Page 52 of The Forbidden Fling

She was still in the water, fingers drawing ripples around her hips. Golden light shone on her, illuminating her beauty. As though she could sense Faye’s gaze, her focus flicked towards her. Then Faye saw it. The smallest movement of her lips. The hint of a smile.

And it lit Faye up like a firework.

She itched to run to her, dive right into the deep with no reservations, and kiss that gorgeous mouth. Instead, she soaked it in, letting the feeling buoy her until she was rising high above the trees.

Then she smiled back.

Chapter Sixteen

Diana

Sunday was the day of rest at Sandy Springs. There were no classes or sessions, and the instructors hoped the extra time would inspire reflection on the week’s events and learnings.

Diana couldn’t believe only a week had passed. The noise in her head could have filled an entire school year. The ghosts of her past had teamed up with the hauntings of her present, making her toss and turn throughout the night.

Now, as she looked up at the ceiling, following the swirling patterns across the bright white, she wished she had something to wake up for.

A meeting. A class. Even a dental appointment.

Her phone lay switched off in the bedside drawer. Her itch to check her messages and emails still resurfaced, but she needed a break. She’d always thought she was being productive, keeping on top of things, but now, she wasn’t so sure. The endless stream of communications exhausted her. It was no wonder she couldn’t write a damn thing worth reading. Her life had become that of a tired librarian, and Diana a dusty old book left on a shelf.

Was that why she was so enamoured by Faye?

Someone had taken an interest in her for herself, with the simple idea of getting to know her, and not through a phone screen.

But it was more than that. Faye had a depth more profound than anyone else’s she’d known, a compassion and kindness the world seemed to have forgotten. And she was clever—and beautiful—cautious and nervous in a way that evoked a protective nature in Diana she found hard to explain. A need to show Faye just how powerful she really was.

“Don’t let me be something you regret.”

Faye’s words had struck a chord. But the situation was delicate—whether she and Molly were a serious item or not.

Diana rubbed her eyes. It was too early for this.

She flung back the covers and sat on the edge of the bed, rolling her neck left, then right, stretching the muscles. Early sunlight glowed beneath the blinds, while the rest of the room lingered in hazy darkness. Forcing herself to stand, she straightened the covers, tucking the sheet under the mattress like her mother used to do.

She still needed to write that bloody letter to her mum, too—but one thing at a time.

She shed her silk nightgown onto the tiles and stepped into the shower, letting the hot water soothe her skin. Methodically, she washed, but the routine didn’t ease her mind.

After shaving and moisturising, she studied herself in the mirror. New lines were etched into her skin where they hadn’t been before. She blinked, and someone resembling her mother looked back at her. Same cheekbones, same mouth, but instead of blue eyes, Diana’s deep brown were steady and still. She waited, hoping to find some answers hidden somewhere, but nothing changed.

Maybe Senhor Arenoso had a point about these familiar guides steering them, and this course had come around at the right time.

Letting out a humourless laugh, she let her head drop. Listen to me. How had she ever thought she had it all together? Before Sandy Springs, she’d been a successful academic, an author, an esteemed colleague. Now, she didn’t know what she was going to do once she stepped back on home soil. Really, she didn’t even know where home was anymore. She could argue that since her mum died, nowhere had felt quite right.

She’d considered taking a job at Oxford many moons ago, but she couldn’t remember the details now. Was that why she’d opted to travel instead of taking a permanent position?

How long had she been running?

She brushed her hands over her face. Maybe she should go speak to Faye? But it was too early, and besides, she didn’t know what she was going to say. Maybe seeing Molly would help?

Ugh. I don’t know.

Nervous energy buzzed in her veins. She took a seat by the window and attempted to read the book she’d brought for the plane.

When the light stretched further across the floor, and the book still lay unread in her lap, she deemed it an acceptable time to go see Molly. She needed a familiar face and decided against Faye’s, knowing if they were back in that room again, anything could happen.

She knocked on Molly’s door, hoping she’d let her sleep enough to avoid a lecture. Molly’d always enjoyed her sleep, even when she was a baby. Diana’s friends had said she’d got off easy having a baby that slept through the night, but they’d never experienced her teenage years.