Free Bride of the Moso Prince by Lucy Yam Page B

symptoms.”
     
    Sharon turned on the computer and worked on her project for the next couple hours. Pacific bank wanted some new sign-in features that would enhance security and fend off online criminals. Sharon was thinking a way that would help the system to recognize an alien computer, but that would require a cookie to be installed on a user’s regular computer, and she wasn’t sure whether people would like it.  She put that problem aside and worked on other things, such as a periodic message that asked the client to change his password. As soon as the sun got to the west side of the sky, she stopped. Putting on her swimsuit and a robe over it, she went out.
    “I’m going to the lake,” she said to Charlene as she passed her door.
    “Ah, just a second,” Charlene hesitated and pulled her sister to the balcony, “they don’t really allow the tourists to swim in the lake for safety reasons. It’s probably better if you go towards Lovers’ Bay.”
    “No problem.”
                  “And it’s pretty shallow near the shore. But it gets deep fairly quickly. To be on the safe side, stay close to shore. Though I know you’re a swimming champion.” Charlene said to her sister before she went downstairs.
    “All right. Since when have we switched roles?” Sharon chided, too excited to be concerned about safety issues.
    She walked directly to Lover’s Bay. When she was in front of the lake she was simply thrilled. Leaving her bathrobe on the shore she went into the water quickly.
    It was chilling at the first contact and she let out a joyous shout. She walked a few steps and soon got used to the temperature and started with breaststrokes. After that she changed to freestyle.  She had never felt so free in the water as she was now. She stretched her arms and turned in the water, like a fish, a lucky fish who lived in such beautiful, clean water. She could see the algae below her waving their arms as if to salute her. She didn’t mind when water got in her nose and mouth. It tasted good. No chlorine or salt. It was deliciously pure. The water felt so good that Sharon knew she wouldn’t want to leave it any time soon.
    Disregarding Charlene’s advice of staying close to shore, she ventured out to the center of the lake.
    Soon she was immersed in blueness. She turned on her back and was covered with blue as well. There was nothing else in her sight but the sky as if the universe was created just for her. She felt librated and carefree. With every stroke she felt a sensuous touch of the water, soothing her whole body, smoothing her and made her oblivious of worries and of her own being.  She closed her eyes and straightened her body just to float, without any hurry, without the need to get anywhere, just enjoy the absolute freedom and the perfect peace.
    She almost drifted into a dream when she heard the shout of a man. “Hey! Come back here! What do you think you’re doing?” Turning on her stomach she saw a tall man waving fiercely on shore, it was no one other than Nobul.
    “Come back! You can’t swim there. It’s dangerous!”
    Dangerous? What’s he talking about? Sharon thought. The lake is everything but dangerous. It’s calm and the water’s smooth.
    Sharon ignored him and swam away from the bay. In order not to hear his shouts she took a deep breath and got under the water.
    When she surfaced again he was no longer on shore. Feeling relieved, she switched on her back again. Moments later she felt the force of the water beside her. She opened her eyelids, preparing to see a shark, or a big fish.
    But instead she saw a muscular arm rising low above and into the water. Then it was that devastatingly handsome face that had occupied her dream last night, all the more gorgeous with beads of shimmering water.
    She was startled and made a faulty stroke. Her abdomen involuntarily bent and she turned. Just before he grabbed her wrist she had managed to slip away and swim freestyle at full