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“You thirsty?” Spencer mouths and I nod, so we head for a trestle table covered in chips, dips and cheeses, with a giant punchbowl in the center.
“Try this. You’ll like it.” He scoops the punch with a ladle and pours it into a plastic cup, before handing it to me. “Daphne makes a killer tropical punch.”
I take a sip and the combination of pineapple, peach, strawberries and lemonade fizz on my tongue in a delicious combination. “Mmm, good,” I say, draining half the cup before Spencer says, “Whoa, go easy, tiger. That’s got vodka in it too.”
In response, I drink the rest in two gulps, and he laughs. “Someone’s lightening up tonight.”
I’m not sure if it’s the vodka, the balmy night, the hypnotic music, or the look in Spencer’s eyes, but I thrust my cup at him for a refill and say, “It’s about time I cut loose, don’t you think?”
His eyebrows rise in surprise but this time he fills a cup for himself too and we touch cups before downing our punch fast. The buzz is immediate. My head is slightly fuzzy and I’m pleasantly warm all over. And for the first time in a long time, I feel carefree.
“Want to dance?” I ask, not waiting for Spencer’s response.
He’s grinning at me as I slide my arms around his waist and pull him close, and then we’re swaying to the music. I like this new song. It’s slow. Sensual. And the heat from Spencer’s body is making me burn from the inside out.
I have no idea how long we dance, our bodies pressing against each other. I lose track of time. I lose all common sense. I lose my mind as my hands slide from his waist to his butt, leaving him in little doubt about how I want tonight to end.
I want Spencer to be my first.
He eases away to look me in the eye. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
I’ve never been surer of anything. I’ve spent my entire life looking over my shoulder, being fearful of someone, trying to blend into the background. Tonight, with a sea breeze in my hair and my body languid and throbbing with need, I want to do something impulsive. Something to make me feel good. Something exciting and wondrous.
“I’m sure,” I murmur, pressing a brief kiss to his lips, a promise of more.
Spencer doesn’t hesitate. He takes my hand and we head deeper into the orchard. Away from everyone. Where the scent of fresh apples lingers in the air as we lose ourselves in each other.
Chapter15
Lucy
The tunnel has a steeper incline on the way back, and I’m gasping for air by the time I make it back to the entrance.
To find Spencer barring my way out.
“What are you doing down here?” A deep frown slashes his brow, and he’s glaring at me like he could easily lock me down here and throw away the key. “It’s not safe.”
Fear tightens my throat. I’m alone with a man who’s already warned me I should leave Arcania in a ‘Staff Only’ cleaning closet, which hides an ancient tunnel leading to a freaky chamber. And considering how empty Arcania is, even if I screamed, the odds are nobody would hear me.
Sensing my distress, Spencer stands aside to let me pass. “Come out of there.”
“Gladly,” I mutter, stepping past him, eyeing the closet door, but wanting to interrogate him too. I’d been looking for him earlier and this seems like the perfect opportunity, despite our less than stellar surroundings.
He closes the door and swings the wheel-handle clockwise until the bolts clunk back into place. Only then does he turn toward me and thankfully, he’s lost the glower.
“Was that you I heard calling out to me while I was down there?” I ask. I don’t believe in ghosts but I really want him to confirm I’m not going crazy and hearing things that aren’t there.
He nods, and I exhale in relief. “Yes. I saw you exploring the grounds earlier and everyone else is accounted for.”
I bristle. “What do you mean, ‘accounted for?’ Are you spying on the guests?”
He barks out a laugh. “Nothing so nefarious. When they’re only five of you here, it’s pretty easy to keep tabs.”
His answer doesn’t assuage my concern that we’re being watched, and it explains that weird feeling I’d had earlier when walking the grounds.
“Actually, I was looking for you.”
His lips thin in disapproval. “Why?”
