I carry her semi-damp duvet into the bathroom, draping it over the bath to allow it to dry.
I look out of the window. Kat has moved to the edge of the terrace and is staring out over the sea.
She tilts her head back again, her eyes closed. Her nipples protrude against the soaked material of her nightgown. The outline of her panties is clearly visible. She has swept her hair off her face, and it cascades down her back.
Lightning cracks overhead, lighting up the deck. She flinches at the sound before turning and making her way back inside.
I grab a towel and a robe and meet her by the door.
“Here, get inside,” I say, as another flash lights up the sky, followed instantly by a crack of thunder.
“Thank you. I love the rain,” Kat says, half talking to herself.
Kat grabs the towel and uses it to squeeze out her hair.
“You always did.”
I remember finding her in the pool after everyone had gone to bed. She was swimming laps in the rain. Kat, like all the Frazers, is an amazing swimmer, though, like Caleb, she has always preferred to run.
Kat peels her nightdress over her head, before I have a chance to look away, taking the robe I’m holding out.
“Thank you,” she says.
I open my mouth and close it again, as her body is enveloped in the white material.
“What?” she says. “It’s not like you didn’t get an eyeful earlier.”
This woman will be the death of me.
I glance at the clock. It’s three thirty.
There’s another clap of thunder, and Kat turns to face the window, the lightning illuminating her face and the sky. My breath catches in my throat at the sight, my body becoming warm despite the air con.
“You need to get dry,” I say.
“Yes, Dad,” she says automatically and with extra sass.
She draws up short when she remembers who she’s speaking to.
I move back towards her bed and grab the pillows.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m not going to argue with you,” I say, putting the pillows down the centre of the large bed, creating a barrier.
“I will not sleep in a bed with you,” she says.
I sigh.
“You won’t be, you’ll be sleeping on your side of an enormous mattress, and I’ll be sleeping on mine. Now, if you don’t mind, I want to get some sleep. Yesterday was a long day, and I’m tired.”
I get back into bed and roll over so I’m facing away from her.
I hear her sigh and head for the bathroom. Two minutes later, the hairdryer goes on as she dries her hair.
When she returns, I stay silent, closing my eyes, slowing my breathing.
I sense her stop at the end of the bed. I can almost hear the indecision swirling in her brain. After a couple of minutes, common sense kicks in, and she moves to the other side. I bite the inside of my cheek. The covers move, and I grin into the darkness as Kat slides into bed on the other side of the pillow barricade.
