I’ve dived many times in my life?” She reached for it instead of doing as he asked. “I know how to get on a wet suit.”
“Except this is a dry suit, and they’re even tighter so you stay well-insulated in the water. But suit yourself. Literally.”
“I always do,” she said with a grin.
He tried, again, to think only professional thoughts as he watched the way she shoved her feet into the tight legs, tugging them up her delectable body an inch at a time. Wiggling and wriggling. Huffing and puffing, until he and Bob both couldn’t control laughing just a little at her struggles.
“Another reason I don’t dive,” Bob said. “Way too much work before you even get in the water!”
“Well, sometimes it takes a little work to have a lot of fun,” she replied, sounding breathless from her exertion.
“Very true.” Zeke worked to get his on, too, but since he had the technique down pat, he’d already fastened his closed while hers was still twisted around her hips. “At this rate, the sun will be setting by the time you’re ready,” he said, cocking his head at her. “You going to let me help you or not?”
“Fine.” She threw up her arms, sounding exasperated. “But what happens on the ice stays on the ice, right? I don’t want anyone knowing I couldn’t do this on my own.”
“It’s our secret. And next time, you won’t have as much trouble, I’m sure.”
“While you finish, I’ll get the last tanks from the van,” Bob said before he disappeared from the tent.
Barely acknowledging Bob’s words, Zeke looked down into amused blue eyes. He loved that Jordan could poke fun at herself, despite that independent streak of hers that didn’t like asking for help with a dry suit she wasn’t familiar with. He reached for where the suit was currently squeezing her hips, curled his fingers inside the rubber clinging to her body and tugged it upward, feeling her firm waist and ribs as he did. Her eyes lifted to his again, and his breath backed up in his lungs.
Being alone with her in this tent, touching her body and standing so close he could hear her breathing, was doing all kinds of things to him that he couldn’t let happen. His gaze moved across the delicate shape of her face, her parted lips, her eyes staring up at him, and all he wanted to do was pull her into his arms and kiss her until neither of them could think.
He nearly did. He began to lower his face to hers, then gritted his teeth against the desire for her that pumped through his veins. He squeezed his eyes for a moment to block out how beautiful she was and the hot thoughts he had to control.
When he opened his eyes again, he focused on the dry suit as he tugged it up her body, making sure he didn’t touch places he shouldn’t touch, which wasn’t easy. Finally, he got it high enough for her to stick her arms inside, and expelled a breath of relief that he’d survived it without doing something they’d both regret.
“That feel okay? Not crooked?”
“No, it’s okay.”
She sounded breathless, but probably from the exertion of getting the suit on, and not for the reasons he felt that way. He moved around to her back and took her soft hair into one hand to move it aside as he got the Velcro fastened around her neck. It felt like torture that he couldn’t lean in a little closer to breathe in the scent of her skin. Press his mouth to her nape and taste it.
God, he needed to get out of this tent and into the water.
“There.” He cleared his throat and stepped back. “You’re in, but there’s more.”
She turned to face him, and something about her expression made him grit his teeth all over again, wanting more than anything to reach for her and kiss her and to hell with any consequences.
“The face masks. I’ve never worn one before.”
“Yeah. They have that special perfume smell called eau de rubber. You’ll like it.”
Her laughter helped ease the uncomfortable closeness he kept feeling for her, standing alone and so close inside this tent, and he breathed a little easier.
“Eau de rubber sounds like it might become my new favorite,” she said, and he didn’t think he was imagining that she looked a little relieved to be back to their joking.
“I think this is everything, but you need to double-check, Zeke,” Bob said, coming back inside.
“Looks like it. Except for one thing. Where are the earplugs you want to test, Jordan?” he asked.
“Right here.” She reached for a small bag inside a pocket of her folded snowsuit, and pulled out four small black things, handing him two. “I want you to put them in without me instructing you how. To see if you think they’re user-friendly.”
“Okay.” Shaped a little like a music earbud, he easily settled it down into his ear canal. “There. I’d say definitely easy to put in. Looking forward to seeing how they work.”
Her pleased smile in response to that seemed to sneak right inside his chest, warming him despite the chill in the tent. He turned away to grab the hoods, face masks and dry gloves, putting his on to show her how. Focusing on her midsection and getting the rest of the equipment on her didn’t help dull the desire he couldn’t seem to control, which seemed impossible, since she was covered head to toe with black rubber that obscured every inch of her skin except the little bit he could still see until she put her goggles on, and her lips.
“Weight belts next, then the buoyancy compensator vest, goggles, regulators and tanks.”
His gaze met hers, gleaming blue from inside the black mask, and he nearly told her she was the only person he’d ever dived with that he wanted to kiss while literally covered head to toe in rubber.
He was in so much trouble here.
“Here’s when I finally admit it.” Her eyes were filled with rueful laughter. “I thought I’d researched most of what I needed to learn to dive here. But I sure didn’t know I’d feel like a human tire, complete with inner tube and snow chains. Not sure I can even walk the five feet to the dive hole.”
“Consider it weight and cardio training.” He handed her the regulator and needed to make sure she knew how diving here was different from what she’d done before. “Remember that regulators are more prone to get stuck in this kind of cold, so pay attention to that. Don’t get stressed about it, just replace it with your spare if it does. If your hands get cold, which they probably will, hold them above your head for a couple minutes. The warm air from inside your suit will rise into your fingers.”
“Interesting. Okay.”
“We’re not going to stay in a long time for your first dive, so you can see what it’s like. Are you ready?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be.”
“Bob will be at the other end of the rope up top, so if you get worried, you can follow it and tug hard if you want Bob to help pull you back to the hole.”
“Want me to tie it?” Bob asked, holding it up.
“No, thanks. I’ll tie it to one of the loops at the back of the suit.” The slight prick of fear that something could go wrong and she’d suffer because of it stabbed at him, and he wanted to be the one to ensure the rope was tied correctly. It was a little obsessive, and he knew it, but he couldn’t help but check three times to make sure the rope was attached to her good and tight.
“You want to go in first, or follow me?”
“I guess I’ll go first.”
“You sure?” Most divers new to Antarctica wanted to follow, but he shouldn’t have been surprised. Jordan Flynn obviously was the kind of woman who refused to let herself be intimidated, or if she was, she dealt with it head-on.
“I’m sure.”
He