Chapter 21
Erica
The following day, Erica watched Archer stride across the lawn. His eyes fixed on her legs. She was sitting on a wicker chair with her feet kicked up on the low wall at the back of the cottage. She slowly, purposely moved her legs as she swivelled in the chair. Archer’s gaze remained fixed on her bare legs.
It was a sunny day, so she thought it would be better to wear shorts if they were going to a remote island. Bare legs were easier to dry than wet clothing, she reasoned. Also, to see Archer’s attraction was a bonus. Archer may have openly admired her legs, but she couldn’t get enough of his thighs. They bunched and flexed as he walked in a solid stride towards her. Erica knew from sitting on his lap how firm they were.
“Are you a leg man, Archer Turner?” Erica said as he neared the wall separating them.
Archer balanced the picnic basket on the bricks but kept his hand on the top while he leaned in to kiss her. A soft press of his lips made Erica let out a sigh. He smelt like fresh washing from the line.
“I’ve not given it much thought. In those shorts, your legs are sensational, so I am definitely an Erica’s legs kind of man.”
“Thank you.”
“Let’s go. Time and tide wait for no man,” Archer said, smiling at Erica and holding his hand out.
She took it, laced her fingers, and fell into step with his long stride. He led her down the narrow path at the end of the lawns down to the white sand. Erica shaded her eyes with her hand to look across at the small island across the water. From her viewpoint, it looked to be water everywhere.
“How will we get across?” Erica asked.
“We’ve got about five minutes to wait, and then all will be revealed,” Archer said, setting the basket in the sand. “Whatever could we do in the meantime?”
Erica didn’t get a chance to answer as Archer’s mouth covered hers. His hands held onto her waist while he devoured her. The kiss became heated fast. Erica was swept away by the passion igniting her body as soon as Archer touched her. In all her years of acting, she never felt a spark let alone the electricity coursing through her body when kissing a man. Her thoughts darted to the kiss she saw Gregg give Monica on her Hollywood star and instantly understood the passion she never had with Gregg.
Archer lit every one of her nerves on fire.
They swayed back and forth as each of them tried to take control. Erica wrapped her fingers around his neck to anchor her body as close as possible. He kissed her slowly, softly, but in the sexiest of ways when he slipped his tongue in and out of her mouth. The temptation to jump up and wrap her legs around his waist was strong. She mentally willed him to carry her over to the rocks as they battled to keep things PG. In the end, neither of them won. Erica needed to take a breather, or else she would’ve dragged him onto the sand and pulled his clothes off.
Archer pulled away so fast that she swooned for a few seconds, regaining her balance. Then, blinking her eyes in the midday sun, she looked to Archer. He stood with his hands on his hips, and his chin dipped as his chest rose and fell with exertion. Anyone else would’ve thought he’d been for a run.
“Archer,” she whispered.
Archer shook his head and picked up the picnic basket. He looked across to the island. “We can cross now.”
Accepting Archer didn’t want to talk about the orgasm-inducing kiss, Erica followed his gaze and still saw water everywhere.
“Are we going to walk on water?” she asked.
“Kind of, come on,” he said and held out his hand.
Erica followed him, their fingers barely touching as he strode ahead, just the tips hooked together. She could see the sand bank when they reached the water’s edge. As the minutes ticked by, the path to the island materialised like magic.
“This is fantastic, like a hidden route to a secret realm.”
Archer laughed at her words. “My aunt would say it was a biblical warning not to get up to anything God would disapprove of. Which pretty much covers everything. My dad would warn of the riptides.”
“Is it safe?”
Archer looked over his shoulder at her, giving her a wink. “It’s safe when you can see the sandbank and the tide is going out. But you don’t want to be on this causeway when the tide is coming in. It’s faster than you can imagine. You can easily get into trouble if the timing isn’t right. If you’re with someone and they get into trouble, there is a length of rope and a floatation ring over there on the tree.”
Erica turned to look in the direction he nodded. A tree with no branches or leaves at the bottom of the cliff had an orange buoyancy aid hooked onto a dead branch stump. The rope was coiled around the stump underneath.
“If you don’t know what you’re doing, stay out of the water and get help,” Archer warned.
“I’ll stick with you. I can swim, but I’m not experienced enough to fight a tide.”
“Good plan. I’ve set the alarm, so we don’t forget about the time. There is nothing on the island to act as a shelter if we get stuck.”
Strolling, the journey lasted five minutes. Erica guessed she could run the distance in three minutes. When they reached the white sands on Stuart Island, a silence fell about them. No squawking birds like on the main island. The waves lapping at the shore lulled her, relaxing her muscles.
Archer laid out the blanket in the shade of a rock while talking.
“This was where me and my brothers and sister would run away to when we wanted some peace from the house. When our mother left without a word, we were all lost. I remember it was like any other day. She kissed my cheek, hugged me, and wished me a great day at school. Daisy was six months old and in her cot upstairs in the nursery. Jason was tearing around the grand foyer, and Luke crawled around after him. Just like any other day setting off for school. I keep thinking back to see if she hugged me longer or harder.”
His confession floored her. So many questions rattled through her head, and none were appropriate to ask. She did, and she didn’t want to pry.
“What did you do when you came over here?” she asked as she lifted items from the basket to put on the blanket.
Erica made a runway of food between them, leaving space for Archer to lie down when he was ready. Watching him stand still with his back to her, she glanced at his thighs. Then, chastising herself for lusting after a man talking about his hiding place when he was hurting, she looked away.
With a large rock behind them and Copper Island in front of them, there wasn’t much else to see apart from clear water and white sand. The imposing house, Turner Hall, loomed large at the top of the cliff covered in greenery. Edward Hall peeked out above tall trees, its turrets steel grey. Erica toyed around with plates of sandwiches and bite-sized nibbles to be in the order she would like to try them. When Archer turned to face her, she gave him her best comforting smile, hoping he would come and join her.
“I got lost there in a memory, sorry,” he said, dropping to his knees and then to his side. “Maggie prepared the food, so we have to guess what’s here. She usually makes what she wants to eat, whatever she fancies on the day.”
“It looks fantastic. I’m going to try the sandwiches first.”
“I didn’t think to check. Are you vegetarian or have any food preferences?”
“I’ll eat most things once,” Erica answered, then took a bite out of a triangle sandwich. “Ham and mustard,” she said, lifting the remainder.
“Mine is beef and horseradish. I detest horseradish,” Archer said, grimacing.
Erica laughed at his disgruntled face, hiding her smile behind her hand. “You want to swap? ”
“I would. Ham and mustard is my favourite.”
Erica handed over her sandwich and took his. Archer took her by surprise and leaned in for a quick kiss.
“We should talk about the deal we made the other night,” Archer said.
“Do you have a plan?”
“Nope, I hoped you would have made one?”
“Well, we could date for a few weeks. Then you could propose, then we get married.”
“Simple, I like it,” Archer said, nodding.
They fell silent as they picked their way through the food, exchanging bites of pieces they liked until they were full. Archer packed away the remaining food and dishes and put the basket to the side. When the space was vacant, he scooted closer to Erica, tugging at her waist to lie down next to him. He turned to kiss her forehead when he had her tucked into his side with his arm around her shoulder. A shiver ran slowly down her spine, spreading heat as it reached the base of her back. It was a tender caress a loving husband would give his wife.
“There is a lot more we need to talk about, honey, but I don’t want to ruin the mood.”
Erica thought the same as she cuddled closer, looking over his bare feet to the water’s edge. The contentedness she felt was a strange feeling. When she took time away to learn her lines and research her role, it was in short bursts. After a few days, Erica would grow bored and gravitate to her home in London. Lying on the sand under the blazing sun, she couldn’t imagine spending time in a busy city.
“What’s on your mind?” she asked.
“We can’t have sex,” Archer blurted, keeping his hand cupping her shoulder .
“Okay, disappointing, but okay,” she said hesitantly. “Can you tell me why?”
“Because this is a transaction. You don’t rate marriage anymore. I need to fulfil my aunt’s condition to get the business. If I take you to bed, it will make it something else entirely.”
“Is that so bad?”
“I can’t fall in love with you, Erica. I need to get my family settled. They’re relying on me.”
“People not in love have sex.”
“I’m going to fall for you. I know it. Experiencing how you feel in the most intimate way, I know it will break me when you walk away.”
“How do you know I’ll walk away?”
“Because that’s the deal we struck. You’re here for two months, then you’ll go back to your job, do whatever it is with the script your reading, and I’ll be left here with a broken heart.”
“I need to extend my stay with your aunt if we are to date, plan, and marry. We’re setting a date for three months, aren’t we?”
“Can you afford to stay for three months? I don’t mean financially, but with your job.”
“I’ll need to leave for a week at the end of the two months, but then I can come back.”
She needed to get fittings for the movie scheduled straight after leaving the island. But now, with the deal she made with the handsome man, she’d need Yanny to work her schedule without messing about the film production. Now there was a dress to consider and shoes.
“I can check with my aunt about the bookings for the cottages. She’ll prefer you stay there far away from my bed until we’re married. ”
Erica giggled at the old-fashioned rules. “When will I get to meet her?”
“We’ll let her see us together from afar. Maybe when you have your swim.”
“I need to do more than swim. I have to practise holding my breath under water. Increase my lung capacity and strengthen every muscle in my body.”
“Is this for your job?”
“Yeah.”
“You take it really seriously.”
“I have to if I want to be authentic.”
Archer went silent again, pulling her closer to his body. Erica liked being tucked against him. She liked feeling his warmth and his protection. Taking a chance on his declaration of no sex, she placed her palm on his stomach. He was hard to the touch. Sliding her fingers under the edge of his t-shirt, she stroked her fingers on his bare skin. When he didn’t move or push her away, she splayed her fingers further up his torso. Erica was desperate for the connection. She didn’t want a cold relationship, even if theirs was fake.
“I could help you,” Archer said, drawing circles on her bare shoulder with the pad of his thumb.
“Help me with what?”
“The swimming, endurance, and holding your breath. I did gig racing here on the island as a kid and teenager. Everyone must know how to be a strong swimmer living on an island. As an oil rig worker, that plan is never to fall in the water. If you did in the North Sea, you wouldn’t last very long in the cold water, but I still kept up training.”
Erica pushed up and rested her weight on her bent elbow. Looking down at Archer’s face, she saw his sincerity shining in his eyes.
“Do you have time? I’ve been given a plan to do each day and watched a dozen videos online. It would be great to have someone help me keep track and support me.”
“I can spare a couple of hours each morning. We can get to know each other at the same time.”
“Thank you so much,” she said, leaning down to kiss him.
It was an automatic reaction to kiss him. Archer’s soft lips turned hungry as his palm cupped the back of her head. Erica went along with his kiss, sliding her tongue next to his as he rolled them. He nestled between her parted legs, balancing most of his weight on his elbows as he explored her mouth, throat, and collar bone with his lips. She could feel he wanted her, flushed at the knowledge one kiss turned him on. When Erica lifted her hips to shift her position, Archer pulled away and rolled to his back, panting.
“You’re going to kill me,” he said.
Erica giggled at his over-exaggeration as she sat up. Then, pulling her loose blouse over her head, she flung it to land on his face.
“No looking now then,” she said, pushing up to stand.
She shimmied her shorts over her hips and kicked off her shoes. Standing barefoot in the sand with a string bikini, Erica looked over her shoulder at Archer. He had stuffed part of her top in his mouth to muffle his groan.
“You’re wearing a wet suit for our practice sessions, right?” he said, throwing the blouse into the space she’d vacated.
“I thought I could try naked, but I don’t think your aunt would approve.”
“She most certainly would not.”
Archer stood to join her, toeing off his shoes as he pulled off his t-shirt.
“The water here is too shallow to swim, but we could paddle around or sit at the water’s edge,” Archer said, holding out his hand.
Erica took it and joined him at the water as it lapped over their feet. He explained the tides were too strong over this side of the island to go any deeper, especially for a novice swimmer like her. She accepted what he was saying, and they stood hand in hand, with the water up to their knees, looking at the cliff face.
“Archer?” Erica asked.
“Yeah?”
“How are we going to pull this off without anyone getting hurt? We have to make sure everyone believes us, and then when this ends, I’ll feel horrible for fooling everyone. How will your siblings react?”
“It’ll be fine. We’re not going to meet many people up at the house. Just the staff. Jason, Luke, and Daisy know the deal, and Aunt Cynthia won’t care.”
“And the wedding, what about the guests?”
“We’ll keep it low-key.”
“Okay,” Erica said, not convinced in the slightest.
He turned her to face him while the water ebbed and flowed around them. “It’s not going to be hard to fake falling in love with you,” he said.
Erica could’ve melted on the spot as he cupped her cheeks and pressed his lips to hers. It didn’t take long before he wrapped her in his arms, peppering her mouth with soft butterfly kisses. His hand went down her back and into the back of her bikini bottoms. She canted her hips to push against his, encouraging him to pull her tighter against his hard-muscled body. They stayed like that for eternity, with her arms wrapped around his neck and his hands holding her in place. Erica made no plans to stop kissing him. It was her new favourite pastime .
He lifted her under her arms, and she wrapped her legs around him. Archer carried her back to the blanket and laid her down, him covering her body with his. They continued their make-out session until she heard a consistent beeping noise.
Archer pulled back half an inch from her mouth. She could feel his smile.
“We need to pack up and head back. Tide is on the way in.”
Archer’s breath feathered over her mouth. She was dazed by his passion and the sun, in no mood to move out of his arms.
“If we have to,” she said.
“Getting stranded over here would not please my aunt. Bailey would bring the motorboat across, but I prefer not to alert her to any inappropriateness.”
Erica pecked his lips just before Archer moved away. She watched as he pulled on his t-shirt, marvelling at his side, back, and torso muscles. He looked strong and powerful. Erica knew without a doubt he would protect her while she was in his care. A sudden wave of melancholy overcame her as she thought about the time she would walk away in three months and return to her Hollywood life. Erica considered giving it all up for this man for the first time in her career. A man she barely knew. These thoughts never crossed her mind when she married Gregg, her ex-husband.
Getting up and dressed, she folded the blanket for Archer to stuff into the basket. Archer helped her up from the sand and brushed her down, taking extra time to ensure the sand was off every inch of her legs. The roughness of his hands sent tingles throughout her body. The tips of her nipples began to harden. Erica was insanely attracted to the man ensuring she was sand-free. How would she cope with being married to him that wasn’t real?
“I think you got all the grains,” she said, laughing as she pushed him away.
He gave her a sheepish grin, telling her he enjoyed it as much as she was.
It was less than five minutes since the alarm had sounded, and they were on the move across the sand pathway back to their fake lives to begin. The water was lapping at her feet when they had reached the sand on the other side of the causeway. It astounded her how quickly the tide came in.
“No wonder you set the alarm. Another five minutes, and we’d be wading the last hundred yards.”
“Yep,” Archer said. “No messing about with the water around here. But, until you’re experienced, I’d say the swimming pool is a better option for you.”
“Agreed. I don’t have much confidence in my strength at the moment.”
“If you work hard, it won’t take long. Then if you’re feeling like an adventure, I could take you to see the seals. We can swim with them.”
Erica stopped at the junction between the sand and the dirt path winding back up to the back of her garden. “There are seals here, and you can swim with them?” she asked, looking back out to the island they’d spent the last couple of hours on.
“Yeah,” he answered and chuckled, tugging her up the steep path. “Don’t slow your pace now, or you’ll never get up this path. It’s fine coming down but a killer to walk back up.”
“That’s definitely an incentive to become a strong swimmer. I can’t wait to swim with seals,” she said, puffing as she trudged up the path.
“And I thought the incentive to become a strong swimmer was to spend time with me,” he answered, giving her a wink when he looked over his shoulder.
“Well, there is that. And my job depends on becoming a better swimmer.”
“You wound me,” Archer said, clutching his heart.
They both laughed as they carried on up the path, passing comments back and forth. When they reached the flat grass lawn, Archer placed the picnic basket on the ground and pulled Erica into his arms.
“Can I kiss you?”
“You never have to ask permission, Archer. I thought I’d told you how much I like you.”
“I know, but that was before our bargain. Before we confirmed that we’re going to act like a couple who have fallen hard and quickly in love from tomorrow.”
“Just kiss me, Archer,” Erica said, sliding her arm around his waist and tilting her chin up.
He covered her mouth with his, seeking entry with the very tip of his tongue and then long, languid swipes. Archer pulled out of her embrace just as quickly and kissed her forehead.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, honey,” Archer said, touching her cheek with his thumb.
“You will. I’ll be the one in the pool.”