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“You want me to put this on now?”
“No. Not yet. I want you to come with me.” I reach down for her, and help her to her feet, drinking in the sight of her in nothing more than a thin white T-shirt and a pair of shorts.
“You said expendable. Should I throw on some pants?”
“That won’t be necessary.”
“Shoes?”
“Shoes, if you want. It’s a walk across the yard to the water.”
“Water?” Glancing back toward the few sandals and the pair of mucks lined against the wall, she shakes her head. “I’ll be fine.”
Taking her hand in mine, I lead her out of the room, down the hallway. A heavy stillness hangs on the air, as everyone seems to be asleep.
Except for Sampson, of course. He greets the two of us in the foyer, his tail wagging, as Isa pauses to pet him.
“He’s taken a liking to you, I see.”
Kneeling down to the floor, she lifts her chin, allowing him to lick her jawline. “And I’ve decided he’s not the mean and scary monster I first met.”
“Fu
With that signature chuckle of hers, she rises to her feet. “Where are you taking me?”
“I figured, since you so graciously showed me your favorite place yesterday, I’ll show you mine.” Giving a light tug of her arm, I lead her out the front entrance and down the familiar path toward the knoll. The moon is full and high in the sky, illuminating the well-worn path across the yard. I twist to see Isa looking around, her expression guarded, as if she’s waiting for something to swoop down at her. The manor is always somewhat eerie, but at night, it almost seems as if the shadows come alive.
Once at the threshold of trees, I halt and tap my shoulder. “C’mon. On my back.”
“What?”
“The branches will tear up your feet. Hop on.”
Taking hold of my shoulders, she does, and I wrap smooth, toned legs around my body as I grip the bottoms of her thighs and trudge through the brush.
The small copse of trees opens up to the path downward, along the perimeter of the cave. A cool breeze mingles with the warm summer air, creating a slight chill. The incessant crash of the waves takes me back to years ago, when I sat in this cave for hours at a time. I set her down onto the soft sand and remove my coat to wrap around her, which she accepts appreciatively.
The tide has begun to rise, but not yet to the point of filling the cave. I toss away my shoes and dress socks, and roll up my slacks.
“We’re going into the water?” she asks.
Before she has a chance to protest, I hoist her up over my shoulder, smiling as she giggles, while I slosh through the water to the cave’s entrance. A few feet inside, the sand is still dry, and I set her down in front of a boulder. Kneeling before her, I reach into the pocket of her borrowed coat to retrieve a small flashlight that I flick on and hand off to her, as well as a pack of matches. In a slow turn, her gaze trails over the surroundings, and when it lands on me, her eyes seem to sparkle with wonder.
“I used to come here as a kid. Was the only place I could sneak away from my parents.”
“Really? You live in a freakin’ castle. With separate wings.”
“You’d be surprised at the lack of privacy. Someone always watching.” Two pieces of driftwood and dried seaweed scattered about the cave bed make for the perfect kindling, which I quickly gather. Situated far enough from the water, I dig a shallow pit in the sand and pile the desiccated tinder in the dip of it. With a strike of the match, I set the kindling aflame and the small flickers blaze with an orange glow that casts shadows on the walls.
Having fully scoped out the cave, her gaze falls on mine, and she flicks off the flashlight. “What were they watching you for?”
“When I was very young, my best friend drowned. Right here in this cave.”
Brows dipping to a frown, she glances around again, as if I’ve hidden his remains somewhere inside. “So … how is this your favorite place?”
“The hallucinations started here. For hours, I’d sit and talk to him. Conversations I’d never have the opportunity to have with him again. It felt as if he never left. Which brought me some peace.”
“So, they were watching for these hallucinations?”
“They were always watching.” I think back to the many times I felt someone’s eyes on me. The cleaning staff. The kitchen staff. All advised to pay attention. “Hallucinations, or not.”
“That must’ve been hell when you got older.”
“It was. Until I learned to stop hiding. Once everything was out in the open, they stopped watching.” My thoughts take me back to the day my father insisted that we lie to the media about Roark’s death. The way it felt, as if he threw me back into a sealed box again. “Unfortunately, you can’t always be an open book. Some secrets aren’t meant to be exposed.”
“Like what?”
“You asked how Roark died. The media painted a story that he went missing from the castle. They made the assumption that he might’ve ended up here, and water washed him away.” I stare off beyond her, the memories of that night playing on the fringes of my thoughts, and I will myself not to delve too deep into them. “Amelia was always very careful about her medications. I know this. But one night, she wasn’t, for whatever reason. He found them.” Frowning, I lower my gaze to my hands, where I rub my thumb over my palm, as I recall the weight of my son in my arms. The curve of his head in my palm. “It was an accident.”
“I’m sorry, Lucian. I’m sorry I ever doubted you.”
“You’d be a fool to ignore the rumors entirely. The lies never added up quite right, but they were there to protect Amelia.” At the mention of her name, screams echo inside my head. “She just couldn’t live with what happened, I guess. Anyway, I’ve never told anyone the truth about that night until now.”
“I swear I won’t speak a word of it.”
“I know you won’t. It’s why I told you.” I reach out to run my fingers down the edge of her cheek, and grip her chin, studying the soft gray of her eyes. “There’s a certain freedom in confession. I feel somehow liberated with you.”
Taking the hem of her T-shirt in hand, I pull her into me for a kiss, and rub my palm over her toned belly, goosebumps bobbling against my skin that aren’t only from the cold. The band of her panties greets my fingers as I run my hand lower. “Lie down on the sand,” I whisper in her ear, palming the cheeks of her ass.
Without hesitation, she lowers before me and lies back on the sand, pulling her knees together as my jacket slips from her shoulders. The waves have already begun to reach for her, and it won’t be long before they find her.
I sink to my knees and pry hers apart, while she stares down her body at me.
Ru
“Should we move back?” she asks, flicking her gaze between me and the waves.
Shaking my head, I unbutton my shirt, eyes locked on her as I peel it off my shoulders and toss it to the side. I hook the string of her panties and slide them down her thighs, over her knees, and chuck them somewhere behind me. “Put your hands on your knees.”
Once her palms kiss her knees, I slide her ankles wide and she gasps, looking down at me.
“Don’t move your hands, understand? You keep them there, no matter what. Do you understand me?”