“Ever felt like ye have to behave as though ye’re someone ye’re nae?” Erskine asked, watching her closely.
Laura laughed aloud and gestured down to herself.
“Yes, I think I know something of it.” To her words, Erskine laughed too.
“Aye, I dinnae think for a minute.”
“It’s strange, trying to behave like a boy all the time,” she shrugged. “I have to be very conscious of the way I sit, the way I eat, the way I walk too.”
“Ye have done a mediocre job of it,” Erskine smiled as he said the words.
“Mediocre!?” Laura repeated in mock outrage.
“I discovered yer secret, dinnae I?”
“Only after you saw a drawing of me,” she pointed out, gesturing to him.
“Aye, that’s true. It’s one of those things though, as soon as ye see it, ye cannae unsee it. Every time I look at ye,” he dropped his voice, “I see Laura. I daenae see Billie.”
Laura felt a blush seep into her cheeks at these words. For a minute, they held each other’s gaze, just staring at one another.
“For what it’s worth,” he said after a moment, “I much prefer ye as a lass.”
Laura felt under the table Erskine’s leg rest against her own, completely hidden from the view of anyone passing by them. Laura let their legs rest together, aware of the warmth that came from his leg, even through his trews, and the strength of the muscle beneath.
That feeling started up again, shaking her thoughts away from Erskine. She was sure someone was watching her. She darted her head around, earning a groan from Erskine in response.
“There is nay one there.”
“I’m not so sure.”
“Then we best leave.”
“What?” Laura turned back just as Erskine’s leg left hers to see him standing to his feet.
“Come on,” he beckoned her up to follow him, “I ken where we can go. Somewhere nay one will find us.”
* * *
“Well, it is certainly secluded,” Laura said as Erskine beckoned her to follow him. They had walked a little out of the town and along the beach, under the cliff. The tide was out, leaving the beach a vast expanse of shingle. Erskine was leading her down to a certain section by the bottom of the cliff where there were caves. He stood in the entrance of one of the caves and gestured around himself.
“Isnae it beautiful?”
“Yes, I cannot deny that,” Laura agreed as she jumped up next to him, standing on another rock that brought her to Erskine’s head height.
“And would ye agree that nay one can see us here?” Erskine moved closer to her side. His voice was deep as though there were another meaning behind it. Laura looked away from him, turning up and down the beach, but she could see nothing and no one beyond the rocks and the beach.
“Yes, I would, why do you—” she turned back to speak to him, but she was immediately cut off as his hand reached for her waist and tugged her forward, connecting their lips together. The kiss was brief, just a taunt, a tease of what there could be before Laura placed her hands against Erskine’s shoulders and pushed back. “But…”
“But what?” Erskine asked, with a mischievous smile on his face.
“You said this was too complicated!” she said boldly, tapping him on one of his shoulders in reprimand.
“I ken, it is complicated, but I cannae stay away all the same.”
His hand was back on her waist, pulling her toward him, and this time, Laura did not make an attempt to end it.
The kiss grew more and more heated, with Laura’s hands snaking up around Erskine’s neck, holding him to her. He tossed her hat out across the sand before winding his fingers into her hair, pulling the locks free of its updo. His other arm was still pulling her against him so that her body was flattened against his.
