His pelvis rocks against mine, driving us into a mutual oblivion until we’re shaking and shuddering, moaning each other’s names.
‘I love you.’ His voice is thick with emotion.
‘And I love you.’
His cheek presses against my chest, my haywire heart out of control.
‘I wish we could stay here forever,’ I tell him.
‘Really?’ Surprise taints his tone.
‘Yeah. I mean, look at this place. It’s so peaceful. So tranquil.’
He slides out of me and flops onto his back, taking my hand and pressing his lips against the back of it. ‘Isn’t Huxley Castle equally tranquil?’
‘It might be if it wasn’t filled with glamorous visitors clawing over each other to meet the rock star who lives there.’ My head turns and I raise the hand that Archie isn’t holding to shield the sun from my eyes. ‘And don’t get me started on the four-year-old divas who run wild on the grounds.’
He sniggers. ‘Ha. You love them really.’
‘You know I do.’ It occurs to me that Andie and Roger’s son, Jason, would have been about the same age as Bella and Blake are when Archie enrolled in the army. No wonder he’s so attached to the twins.
‘Come on.’ He pulls me into a seated position.
‘Come on what? I’ll have you know, I’m in post-coital bliss and I’m thinking about a nap.’ Sublimely satiated and more relaxed than I’ve been in years, perhaps even my entire life, I’m seconds away from drifting off.
‘Let’s go for a dip in the lake.’ Archie effortlessly scoops me up into his arms, pretending to throw me in.
‘Don’t even think about it.’ My palm strikes his back with a slapping sound. ‘Besides, I don’t have a swimsuit.’
‘Oh, baby.’ He places me down and pulls Andie’s dress over my head. ‘You don’t need one.’
The sun does feel amazing on my bare skin. ‘Skinny dipping? What if someone sees?’
A lascivious grin lights his face. ‘You weren’t too concerned about anyone “seeing” a minute ago.’
‘That’s because the only thing they’d have seen is your pert ass bobbing up and down on top of me.’
He snorts, all other troubles temporarily forgotten.
Scanning the scenery, there’s not a sinner or saint on the horizon. I dip a tentative toe in the water and squeal. ‘It’s absolutely freezing.’
‘It’s beautiful once you’re in, I promise.’ He drops his shorts and tosses them onto the blanket.
My greedy eyes devour him, desperate to commit this moment to memory forever. He shoots me a wink before diving gracefully underneath the cool blue lake, resurfacing a few metres in, rubbing the water from his eyes. ‘Get in. It’s glorious.’
I dive in, the cold shock stealing the breath from my lungs. I’d follow Archie Mason anywhere.
Resurfacing next to him, I sweep the water from my lashes with a grin. The cold shock subsides, and the water feels amazing. I bob next to Archie until his hands find my hips and settle there.
‘Will you go to see him?’ The question leaves my lips before I have time to stop it. Maybe there’s no better time given the way we just reconnected.
The lake has nothing on the colour of those deep blue pools staring back at me. ‘I don’t know.’
‘I’m not going to presume to understand, but from what Andie said, it might be your last chance.’ I’m treading deep water, in and out of the lake.
‘I feel as though if I go to him, it’s admitting he still has some sort of power over me. Does that make sense?’ He pulls my chest flush with his. ‘And if I don’t go to him, I feel like it’s my way of saying I’ve risen above what he’s done to me. Made my peace with it.’
‘But have you, though?’
