Page 43 of An Unlikely Debutante

Chapter Fourteen

Alex watched as Lina half ran, half skipped down the hill. She was almost at the edge of the lake before he moved. Everything about this was a bad idea, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to stop himself.

‘It’s a hot day,’ he murmured to himself. ‘There’s nothing wrong with wanting to cool off with a swim. It’s perfectly innocent.’

There was nothing innocent about the thoughts running through his head. He was already picturing how Lina would slip out of her clothes and wade into the water, her skin puckering and tightening in the cool, refreshing water.

Behave, he told himself. Despite the mounting attraction he’d felt for Lina over the past few weeks his sister’s words were still ringing in his mind. She’d warned him again to be careful—dallying with Lina would just end in heartbreak and animosity.

Trying to keep his movements slow and measured, Alex reached the lake just as Lina began unlacing her dress.

‘Help me?’ she asked, turning her back to him and indicating the ties that held the high waist of her skirt in place.

Alex had undressed many young women in his youth, although not in the past three years, but he felt a light tremble to his fingers as he pulled at the ends of the ties and loosened the fastenings of Lina’s skirt. Despite the warm day Lina had several layers on, as young women were expected to wear, whatever the weather, but still he could feel the heat of her skin as his fingers trailed across her lower back.

‘Thank you,’ Lina said, turning around. They were standing close, too close for propriety, but Alex knew their proximity would be the least scandalous thing that happened this afternoon. It was unheard of, stripping down with a young woman to go swimming, but Alex knew good manners and society’s expectations for his behaviour would not be enough to stop him from diving into the lake after Lina.

‘Turn around,’ Lina instructed him.

Alex didn’t move, instead tugging at his own shirt, pulling it over his head. He saw Lina’s eyes flit to his chest, saw her lose the battle with her self-control as her eyes roamed over his body.

‘Are you sure you don’t need any more help?’ he asked. ‘I wouldn’t want you getting tangled in all those underclothes.’

The idea of slowly stripping every layer from Lina’s body created a surge of desire, and although he knew she’d say no, he desperately wanted her to say yes.

‘Turn around,’ Lina instructed again.

This time he complied, turning slowly so his back was towards the lake. The rustling of material fuelled his imagination as he waited for Lina to undress behind him, all the time fighting the ungentlemanly urge to turn and peek.

After what felt like an eternity of anticipation he heard a quiet splashing sound and a soft yelp. It was excuse enough to turn and seek out Lina with his eyes, just to make sure she wasn’t hurt, of course.

She was clad in a thin chemise that ended just below the knee. With the sunlight shining down, the outline of Lina’s body was just about visible through the fabric. Alex felt his body tightening in response and had to fight the urge to sweep her from the water, pull the chemise over her head and lay her down on the grass with his body covering hers.

‘You looked,’ Lina said, accusingly. ‘Turn around.’

‘You screamed.’

‘I exclaimed quietly. The water is rather cold. Turn around.’

She took a few more steps into the lake before looking to see if he had complied with her order.

‘You’re still looking.’

‘It seems I have lost the ability to turn away,’ Alex murmured quietly.

With a huff Lina waded farther into the lake, the water now up to mid-thigh level and dragging on the hem of her chemise.

Quickly Alex stripped off his breeches, took a few steps to his left where he knew the lake was deeper and dived straight in. The coldness almost took his breath away and as he opened his eyes under the water everything was brown and murky. He allowed himself a leisurely glide through the water, feeling his body adjust to the cold and his muscles flex as he began to swim. He surfaced near the middle of the lake, enjoying the burn in his lungs as he sucked in a deep breath to replenish what he had used.

‘I thought you wanted a swim?’ he called over to Lina, who was still slowly wading towards him.

‘It’s a little colder than I imagined.’

‘Nonsense, it’s refreshing.’

Swimming closer, he debated whether she would forgive him if he pulled her down. The idea of their bodies entwining under the water was too enticing as Alex paused beside her.

‘Don’t do it,’ she warned.