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“Is that so?” He tilted his head and studied her as they slid out of their flip-flops. “How does the order of spa therapy go again?”
Josiah held the door of the steam room for Sarah. Hot steam filtered up and swirled toward the ceiling. They disappeared inside and shut the door tight. Kiera and Mason stayed outside, and she was thrilled. They were alone. At least momentarily, until Josiah or Sergeant Mueller walked past the opening to this area.
“Steam room, then cold plunge, then relax in the hot bath,” she told him. “Then we can go to the main pool and use all the jets, float around the lazy river, and relax.” If only she could get him alone in one of the rooftop hot tubs with dim lighting and the beautiful view of the quaint town and the valley far below.
“Hmm.” Mason looked around the small area. Of course nobody was there, but it was probably habitual as a royal guard. He pulled a black handgun from the back of his shorts and set it on a nearby towel rack. Her eyes widened. She should’ve realized he’d have a pistol and probably at least one knife in the pocket of his shorts. He was serious about her protection, and she appreciated it.
“So you don’t do the cold plunge first?” He rubbed at his jaw as if thinking.
“Not unless you’re insane and like cold therapy.”
Mason released her hand and rubbed his hands together. “Guess I’m insane, then.” His grin was quick and wide. He wrapped his arm around her waist and yanked her off her feet, slipping his free hand under her legs.
“Mason?” she questioned breathily, shocked by his move. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in, every dream coming to fruition. She was in his muscular arms, pressed close to his spectacular chest and abdomen. Would he carry her somewhere private and kiss the two hours away?
“You’ll love trying cold therapy first,” he said, his summer blue eyes twinkling. He rushed to the edge of the deep, cold pool.
“No!” she screamed, finally realizing his intentions and remembering exactly what Mason was like. A crazy tease and a schemer. Just not to her level of scheming.
They went over the edge. Kiera gasped but thankfully remembered to close her mouth before she went under. They plunged into the freezing cold water. It was worse than jumping into one of the waterfall pools in the Augustine mountains. The icy chill bit at her skin, stealing the warmth from her body. Their heads burst through the surface and Kiera tried to gasp for air, but she couldn’t. Her lungs had seized up.
Mason whooped and laughed, throwing his head back and spraying cold water everywhere.
The only good news was he still held her tightly against him. His warm body was the only thing that grounded her.
She finally was able to draw in a breath and then she wrapped her arms around his neck tighter and tried to shove his head back underwater. “You! How could you? I can’t believe you out-schemed the schemer.”
Mason chuckled and easily resisted her attempts to dunk him. He was tall enough he could easily touch; his head and the top of his shoulders were out of the water. Thank heavens he was holding her.
“Yes! This is really living, right?” His blue eyes sparkled at her.
She could agree that being in his arms was ‘really living,’ but chills encompassed her body and she shivered and tried to mold her body to his to get some warmth. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Oh, come now, Fearless Princess. I’ve seen you jump in waterfall pools that are colder than this.”
“No, they aren’t.”
He laughed. “If you stay in seven minutes, we’ll experience the true benefits of cold plunge therapy.”
“I don’t w-want the benefits.” Her teeth chattered.
Kiera realized he wasn’t getting out anytime soon and tried to pull free of his embrace. It was a sad scenario, as she’d longed to be in this spot, but she would not freeze to death for love.
Mason held her tightly, and Kiera realized she wasn’t going anywhere unless he agreed. If she asked, he’d release her, but even though he’d jumped in here with her to tease her, she certainly didn’t want to backtrack out of his arms. Maybe shewaswilling to freeze to death for love.
His gaze swept around the small area, but there was nobody but them. Private Silva walked past the stairway leading down. Mason tilted his chin to the man, and he walked on. Then he went back to studying Kiera. “Your teeth are chattering.”
“I know! Let’s g-go in the hot one.”
“I never thought the most beautiful and brave princess currently residing on earth would wimp out about a little cold water.” His gaze swept over her face, warm and sweet. In his blue eyes, she swore she could read everything she’d ever wanted him to say to her—he wanted her and only her, he wanted to date her, form a relationship, be together forever.
The cold water suddenly wasn’t as cold. She ran her hands over his muscular shoulders, the skin taut and perfect. His hands around her back and legs tightened, if that was even possible.
“Let’s make a deal,” she said, trying not to chatter or stutter.
His brows rose. “Okay.”
Was this the moment to challenge him to kiss her? No, she needed to draw that out. He’d finally appeared to notice she was a mature woman, not the teenage girl he remembered. Now she needed him to realize she was the only woman in the world who could behiswoman.
