‘I don’t mind. What’s happened, Liv? What couldn’t wait for me to get back to shore?’
‘This,’ I said, climbing up onto my hands and knees and leaning towards him. My kiss took him by surprise, and he had no time to protest. He pulled me towards him, my damp underwear soaking his clothes.
His kisses travelled to my neck, sending a whole different kind of shiver through me than the cold water had caused.
‘Liv, we said we wouldn’t do this.’
I rocked back onto the floor of the boat, crossing my legs and taking his hands. ‘No, what we said was that we’d wait until I’d sorted things out. Well, I’ve sorted things out.’
‘What do you mean, Liv?’ Seb reached forward and pushed a damp strand of hair away from my eyes.
‘I met up with Rob this evening.’
‘And?’
‘It went really well. He’s happy to go ahead with the divorce. I think it may have been the first honest conversation we’ve had since we got married. We still need to sort out the fine print, but I think we can make it work. I even think we can do it amicably, which will mean less suffering for Bertie.’
‘Wow. That’s amazing. So, you weren’t tempted to go back to him?’ Seb began planting kisses on my collarbone, moving up my neck, but stopping just short of my lips.
‘Seb, do you think I’d have jumped in a freezing lake wearing nothing but my underwear just to kiss you, if I was tempted to go back to Rob?’
‘Maybe you just fancied a swim?’ His kisses moved up to my ear, then back down, circling my mouth, before travelling back down towards my chest.
My fingers sunk into his hair, and I leaned back. Seb shifted his weight, leaning against me, kissing harder. I let out a giggle.
‘What?’
‘Seb… this is amazing, but there’s something poking into my back. Ow, God, that’s really painful.’
Seb pulled me forward. ‘Oh, it seems you were leaning against the rollick.’
‘Is that some sort of euphemism?’ I asked, looking behind me at the metal horseshoe that held the oar.
‘Hmm,’ said Seb, looking around the small boat. ‘I’m wondering if this is the best place for…’
‘For?’
‘For whatever is happening here.’
We both laughed, and he wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight. ‘Let’s get you back to my place. I’ll get a fire going, put the kettle on, and you can get warmed up.’
Seb lowered me down onto one of the bench seats, keeping his eyes fixed on mine as he picked up the oars and began rowing towards the shore.
‘I didn’t know you fished.’
‘There’s lots you don’t know about me.’
‘I want you to tell me everything. I want to know everything there is to know.’
Seb looked down at the bottom of the boat. ‘You might not like everything about me.’
‘Well, you won’t know that until you try me, will you? Seb, I think I’ve proved I’m serious about us, don’t you? I’m not in this for some fling. I’m in this for everything, good and bad.’
Seb stayed quiet, pulling on the oars. When we reached the jetty, he secured the boat to its mooring, jumped out, and held out a hand to me. I took it, noticing the callouses on his palm from holding the oars. Without a word, I gathered up the clothes strewn on the deck. I tucked them under my arm, taking his hand and letting him lead me home.
Chapter Thirty-One
‘Hey,’ I said, rolling onto my stomach and propping myself up on my arms. Seb lay beside me, supporting his head in the crook of his elbow. ‘I think you need to send a thank you note to your sister.’
