Page 109 of Twist of Fate
The jeans she’s wearing hug her curves just enough to make me feel uncomfortable in mine. The cropped sapphire sweater she has on almost reaches them, but not quite, leaving a tiny sliver of skin exposed.
I want to lick that skin.
The moment she sees me, her eyes light up, and she smiles. My insides instantly turn to mush. I am so gone for this girl, and she doesn’t even know it.
Maybe it’s time to change that.
“Did you have fun with your mam?” I ask as she approaches me.
“Yeah.” She beams. “The castle is really beautiful. I think I took at least a hundred photos.”
“Only a hundred?” I tease. We continue down the trail, and I notice the map in her hand. I snatch it, and she lets out a yelp, which causes me to laugh. “You don’t need this. You have me.”
“But what if we get lost?”
I gape at her. “You wound me, darlin’. I know these gardens like the back of my hand.
“All right.” She grins. “Lead the way, tour guide.”
* * *
“Finn?”
“Yes, Ash?”
“I need you to be honest with me about something.” Ancient trees surround us. Birds fly above us as the sound of rushing water echoes in the distance. It’s breathtaking.
“What’s that?” I ask her.
She looks up at me, a teasing smile dancing on her full pink lips. “We’re lost, aren’t we?”
“No,” I lie. “What makes you think that?”
She takes a step closer—so close that I can almost feel the heat radiating off her. So close that I’m dying to reach out and curl my fingers around the bare skin at her waist. “Because I’m pretty sure I’ve seen that tree”—she points to the giant yew trees behind me, with their gnarly branches that look like something out of a Grimm fairy tale—“at least three times now.”
“Are you sure it’s the same tree? Because it could just be similar. There are a lot of trees around?—”
“Are you gaslighting me, Finn Larkin?” She crosses her arms over her chest and stares up at me, trying to smile now.
I lick my lips and grin. “Okay, yes. We may be a little lost.”
“I thought you knew this place like the back of your hand?” The way she’s holding back her laughter at me is impressive.
“I do, but you’re a bit of a distraction.”
Her breath catches at my sudden moment of honesty. She gazes up at me and then?—
Someone steps onto the path behind us. The sound of their rustling feet nearly startles Ash, causing her to take a step back, her eyes blinking as if awakening from a trance.
“Should we check the map?” I ask.
“No.” She scoffs, shaking her head. “Where’s the fun in that? Come on.” To my surprise, she takes my hand, and we head down the path in the opposite direction from which we came. The gardens are unexpectedly empty today. They tend to be somewhat sparse on a usual day compared to the rest of the grounds—like a hidden gem just waiting to be discovered.
As we stroll down the path, the scenery begins to feel a bit more familiar, and I suddenly have an idea.
* * *
The gardens are large, and it takes a while to get to where I want to go, but neither of us mind the walk.
