pool. She surfaced for air before dipping below the water’s surface again moving to collect the rings before starting to set them up in a path under water where she’d test herself to see if she could make it through them all without running out of breath. She would keep moving them as she swam, placing them farther away each time for more of a test. Once they were set she surfaced again and let herself just float a moment glancing over at hearing someone moving around. ”Closet over there by the door in has the towels and things…feel free to use whatever you want that’s in there.” she said to Grant knowing the closet held a wide variation of things though she wasn’t sure what exactly was in there. Moving to the ladder near to the diving board she pulled herself up and out moving back to the board to dive again and try her run through of the short maze under the water's surface.

FRONT & BACK :: MEL/GRANT :: DONE

[grant]

Grant wasn't overly enthusiastic about this job. He'd gone from leading some of the top and most covert missions in the world with his Regiment in the SAS to babysitting a spoiled girl who had way more money than brains it seemed. The girl had been snatched once. He could easily understand why her mother was concerned and wanted the protection for her. Her father was only doing this, Grant gathered, because the son of a bitch didn't want to hear Leanna's mother's screeching constantly. Not that he could blame the woman in the least. He couldn't possibly fathom what kind of a man it would take to completely turn his back on his own child. There was definitely no love lost between Grant and his employer. If he had a half a say on the matter, he'd probably have plugged the bastard with a round of M7 fire just to make himself feel better about what he was doing.

But Grant wasn't Prince Charming either. Not by a long shot. He did subtle things just to irritate the woman he was sent to look after specifically because he hated the babysitting detail. It wasn't his style by a long shot. But honestly, anyone who made a move to snatch her now would have had to have been a complete and utter moron.... or ridiculously suicidal. Grant wasn't a lightweight in the least and he made damned sure that anyone who looked like they were ready to cause trouble knew that damned well. He wasn't here to play games. He was here to do a job. And as much as he hated this particular job, he'd do everything in his power to make sure the young woman was safe.

The swimming thing wasn't about protecting her in any capacity. It was about actually working off some pent up energy. He'd been locked up in this ridiculous house for a little too damned long for his likings. They needed to get the hell out there and do something, but he had a damned good feeling that Leanna was purposely staying in at the moment. Whether it was specifically to piss him off or it was because of some unknown apprehension, he had no fucking clue. He sincerely doubted it was the later, however, because she enjoyed going out to clubs just damned fine. By the time he made it down to the pool though, she was already there and in. He grunted when she directed him over to the closet by the door, opened it and snagged one out, setting it out for himself to use later. With that, he simply headed to the edge of the pool, pulled the t-shirt he had on off and threw it beside the towel before jumping on in.

It had been way too damned long since he'd been for a swim in any capacity. He was the only member of his SAS team that had been able to keep up with the US Navy SEALs in any capacity while he'd been training with them in Africa a few years back. The rest of the guys had been horribly lacking in that department and that was about the time that their commanding officer headed to the top brass and asked them for some training when it came to missions where their insertion was via boat or, in some cases, swimming. It made sense to Grant, seeing as the UK was a giant God forsaken island for all intents and purposes. Grant finally came up for air a moment later after swimming the whole length of the pool beneath the surface. He pushed the water out of his hair and out of his eyes and turned to look at Leanna. "I guess havin' an indoor pool has its perks, huh, Princess?"

[LEANNA CROMWELL]

Relaxing was easy when she was swimming, she’d grown up traveling with her mom to various places and helping people when she could. She’d never really liked coming home cause she never really liked her dad…he didn’t like her either so their dislike was mutual and it was just how she’d grown up. Her parents didn’t have a “loving” relationship so much as a political one or something like that and she knew it. Her dad wasn’t a great man and his illegal activities were why she’d gotten grabbed at all. Smuggling people into the country then “cleaning up the mess” so he came out smelling like a damned rose…yeah she knew about it but who the hell could she tell that wouldn’t just think she was acting out or something? She didn’t have proof anyway so it wouldn’t end well for her except maybe then the man might actually just stop trying even for her mothers sake…worst case scenario he’d get rid of her himself and be done with it and that was not something Leanna wanted to happen since she liked existing and traveling, being able to help in places she went to put some of her dad’s crooked money to good use instead of selfish use.

She wasn’t a saint though, some of her trips were just for her so she could get away and so she could explore new places, and she spent money on clothes and things she wanted too but she wasn’t wholly selfish. She had a distinct taste for clothing that was unique and she gave into those urges because it was something for her to make her happy. Growing up with a mom who never wanted to really be around much because she was too busy being everyone else’s hero and a dad who just didn’t give two fucks unless someone was looking his direction expecting him to care was what led to her being the way she was. Happier off traveling alone than tied down anywhere around people who actually did not give a fuck. Even the guy her dad hired was one of those people who didn’t give a fuck, yeah he had to protect her because of a contract but other than that? He didn’t know her, didn’t know what her life was like, and didn’t care either way. She was a job that annoyed him and she had a thing for pushing the annoying button every chance so that he would eventually get to the “fuck this” point and go away. She still couldn’t figure out why in hell he’d agreed to take a job where he had to pretend to be someone’s fiancé, desperation? Maybe he’d been broke and looking for anything and everything? She didn’t know and she wasn’t about to ask him lest he get the wrong idea about her curiosity.

Swimming was something she’d been doing her whole life, it was an escape for her and a way to relax. The pool was her domain and respected as such even more than her bedroom in truth. She rolled her eyes at his grunt to her telling him where he could find the towels but kept to herself as she dove beneath the water slipping her slim body through the rings at the bottom of the pool easily. She’d always been slender but her time locked up as a captive had cut even more of her weight. She didn’t care, she could be big as a whale and not care because she had self-confidence and didn’t let others get her down with their comments questioning if she starved herself or was one of those girls who didn’t eat a bite without planning to throw it up later. People would make their assumptions and she couldn’t stop them she’d learned.

Surfacing as air was needed she moved to the edge tucking her heels against the little ledge there and pushing her hair back over her shoulder. Looking toward Grant she’d been aware he was in the water but when he spoke she had to acknowledge that yes he was there in her space again. This was the pool though and she couldn’t just tell the guy “you can’t go here” since even if it was her domain it was still her dad’s pool since it was in his house. ”Don’t call me that…and don’t get snarky. This is my space, I’ve spent 90% of the time I’ve ever been in this house in this pool. You will resist snark or you will get the hell out okay? We clear on that?” she asked wanting to make that very clear since the pool was her place to relax and the attitude they normally had between them would ruin the relax part of her plan so she wanted to make it clear up front and ahead of time that she wouldn’t tolerate it.

FRONT & BACK :: MEL/GRANT :: DONE

[grant]

Grant was finding it difficult not to look at Leanna in the moment. He would have had to have been completely blind or stupid not to realize that she was a good looking woman, but he was doing his damndest to keep his mind firmly cemented in the realm of the fact that she was completely off limits to him. Not to mention the fact that he was doing his best not to get to know her on a more personal level for the simple fact that there was something about the woman that told him that once he started walking down that path, he would cross the threshold and be completely beyond a point of any and all return. He didn't need that complication in his life. He needed to keep his head above the water at this point.

He knew he came across as an asshole to her and he didn't blame her in the least. They seemed to play a damned good game at irking and irritating the shit out of one another whenever they could help it. He wasn't sure if it wasn't so much as a game for the pair of them to make light of the seriously screwed up situation they were in. But at the end of the day, regardless of what her father wanted him to pretend, there wasn't a hope in hell of the fact that he was going to wind up marrying this woman for real. They couldn't seem to get past the pleasantly hostile stage with one another and move on to something that resembled even some kind of companionship.

While he did find her to be attractive, he wasn't there to be her friend and he most certainly wasn't there to sleep with her, as much as his own body decided that it wanted to go against those ground rules that he'd set down for himself. He was a man of discipline and had learned it well throughout his military career back in the UK. He'd do damned well to hold on to that discipline in the moment. He took a moment to look down at her in the water from where he was, however. It didn't mean that he was completely immune to her appearance or the fact that some part of him did want to get to know her more.

He arched a brow at the snarky tone she took with him a moment later and he put his hands up in an 'I surrender' motion as he watched her a moment, that small smirk on his lips. "All right. All right. I can respect that." He murmured. And truthfully, he did. "I didn't quite expect that level of insistence from you right then and there." He admitted. And he had to wonder, if she could take such an attitude with him, why the hell didn't she transfer it to her father to get her own damned way? He shook the thought off though. "You really do hate him, don't you?" He asked, glancing at her a moment before he moved to one end of the pool.

So much for not getting to know her on any personal level. He'd just gone and asked a very personal question.