"If it lets you ride it," Leah stressed, and decided to hell with it, she wanted to swim and Galahad and his pecs weren't going to scare her off because Leah Clearwater did not scare, all right? Ever.

She pulled her feet out of the water and stood, chose a rock a few paces away from the edge of the pool to lay her clothes on before she started stripping off her shirt and shorts. "I'm just saying that's an awfully risky if," she continued conversationally, without glancing back. "Plus your pal might not like it if you got yourself another pet. You're lucky he puts up with you as it is."