He rushed toward her, at least as quickly as his pace would allow. Reaching the water, he slowly waded toward her, his gaze on her, hers on him. Then he was there before her.
They stared at one another for several minutes.
“You should not be here,” he said at last, even while he reached up to smooth back a wayward lock of her soft, pale hair.
“I know. I’m sorry if I disturbed you.”
“You did not disturb me. Though there be danger in your being here, I think it was meant to be.”
“Meant to be…here?”
“I cannot explain.”
She nodded, as though she understood perfectly. She glanced down, only to gasp. Her gaze flew to his, and he saw surprise as well as embarrassment there. At last, she understood that her gown hid none of her womanly secrets from him. Suddenly timid, she crossed her arms in front of her.
It made him grin. “It is too late for that, I fear.”
Color filled her cheeks, and he marveled again at the comeliness of her. “You are the most beautiful creature I haveever seen. I have thought so from the first moment you came to me, though it seems long ago.”
“Long ago?” Her glance danced off his. “I have come to you before?”
“Aa, it is true. But again, I cannot explain.”
She turned away then, and crouching, slid down into the water until it hid her body from his gaze. “I must return to my bath—to where I left my clothes…and I must dress at once. I’m sorry if I interrupted you.”
He nodded. “You did not interrupt me. As I said, you are a part of this. But come, you are right. I will accompany you.”
“No.” She spun around in the water, toward him. “No, I…I know my way, and it isn’t far. You see, I heard you singing, and I was…drawn to it.” She frowned, shaking her head. “I don’t know why. But…here I am.”
“Haa’he.Here you are.” He reached out again to touch a lock of her hair, the feel of those silky tresses erotic against his fingertips. “Morning sunshine,” he said after a time. “You are like a ray of morning sunshine. Pale and golden, and shimmering with life.”
“Really?” She gave him a shaky smile. “I… Thank you, but I really mustn’t be here with you, not like this. It is unbefitting a lady.”
“Haa’he, that it is. Go.” He raised his chin, nodding her on in the direction of her private pool. “But you should know, I think, that your state of dress is only ‘unbefitting’ if the lady be unmarried.”
“Unmarried?” She frowned. “But we are not married.”
“Yet.” He smiled. “You should add the word ‘yet’ when you say that.”
She exhaled loudly, narrowing her brows. “Why do you say this?”
“Because it is true. We are not married yet.”
“And we will probably never be.” Her frown deepened, andshe turned away from him without another word.
He smiled as he watched her float away.
Just as she was putting distance between them, she stopped suddenly, turned around, and said, “Are you, by chance, asking me to marry you?”
He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he followed her into the water and grabbed one of her hands, where he outstretched it and placed it against his own, palm to palm, fingers entwined. “Do you see how your hand fits closely to mine?”
Eyes wide, she nodded.
“So it could be with us. Just as our fingers match perfectly, one to the other, there is a part of you that is a part of me. Maybe that is why you were drawn here.” He glanced down at her.
“I…I…don’t understand. I thought that you didn’t like me very much. I mean, I know I can be bossy, and I understand that this annoys you. Besides, it has not escaped my notice that you avoid my touch, and that each time I am close to you, you back away from me. Tell me, if not for the lessons, you would avoid me completely, would you not?”
“Avoid you? Not like you?” He paused, then shook his head. “I have been attracted to you from the moment I first saw you. In truth, that has presented me with a problem.”
