Free Caprice by Amanda Carpenter

at her friend, feeling warmed. 'I don't mind, really. I don't
    have to go out over my head if I don't like, and can adequately paddle
    around in the shallow water. Besides, it'll feel good.'
    'Well,' Roxanne said, wavering. 'You should have said something.'
    'And make a big deal over something stupid when everyone else
    wanted to? No, thank you.' Caprice pushed open her door, and with a
    flashing smile threw over her shoulder, 'Beat you downstairs!'
    But she didn't, for she took the time to braid her silver blonde hair to
    keep it out of her eyes, and consequently was the last outside. The
    heat, magnified by the concrete path, hit her bare arms and legs
    pleasantly, and she had to slit her eyes against the sun's bright glare.
    The boats were all to one side of the pier, which left the other side
    and the end free for diving off. The others were already in the water,
    several attempting to play volley ball, while Ralph clambered out to
    launch powerfully into a somersault dive off the pier's end. She
    winced as he hit the water with a skin- splitting slap, to surface
    laughingly.
    But what caught and held her attention, sending an odd shiver down
    her spine, was the sight of Pierce, who had apparently come out
    directly after leaving the dining room. He was off to one side in a
    lounge chair, black hair gleaming wet and slicked from his strong
    forehead, naked torso gleaming gold and, sleek, narrowing to slim
    hips encased in brief, dark blue trunks. He was reading through some
    papers, with a folder lying on the grass beside him, aloof from the
    others. Her gaze skittered down his long, lean legs, muscular and
    masculinely shapely, and then she determinedly ignored him as she
    walked with every appearance of calm to the lake's edge.
    Body sleek and lusciously tanned in her borrowed black one-piece
    swimsuit, she walked gracefully and sedately into the water until it
    reached her chest, and then she launched into a leisurely dog paddle.
    Emory greeted her with such warmth that Petra looked briefly
    stricken, and Caprice could have kicked him. But in the next instant
    she started to smile and, as it certainly couldn't hurt his cause any if
    Petra were made just a bit jealous, she responded with a low, intimate
    reply, and a brilliant laughing glance.
    After several minutes, holding herself aloof from the rougher water
    play, she decided she had put in a respectable showing and turned to
    make back for shore.
    Jeffrey called out, laughingly but with an edge in his voice that had
    not been present before that morning, 'Don't tell us you're leaving the
    water already, Caprice? You haven't even got your hair wet.'
    The others took no notice, but his voice had carried over the water.
    She saw fleetingly that Pierce had raised his dark head. Roxanne
    turned her head sharply. After a moment, she said, with every
    appearance of normality, 'I don't feel like washing my hair later,
    that's all.'
    She looked at Jeffrey. He gave her a glittering smile. 'Pierce doesn't
    like to be disturbed when he's working,' he said, with soft
    maliciousness.
    She looked as surprised as she felt, for, paddling around in the water
    and concentrating on keeping her smile on her face, she hadn't even
    thought of Pierce. Then a flashing anger, lent a cutting edge to her
    voice as she said, 'Grow up, Jeffrey.'
    She turned back to shore, her toes sinking lightly into the silken sand,
    which, with the water lapping under her breasts, was comfortably
    within reach. Behind her, she heard an odd, angry little laugh, and
    then a small splash.
    A sharp, urgent shout of warning from Roxanne shocked her. 'Cap,
    look out! Quick -'
    In that instant she knew a sheer, unadulterated terror bolt through her.
    In that instant, too late, she launched for shore, managing only a
    strangled, 'God!'
    In that instant, too late, she felt two hands, like horrible manacles,
    fasten around her slim ankles, and she was yanked under the surface
    before she had time to draw in a sobbing