Shrugging off my coat, I kick off my shoes and quickly shimmy out of the rest of my clothes.
Miles’s eyes smolder as he watches me. “What are you doing? It’ll be freezing.”
“Aye.” At this moment, I welcome the chill.
Without another thought, I jump into the crystal-clear pool, the icy liquid stealing my breath, or is it the fairies? I move my arms and kick my legs to get my blood moving.
Miles crouches by the edge and puts a tentative hand in the water. He shakes his head. “No way.”
I smile and give him a little splash, which he dodges expertly. The water sends ice coursing through my veins, but it is soothing. I float on my back, my face to the glowing clouds, water filling my ears, andeverything else fades away. My swirling thoughts have slowed. It was always supposed to be an affair. A harmless little fling.
After a couple more minutes in the icy water, my bones start to feel the cold. I swim to the edge. Miles offers me a hand. He takes off his jumper and wraps it around my shivering body. “Your lips are blue. We should get you back to the fire.”
He rubs the sides of my arms. We didn’t bring a towel. Honestly, I wasn’t planning on wild swimming in November. I pull his cardigan closer, get my pants and shoes back on, and we head back to the car at a quick pace.
Once back at somewhere only we know, Miles plops me in front of the fire and runs me a bath in the clawfoot tub. Goosebumps still cover my flesh as the loch shimmers outside.
“Skye, your bath awaits.”
I rise but stop dead in my tracks as something gliding in the loch catches my eye. Barely breathing, I watch as the shadowy figure whirls through the water.
“Skye?”
I glance toward Miles as he comes out of the back.
“Are you okay?”
When I turn back to the loch, it is still as a church on a Tuesday.
I can smellthe bath before I see it. The navy blue clawfoot tub is filled with lavender-scented bubbles. Bubbles higher than the sides. Miles comes over to me and gently pulls my jumper—well, technically his—over my head. He kneels down, skimming my body with his lips on the way to unbutton my jeans.
Once I am completely naked, he gives me a hand into the tub. The water is deliciously warm and feels soft from the bubbles. My whole body relaxes.
Miles gives me his most handsome smile. “I’ll give you some privacy.”
I reach out, grab his hand, and shake my head. “That’s the last thing I want.”
His smile grows wider.
I pat the water on the other side of the tub, making little splashes as I do. “Plenty of room.”
“You don’t have to ask me twice,” Miles says as he shimmies out of his clothes. He hops into the tub with a massive splash that we’ll without a doubt have to clean up later, but right now that doesn’t matter. Nothing matters except our slick skin next to each other in this blissful tub and Miles’s lips on my neck.
Sneaking backinto the castle isn’t as hard as I thought it would be. Miles had the idea for me to drop him off in Foyers, and he’d find his own way back. It wouldn’t look like we were together at all. Still water, no ripples.
After I smuggle our things into my room, I head to my writing room, but stop dead in my tracks at the door. My dad is there, staring out the window. He usually never spends time in this room, even before I took it over. “Dad.”
“Ah, pet. You're back. How was the writing class?”
I glance at my laptop on my desk, where it’s been all weekend. “Good.”
“Thought it was a little funny you went to a writing class without your computer.”
So, he clocked it too.
“Yeah. It was all about tapping into your creativity with a paper and pen.” Yep, that sounds legit. “No laptops allowed.”
Dad narrows his eyes but nods once. He comes over and gives me a kiss on the head. “Be careful, pet.”
