Running Around Royal (Prince Harry #4)

Chapter Eighty-Nine

It was a busy day ahead of them with starting in St. Kitts before heading over to Nevis, but when Meredith was up at the crack of dawn because the sun shone through the curtains, she was awake. Harry slept soundly, curled up in the blankets with his chest exposed. Somehow he had gotten too warm in the night, so he took off his shirt, but he still curled up in the blankets.

Tiptoeing across the room, Meredith opened a dresser and pulled on her swimsuit. Escaping from the room, Meredith was silent as tried to make her way outside. Of course, however, Bodyguard Bella was already awake and reading a book in the sitting room. She glanced up and took Meredith's look in.

Bella asked, "Are you allowed to go swimming?"

There was no rule against it. "Are you going to tattle-tale on me?"

"No." Bella closed the book and stood.

"Are you going to stop me?"

"No."

Meredith didn't know what Bella's plan was then, and she started her way to the door again. Bella followed, and Meredith sighed but didn't stop. Outside, there was a wooden deck that bled into the white sand. Blue water glistened with the sun rising, and white foam lapped against the shore. Bella followed her outside onto the deck. Meredith placed her towel on chair.

She started to make her way to the ocean, and still, Bella was following. "Are you going to swimming with me?" Meredith hated to point it out, but her bodyguard wasn't wearing a swimming suit.

"I'm just going to watch," Bella replied.

"That's not creepy at all," Meredith muttered. She had gone swimming many times without Bella being right there. Sometimes it was fine, and other times, it was not. Either way, she had survived. Meredith had been swimming her whole life. She loved beaches and the ocean. "I'll let you know if I get eaten by a shark."

"Much appreciated," Bella replied.

Walking to the ocean, Meredith stuck her toes in the sand before readying herself to go in. When she did, she expected it to be cold because she was used to jumping in cold lakes. However, with one foot in, it was warm-- or at least warmer than what she was used to. Meredith dashed into the ocean and fell in with glee.

Bubbles floated to the surface, and Meredith floated along with them. The blue water collected around her. Meredith relaxed in the arms of the ocean. Closing her eyes, Meredith chose to dive down deep, even though she easily grazed the sandy bottom. If she were to stand, then she was able to do it flat-footed with her head above water.

Coming back to the surface, she gulped in air and drove herself down again. She opened her eyes, which immediately started to burn with salt, and the crystal blue danced around her. Light pockets made the sand glitter. She saw dark rock in front of her, and she kicked back and started back toward the shore. She came up to the surface and flipped her blonde hair back. Like every morning, she was going to have to take a shower, so Meredith took another breath and went back under.

Her whole body slid through the water, and Meredith felt the pull around her body. She kicked and pushed. She glided through the water.  Again and again, Meredith did this. She came to the surface and was out of breath.

Meredith floated with her chest up, letting the water guide her. With the sun being so bright, she closed her eyes and just let herself be. If a shark was coming toward her or she was going too far off into the distance, then Meredith was sure she was going to hear Bella's yell. Without anything to distract her, Meredith just relaxed and floated.

Carefully-- so not to throw her body off balance-- Meredith let her hand settle on her stomach. There was no punch or change. The fetus grew within her. Meredith was still up and down about the feeling, but it was becoming more normal.