Page 114 of You, As You Are

So?“He’s just a baby.”

Iain rolled his eyes.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

MAISIE

“It’s too quiet,”she said. “I know I said I liked the silence, but maybe I’ve been away from it for too long.” They’d been out in the middle of nowhere on hikes before, but out here they truly were alone. Them and Ted, of course.

Iain shovelled his last forkful of lasagna he’d driven and bought for them both into his mouth, looking completely at home in his earthy tones, lazing on the wooden deck chair. “I told you,” he said around his food, “this lifestyle suits you.”

Maisie played with her fork on her plate and tossed him a playful side-eye. “Because you’ve been looking at my body?”

Iain barely met her glance for one indulgent second. “I meant what I said.”

“I know that now.” She leaned her elbow on the table and angled her body towards him. “And for the record, I’ve sort of looked at you too.”

“I didn’t think it was aspideryou ran away from this morning.”

“I didn’t mean to see you.” Though the view wasn’t regrettable. “I apologise for invading your privacy.”

“I should’ve shut the door. We’ve lived on our own for so long I just forgot.”

Maisie liked that Iain included Ted in that comment. “Sorry, again.”

He was the one to glance that time, smirking devilishly beneath his moustache. “I’m not.”

Of course he wouldn’t be. If Maisie had a body like his, she’d show it off too … just not in such an inappropriate circumstance.

The breeze that wandered through the trees crossed her cheek. Despite the rain in the morning, the afternoon was pleasant. Neither warm nor cold, though not enough to dry out the forest around them. The guide who’d led the walk they were supposed to have been on had come to check that they were okay, only to find them eating shop-bought lasagna on their doorstep and watching squirrels scurry between the trees.

It wasn’t what Maisie had pictured for their weekend, but she didn’t have any complaints. Well, perhaps just the one about falling on her arse and ruining an expensive pair of leggings with mud, but that was okay in the long run. Really, she should thank the rain pouring and Ted for running off for being the ultimate reasons why she’d ended up in Iain’s arms with her lips on his. If she hadn’t needed his help to change her clothes, then the revelation of their feelings they’d both been blind to would never have come to a head.

“What do you want to do for the evening?” Iain pushed his plate away and asked her.

Painkillers had helped ease the soreness in the knee she’d twisted, but Maisie didn’t think she was ready yet to go with him to walk Ted – at least not for as far as Ted needed. It was a shame to miss out on exploring the campsite, but then again, she might’ve done enough of that already.

“I expected that we’d be doing something with the others,” she answered, “but since they’re not here, I only have a book.”

Iain cocked a brow filled with inappropriate thoughts. “One of those filthy books Vera told me about?”

Did he just call her smut books – ahem,romantic literature– the f-word? “They’re notfilth.”

“I’m not judging what you read, Daff, I just find it entertaining.”

“I don’t believe that you’ve ever read a romance to understand.”

Their chairs were already side by side around the circular table, but Iain dragged his and himself closer, putting his mouth right by her ear as he said, “If there’s anythingspecificyou think I should read, then I’m open to recommendations.”

He had absolutely no idea what he would be getting himself into if he openedthosepages of the book hiding in her backpack. He did, however, know – judging by his hooded eyes – what he did to her when he touched the centre of her back and brushed his palm up and down her spine.

“The so-called ‘filthy’ moments?” Maisie supplied with a hopeful batting of her eyelashes.

“If you want.”

Maisie grinned. Flirting openly with actual cause was still only a few hours old revelation, and she was fascinated by the way the only thing that changed about Iain was how he didn’t hold back. He didn’t stop himself short of answering her or reaching out to her when he wanted to. Not having to hide her smiles when he looked at her was nice, and the way he didn’t draw back from touching her so casually was lovely, too.

Inhibitions had been released, though Maisie took her exploration of this new territory slowly. Only this morning they’d still been just friends with a side ofcomplicated,and now Iain knew she took pleasure in shallow sex and liked the look of his fingers. It was a lot of change to readjust her brain to in only a few hours.

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