“And tell me, my princess, why would I want to build a treehouse when we have a perfectly good cottage already waiting for us?”
“Because your wife asked you to.” She crosses her arms and tilts her head as she gazes at him.
That’s probably reason enough. If he knows what’s good for him, in any case.
“And what is my wife offering in return?”
He should have just agreed, but she’s so attractive standing there like that.
“What makes you think she’s offering anything?”
He runs his tongue over his lips as he struggles to come up with a response. She’s always so quick to answer. She’s definitely better at this than he is. His flesh tastes salty from the sea air, and thoughts of her smoke and waterfalls fill his head.
Does she taste salty, too? She would if he dipped her in the ocean first.
Stars above. This island is the wrong sort of distracting.
He stares at her as her lips twitch with the hint of the smile she’s holding back. He has no idea what to say next, and she knows it.
He needs a diversion.
Without pausing to think, he runs toward her and throws her over his shoulder, carrying her out into the surf.
“Rominy! What are you doing?”
“I have no idea.”
Laughter bursts from her, and he stops once the water is waist deep and sets her on her feet in front of him.
She could have stopped him. Easily.
It always warms his heart when she doesn’t.
“You still haven’t answered my question.” She wraps her arms around his neck while the warm waves wash around them.
“How about you answer mine?”
That’s what he should have said before. But then they wouldn’t be here, and this is better.
The waves push her against him as her dress soaks up the salty seawater.
So much better.
“I think she’d do this.” Then she kisses him, and he doesn’t stop her. Hopefully, the water will keep her fire at bay. For a few minutes, at least.
She does taste salty.
As they stand in the water, their bodies pressed together while the warm sun beats down on them, time loses all meaning, the way it did in their pool by the waterfall. When Rominy eventually slides his fingers along Elowyn’s ears, she clutches his wet shirt as she whimpers against him. The heat building within him nearly makes him lose his head and forget everything Tharios told him.
Then she whispers, “I...I need...I need to cool down. My magic...”
Stars above. When did she grow so warm? The water tempers her heat, but it doesn’t obliterate it entirely.
It didn’t seem to matter that she was warm during their twilight swim, as long as she wasn’t catching fire. But now?
Breathing out slowly, he wraps his arms around her again. “I think we both need to cool down.”
He holds her for a few moments before letting her go, and to his shock, she dives under the water.
