“This is just — wow!” Jules’s mouth hung open. She dropped her bag and stepped closer to the water’s edge. Catherine smiled as she watched her taking it all inbecause somehow this place was even better than she’d remembered it. She tugged the picnic blanket out of her bag and rolled it out on the grassy bank before sitting down to chug some water and take off her boots, grateful to wriggle her toes in the cool grass.
Jules came bounding over, her face beaming as she flopped down next to Catherine on the blanket. “This place is unreal; it was so worth hiking up that bloody hill.”
“Do you need some water? Or gin, I brought gin.”
Jules lifted her sunglasses to squint at Catherine. “You mean to tell me you hiked up that hill with a picnic blanket and a bottle of gin?”
“No. Not a bottle of gin. I didn’t know what flavour you liked so…” She rummaged in her backpack and pulled out several cans.
Jules laughed. “You’re… funny.”
No one had ever accused Catherine of that before. Penny was funny; Jules was funny. Catherine was poised and stoic, and really no fun at all. Or perhaps she’d never let herself go enough for anyone to really see her because, admittedly, she was hilarious in her own head.
“What’s the saying — never gin before a swim?”
Catherine grinned. “That’s not a thing.”
“Well, it should be.” Jules stood and started stripping off her clothes. Catherine gulped, trying and failing to avert her eyes as Jules peeled off her layers until she was in nothing but a bright red swimming costume. Her body was taut under the tight material, leaving little left for Catherine’s imagination to fill in.
Shit. Why didn’t I wear my costume under my clothes?
“Are you coming in?” Jules smiled down at her before taking long strides back towards the lake; her smooth, tanned legs seemed to go all the way up to her armpits. Catherine wasn’t a prude by any stretch, but sometimes being in her own awkward skin was exhausting.
She stood, slowly stripped off her own clothes and folded them into a neat pile. She turned away from the lake, flinging the Dryrobe over her shoulders as she removed her underwear and shimmied into the black costume. Not that Jules was looking anyway, perhaps she’d sensed Catherine’s awkwardness and given her space.Or perhaps she’s just not interested in you like that?
Jules looked absorbed in the moment as Catherine stepped up alongside her. She didn’t want to startle her or shatter her peace, so she curled her toes into the mossy bank. Patterns of light skipped over the water.
Jules let out a hearty laugh. “Are you trying to summon the courage too?”
“Ha! No, I do this all the time, and often on much colder days. It’ll be lovely once we’re in.”
“Why doesn’t that fill me with confidence?”
“I thought you Scots were meant to be made of hardy stuff.”
“Ach! I’m a city lass. I didn’t grow up frolicking in freezing lochs!”
Catherine chuckled. “It shouldn’t be too cold.”
“Says the Ice-Bath Queen!”
“Think of it like a wild kiss.” Catherine inhaled, and Jules turned to look at her, a questioning eyebrow arched. “It might take your breath away, but I can guarantee it’ll leave you wanting more.”
Jules stared at her for a moment, her lips slightly parted before they split into a grin. “Right, er, yeah… it sounds a bit like you’re romanticising hypothermia.”
“I’ll go first,” Catherine said, enjoying the opportunity to show a little bravado. Hyper-aware of Jules’s gaze, she squared her shoulders and moved with confidence, and, she hoped, a little grace.
The shallow water warmed her toes, her ankles, then her calves as she waded in. By the time it reached her thighs, the water was colder, but at this point the coolness was a welcome relief against her hot skin, flushed from the proximity of Jules and how brazen she’d just been with that kiss analogy.What has gotten into me?But it had been worth it to win that look on Jules’s face.
The lake lapped higher. Catherine restrained her gasp as the water swallowed her waist.
“What’s it like?” Jules called out.
Catherine took a second to steady her breath before answering. “It’s perfect. Come on.” And before her rational brain could kick in, she pushed off from the bottom and surrendered her weight to the water. Her nipples pebbled under the thin fabric of her swimsuit.
“If I die, I’m going to haunt you.” Jules dipped a toe in.
“You won’t die!” Catherine smiled to herself as Jules picked her way into the water with a distinct lack of grace, muttering expletives with every step and splash. Like Penny, Jules was unapologetically herself — a perfect blend of rough and smooth — and it was as refreshing asthe cool water. Then with a splash that echoed around the lake, Jules was gone, the mirrored surface rippling in her wake.
