“They’ve been here me whole life.”
Arthur’s voice came from closer behind her than she’d thought, and she turned. He was standing only a few feet away, his bare feet buried in the sand.
“I cannae imagine bein’ able to come down here and see this all the time,” she murmured, unable to hide the awe that had leeched into her tone.
“Well,” Arthur said, the corners of his mouth ticking up in a grin, “imagine it. Ye live here now, kitten. Ye can come see them whenever ye want.”
She smiled at him, at a loss for words as she turned back to look at the water.
As Marissa was admiring the beauty of the small cave and the glow worms within, a light hand caressed her arm. She turned, finding that while she was watching the glow worms, Arthur had been watching her.
“Alright, kitten,” he said, “I believe it’s time for a swim.”
The air was still quite hot, and when Marissa walked forward and dipped a toe into the water, she found it was warmer than she had expected.
“There’s a small dock right over there,” Arthur said, pointing at something to their right.
Marissa followed his finger. Sure enough, about halfway toward the center of the loch was a well-crafted wooden dock extending far out into the water.
An impish grin tugged up her mouth, and she fisted her hands in her skirts. “I’ll race ye,” she said.
She only had long enough to recognize the gleam of a challenge in his eyes before she took off. Holding her skirts so they wouldn’t tangle around her ankles, she bounded forward.
Racing back up the side of the loch, she could hear Arthur behind her, hot on her heels.
Marissa didn’t dare look back, didn’t want to give the Laird that split second of advantage as she surged toward the dock.
Her feet pounded over it for a split second before she heard his heavy footfalls pounding on the wood beneath their feet. The end of it was drawing closer.
I cannae believe it. I’m goin’ to win. I’m goin’ to beat Arthur at a?—
Arthur surged past her in a blur, hurling his body through the air in an elegant arc, his arms raised over his head as he dove into the water. He’d overtaken her so effortlessly that it left no room for doubt he’d been letting her lead. Up until the last second.
His head broke the surface of the water just as she reached the edge of the dock. Marissa had enough time to catch a glimpse of his triumphant smirk before she removed her outer dress. She raised her hands above her head and jumped off the edge of the dock.
The water, as warm as it had been when she’d dipped her toes into it, was still a shock to her system. And as her body broke the surface, the press of it sent a thrill through her.
By the time her head broke the surface, she was feeling more awake and alive than she had in quite some time.
Arthur was floating only a few feet away, treading water effortlessly.
Her curls were plastered to her head, dripping water into her face.
“Damned hair,” she murmured, using one of her hands to swipe it away.
The action, however, caused her to bob in the water. She heard Arthur chuckle, and a moment later, strong arms wrapped around her.
“What do ye think ye’re doin’?” Marissa gasped.
“Holdin’ ye so ye can do whatever ye want with yer hair,” he answered, as if it were obvious.
She glowered at him but didn’t refuse the help as she swiped her sopping wet hair out of her face. She felt his body shift and sway as he used his powerful legs to propel them through the water.
He was bringing them toward the cave, into much more shallow waters. Eventually, his movements became more steady, letting her know that his feet had finally made contact with the lakebed.
But even though she was more than capable of standing if he let go of her, he still held onto her.
The blue glow of the worms inside the cave reflected off his face, making him look ethereal.
