Page 107 of The Icy Highlander's Virgin
"The water wants—" she started to protest, but he was already guiding her backward.
The sensation was terrifying at first. Every instinct screamed at her to fight, to struggle upright, to get her feet firmly planted on solid ground. But Lachlan's hands were steady and sure, and gradually she began to understand what he meant about the water supporting her.
"I can feel it," she said wonderingly, her voice tight with concentration. "It's... it's actually holdin' me up."
"Aye, that's exactly right. Now I'm goin' to let go of yer shoulders, but keep me hand on yer back. Ye're doing all the floatin'—I'm just there if ye need me."
For several minutes, it worked perfectly. Erica lay back in the water, supported by Lachlan's steady hand, marveling at the strange sensation of weightlessness. The fear was still there, hovering at the edges of her consciousness, but it was manageable.
Then a large fish, startled by their presence, broke the surface just beside her with a sudden splash.
Erica's hard-won calm shattered instantly. She thrashed upright with a strangled cry, her arms flailing as panic took control. Water splashed everywhere as she fought to get her feet under her, her breath coming in sharp gasps.
"It's all right," Lachlan said quickly, his arms coming around her to steady her. "Ye're safe. It was just a fish."
"I saw it—somethin' touched me—" she gasped, clinging to him with desperate strength.
"Just a fish, love. They live in the water—they're nae going to hurt ye."
But the spell was broken. All her progress, all her carefully built confidence, had evaporated in that single moment of startled terror. She stood in the knee-deep water shaking, feeling foolish and frustrated and angry at her own weakness.
"I cannae do this," she said, her voice thick with unshed tears. "I thought I could, but I cannae. The moment anythin' unexpected happens, I fall apart."
"Erica—"
"Nay, daenae try to make me feel better about it. I'm a coward, and we both ken it."
Lachlan's hands framed her face, forcing her to meet his eyes. "Ye're nae a coward. Ye're learnin’ somethin' that terrifies ye, and that takes more courage than any battlefield."
"I was doin' so well," she said miserably.
"And ye'll do well again. One setback doesnae erase all yer progress."
He guided her back to shallower water, where she could stand comfortably with the lake only reaching her ankles. There they stayed for several minutes, letting her nerves settle and her breathing return to normal.
"We can try again," he said quietly. "Or we can be done for today. It's yer choice."
Erica looked out over the water, weighing her options. The panic was still fresh, the memory of that helpless terror still sharp. But underneath it, she could remember the wonder she'd felt whenshe was floating, the sense of accomplishment at conquering her fear.
"Again," she said finally, her voice steadier than she felt. "But... slowly.”
When they waded back into the water, Erica was surprised to find that her earlier panic had somehow cleared away some of her deeper anxiety. Perhaps because she'd already faced the worst of it and survived.
"Try floatin' again," Lachlan encouraged, positioning his hands to support her. "Remember how it felt before the fish startled ye."
This time, as she lay back in his steady grip, something shifted inside her. The water lapping gently around her, the warmth of the sun on her face, Lachlan's unwavering presence—it all combined to create a sense of safety she hadn't expected.
"The water… I'm so frightened of it because it reminds me of somethin'," she said quietly, her eyes closed as she floated. "This feelin' of being completely helpless, completely at someone else's mercy."
"What do ye mean?" Lachlan asked gently, though his hands remained steady beneath her.
"Leo," she said simply. "The way he used to hold me down when he was angry. Pin me so I couldnae move, couldnae fight back, couldnae do anythin’ but wait for it to be over."
Lachlan's jaw tightened, but his touch remained gentle. "This is different."
"Aye, it is. That's what I'm just now understandin'." She opened her eyes to look at him. "With Leo, the helplessness was about him having power over me. But this... this is about me choosin' to trust ye with me vulnerability.
"And do ye? Trust me?"
