“Did the detective speak with you?” Willow asks, lingering close so I swim even further out into the lake, sinking deeper until just my eyes peer up at her above water level. We silently exchange everything we can't say right now.
“No, they’re both speaking with Lil. She’s offered them the pool guest house when the weather turns bad, so they’ll no doubt be flooded in with us for the rest of the week.”
“Surely we won’t be here for the full week?” She snipes, like it's Robin’s fault we’re all stuck here.
Merle comes to stand beside her and asks for more information on the sleeping arrangements, running a palm through his coarse hair. He grumbles, clearly pissed she hasn't consulted him about housing them. Typically it was just like Phin’s sister to do as she pleased, a key reason I stayed away from her as much as possible.
“The weather is going to get pretty bad from today, so we’d better prepare to be locked in till it clears up,” he informs us. “Unfortunately we're on a flood plain so Nightingale and the adjoining village will get the brunt of it.”
“Yorkshire is so fucking weird. Why does a full city flood every year?” Bran says in the middle of wrestling with Jay in the water, whilst his girlfriend chews her lip, more engrossed in our conversation.
“Hey, Yorkshire is beautiful! Other places flood, its nature.” Phin says, rolling his eyes.
“Either way, the roads won’t be accessible and we’ll be here till the storm ends.” Merle repeats, but Willow continues to scowland swims to meet Mavis next to the guys. I can finally stand to suck in air, my lungs stinging a little.
“Robbie, we’re going to throw a dinner party in the lake house later and we can play games. Oh, did you find the next clue?” Phin asks her.
“Sounds fun.” She says almost sarcastically, clearly in a foul mood but keeping her cool with him. “I did, it’s a bad one.”
Putting aside that I think she might like to drown me, I peer around to see how this piece of information goes down. We're all suspects, so maybe someone will give themselves away. Merle shifts from foot to foot and Mavis turns from the group, encouraging both guys to swim with her. Bran starts a butterfly stroke, but Jay apologises because he needs to go grab his inhaler from his stuff on the patio.
He wades out, and I swim closer to the dock. “Wanna come in?” The gravitational towards her grabs me by the throat once more.
“Oh you actually want to see me now?”
Phin whistles.“Boy you fucked up.”
I shrug my shoulders. “Never stopped. It's Roo’s world and I’m just living in it.”
Her scowl deepens and I have to repress a smile because she’s so fucking cute. Not only that, but she looks sexy as sin in those little shorts. I don’t think she grasps how effortlessly gorgeous she is, and yep—there goes my dick.
“You’re ridiculous.”
“You’re adorable.” I retort, moving until I’m so close I have to strain my neck upwards. “Get in the water.”
“No.”
“Get in. Swim with me.”
“I’d rather shit in my hand and clap.”
“I mean, I’d rather you not do that and it’s too late.”
She frowns. “Too late for what?”
In one fluid motion I pull myself up against the wooden dock, using my upper body strength to pull myself out of the water. I knew there would come a day I’d be thankful for arm day in the gym. Perching my hips onto the edge, I grab her by the upper thighs and wrap around her as I throw us both backwards into the water below.
I can't believe I ever thought it would be safer to keep her at arms length. It’s time I stepped up my efforts and showed her just how much I want her to be mine.
“Sorry Detectives, I had nothing to do with Corbin's death. It however was me who held Wren Hastings face under the water until he stopped breathing. I feel slightly bad about it.” Robin glares, still coughing up lake water that she’d inhaled. A pang of guilt washes over me, so as an apology I nuzzle my head into her neck and wrap her legs around my waist to keep her firmly attached. The water is deep enough for myself, so she would go straight under if I let go.
“You’re so sexy when you threaten my life.” I whisper into her neck, unable to hide my smile that stretches so wide it hurts.
Protesting, she tries to unlatch her legs, but I keep my palms against one of her thighs and back, leaning backwards to float away from the dock. Her arms flail around my neck and she demands me not to do that again. I can't help but press every inch of her against me, goosebumps rippling across her arms and a flush creeping up her neck.
“I don’t have any more clean clothes and now they’re ruined.”
“You can wear my clothes. Bran might as well have packed my entire wardrobe.”
