Page 34 of Castle

Pretty sure this was the longest sentence he’d said to me in a while, and I noticed that since I’d stopped giving him medication, his speech had improved.

“I see. I would love to watch the process someday as well.”

Castle shook his head. “You’ll be disturbed.”

“Trust me. What I’ve been through so far in this house, I think nothing else will disturb me for a long time.”

Castle froze, his brush stopping mid scrub. He turned to me. “I’m sorry.”

I shook my head. “It’s not your fault.”

Tension filled the atmosphere. And Castle didn’t need to feel guilty for Devin and Dayana’s sins. Even though he was their brother, he wasn’t to blame for what was going on.

To make the situation lighter, I splashed the water from the bucket at him.

Castle stared at me in complete bafflement. For a second, I thought he was going to be angry about it, but a moment later, I stood there bewildered until I was sprayed with a water hose.

And the sound of Castle’s laughter rang in my ears.

It was one of the nicest laughs I’d ever heard—a rich, deep one that I could never tire of listening to.

I grabbed the pitcher of lemonade and threw it towards him. He walked towards me slowly, the hose still in his hands. I took a few steps back and ran until I realized I was completely trapped.

Castle’s eyes were mischievous as he approached me like a predator hunting for its prey until he grabbed me with his right hand and sprayed more water all over me.

“Oh god,” I laughed, “Stop it.” I tried to push him, but he wouldn’t budge.

I snatched the hose from his hand when I saw the chance and did the same to him, so now he was drenched like me too.

I giggled, “Serves you right, mister.”

My giggles started fading as he moved closer, trapping me between the wall and him. I was aware of how the thin fabric of my dress clung to my body, outlining the off-white bra I was wearing underneath, not to mention the dress sticking to my body below the waist and highlighting every shape. By the looks of it, Castle had noticed it too, because his eyes kept darting from my chest to my lips.

He stared at the top button of my dress as if it bothered him.

I was lost in his intense gaze when his lips met mine in a slow, tender kiss. His mouth moved insistently over mine, silently seeking permission for more. He smelled of something like sunshine, and lemon mixed with the twinge of his male scent that came after a day’s hard labor. I moaned, unable to let go or tell him that what we were doing was wrong. He kissed like someone who’d lost practice at it, but knew exactly what he was doing.

I felt myself falling deeper and deeper—like I was being pulled by an ocean current.

My hands went into his soft brown curls, and his grasp over me tightened. His tongue moved desperately inside me.

I pulled away enough to say, “Castle…we can’t.”

But he was far beyond to listen to what I had to say.

He was breathing hard and staring at my lips. He pressed his fingers on my swollen lips. “Tomorrow. Same place.”

FOURTEEN

I waitedin the stables to see if Castle showed up like he said he would.

And true to his word, he was right there, in the middle of the stable, grooming another horse namedLady—the white horse with black patches.

I’d been careful about walking here alone, not wanting to be seen by the other staff. I didn’t know what was going on in Castle’s mind, or if the kiss yesterday was impulsive or attraction, but when he’d given me that heated look and asked me to meet him here, I couldn’t refuse.

No matter how much I tried to tell myself that I shouldn’t do this, my heart wanted it badly—thisconnectionwith Castle.

When I closed my eyes at night, I could only see those hazel brown eyes and I recalled how intense his stares usually were and the way it lit my body on fire. When he’d kissed me last night, I kept replaying it in my mind, wondering if I’d imagined it.

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