Page 34 of Don't Give A Damn About My Plaid Reputation
Suiting deeds to words, she allowed her gaze to travel across his shoulders and chest, most of which was still above the water. “And I like what I see. Verra much. Just a pity the water covers the interesting bits.”
Instinctively, he glanced down at himself. “What bits?” And then he rolled his eyes, as if he’d figured out whatbitsshe meant.
“Yer arse dimples.”
His gaze snapped back to hers, his brows still drawn in. “What?”
He was fun to tease. Robena shifted one foot cautiously along the rocky bottom of the loch, trying to move closer.
“Ye have dimples right above yer buttocks.” Since he was still frowning in confusion, she reached for him. “Here.” Her hands settled on his hips, then snaked around the back so her fingers rested right below his kidneys. “And here. ‘Tis completely normal. A sign of a trim backside.”
“I dinnae have arse dimples.”
She grinned. “Ye do. Why do ye think I’ve been staring at yer arse for so long?”
His expression slowly cleared into suspicion. “Is that why ye keep turning on yer horse to stare at me?”
Although ‘twas disappointing to release her hold on him, Robena felt in danger of drowning unless she reached higher.
“I cannae see yer arse from that angle. I just like looking at ye.”
‘Twas a long moment of his gaze flicking from one eye to the other and back, as if looking for the lie, before one corner of his lips finally twitched. “I doubt there’s much to look at right now. I dinnae think the cold water’s helping. No’ with ye looking at me like that.”
“Like what?” Goodness, she wasn’t at all cold right now.
“Like….” His voice dropped low, as did his eyes. “Like ye need me.”
“I do,” she whispered, instinctively arching her back so her breasts—which is of course what he was looking at—lifted enough from the water for her nipples to caress the surface.
He made a reverent sound and Robena wasquiteinterested in learning more aboutthat…except the movement had thrown her off-balance.
Water was a mysterious place as far as she was concerned; fish shat in it, and ‘twas full of slimy things like eels and rocks and shipwrecks. At that moment, her left heel came down on what was either a dead whale or a slimy rock—they felt similar—and she lost her balance.
Thank St. Kelsi he was there to grab her, because otherwise she might’ve done something outrageous, like get her hair wet.
But since the result was his arms were strong—and warm—against her back, and hers were around his neck, she decided she ought to slip on decomposing blubber more often.
“Robena….” he whispered.
She was pressed against his chest, his hips. And while all of him was delightfully hard, her belly cradled the mostinterestingbit of hardness.
The cold water hadn’t affected him one bit.
Here and now.
She could say something coy, but…this is what she’d been hoping for, ever since she’d stumbled out of that wretched forest and seen him posed there on the shoreline, looking like some ancient god.
Nay, she’d been hoping for this long before tonight; since she’d learned the truth about Kester’s future—nay, since she’d left Oliphant Castle. Since that time in the secret passageway. Since she’d first been introduced to him.
Sinceforever.
“Kester,” she murmured. “I’d verra much like to kiss ye.”
There was enough light to see him swallow, but not enough to guess at the emotion in his eyes. She guessed he was debating, and curled her fingers into the hair at the base of his neck.
With a groan of surrender, he pulled her up his body and claimed her lips.
Robena’s heart leapt at the same moment her core melted. ‘Twas the most delicious sensation, one which stole her breath from her lungs. Or mayhap that washim.
