Chapter 14 #3
“How many people can say they’ve swum in the Pacific? Loads, I’d wager. But not nearly as many have had the privilege of dipping their toes in the magic waters of a Scottish loch.”
She glides her hands over the water as she kicks to stay afloat. “I’m not sure there’s anything magical about this water except maybe some algae, and oh my god, I think a fish just touched my leg!”
I let out a chuckle.
“It’s not funny, Ash!”
“On the contrary,” I argue. It’s pretty damn funny. “Come here.” I motion with my hand. “I’ll keep you safe.”
She floats over to me without hesitation. Who knew she’d be so scared of a fish?
I wrap an arm around her shoulder, trying my best to keep the rest of our mostly naked bodies from touching. Neither of us needs that temptation. “I’d say we’ve dipped more than just our toes in,” she mumbles.
“I have, but your hair is still dry. You’re basically still on the shore.”
Her mouth falls open. “Am not!” She tries to playfully push me away.
I shrug. “Nothing adventurous about seizing the moment. Go all the way or go home, isn’t that the saying?”
She grins. “It’s go big or go home.”
“I see no difference.” I shrug as my gaze drifts upward. “And your hair is still dry.”
Her eyes sparkle with mischief. “Okay, fine. I’ll dunk my head into this freezing cold water and ruin the curls I spent an hour perfecting.
” I don’t bother mentioning that her perfect curls are already halfway ruined, and the daffodil behind her ear is half wilted from the splashing when we fell in.
She doesn’t need to know that. “But I want something from you.”
“All right.”
The way she’s looking up at me has my stomach fluttering with nerves. “I want you to kiss me.”
I pull back. She notices almost immediately. “Merc…”
Her eyes fill with disappointment. “You said you’d give me whatever I wanted today.”
“I did,” I acknowledge. “But I’m just concerned it might not be a good idea at the moment.
” I gaze down at the pale-yellow strap of her bra, barely peeking over the edge of the water.
It’s nearly translucent now, and it’s a physical struggle not to let my eyes slip lower to see what lingers below the surface.
“It’s just that we don’t have many opportunities to be alone—truly alone.
You were right before. I don’t want my first kiss to be in front of a bunch of reporters,” she emphasizes.
“And since you said you wanted it to be special, I thought maybe this place would suffice. I didn’t think about—” Her gaze shifts to my bare chest and our obvious lack of clothing.
I take a deep breath and glance up at the blue sky and the shimmering water.
Turning to face her, I say, “When I was little, I hated Blackstone. It was dark and drafty. The only place I found any enjoyment was the library, and even there I had to be quiet because it was down the hall from my father’s study.
But out here, among the heather and thistle, I could be wild and free, like a child is meant to be.
Cormac would take me here, and while he fished, I would swim and roam, collecting rocks and shells.
So yes, this place is special. To me, those memories carry a bit of magic, and I’ll happily share some of that with you. ”
My heart pounds wildly as I softly cup her cheek and angle her chin upward. When her gaze meets mine, I swear it stops beating altogether for a moment or two as I lean in and tentatively brush my lips against hers.
It’s barely a kiss, but it counts. I could stop here.
I should stop here.
But then her eyes flutter shut, and her nails dig into my biceps. I hear her breath hitch, and I know I can’t walk away.
Not yet.
I’ve never wanted to kiss anyone more in my entire life.
One hand slips from the soft skin of her cheek into her hair. The other wraps around her waist, pulling her tight against me.
She lets out a gasp as my erection presses against her stomach.
See what you do to me? I want to say. See why this is such a bad idea? But I don’t. I just pull her closer and do what I’ve been dying to do for weeks. Months, maybe.
I kiss her.
I want her first kiss to be something to remember, so I start slow, savoring every moment.
Her lips are fucking perfect, just as I knew they would be, and she proves to be an excellent student.
She slides her arms around my neck, tilting her head to deepen the kiss.
When she opens her mouth, and my tongue finds hers, I’m gone.
Fucking destroyed.
Her legs wrap around my waist, and my brain does indeed short-circuit. My dick leads the charge.
Things go downhill from here.
Soon, my hand is on her ass, and I’m dangerously close to sliding it under her panties while she’s practically dry humping me in the middle of the loch.
We’re both panting, and fuck, I did not need to know what she sounds like when she moans. That’s going to haunt my dreams.
But then she says the one thing that could bring reality crashing back.
“Asher, I want you to be my first.”