Page 27 of Wolf's Bane
“I’m trying to keep you from drowning,” Alek rumbled.
“I can swim. You know I can swim.” She splashed water at him and continued until he drifted away.
They stared at each other, wet hair plastered to their heads and both fully clothed.
“You pushed me!” Alek scraped away water from his face and shook his head like a dog, water and hair flying.
Solenne brushed back her own sodden hair, pond water in her mouth and up her nose. “You pushed me first!”
“You were…eleven?”
“Well, it was very memorable.” Lifting her chin, she paddled her way to the dock with as much dignity as possible. The weight of her skirts made motion difficult, no matter how hard her legs kicked.
Finally, she reached the dock. Grabbing the wooden plank, she struggled to pull herself out of the water. She could perform the maneuver in a swimming costume, but apparently her garments had absorbed the entire contents of the pond.
“You are a proud creature. Let me help.”
“I don’t need your he—” Her words were swallowed into a yelp as Alek planted two hands on her bottom and lifted her out of the water.
She flopped onto the dock like a fish and rolled to make room as Alek joined her. Sun warm, the boards leached away the worst of the water’s chill.
She turned her head to the side, meeting Alek’s gaze.
That was…
He was…
They burst into laughter.
“You’re a monster,” she said through gasping laughs. “What were you thinking?”
“Lunch and a swim. We used to do it all the time.”
“When we were children.”
“Yes. I see that.” He reached over, brushing back her wet lock. His fingers ghosted over her brow, her cheek and the seam of her lips.
Her mouth opened slightly, she couldn’t help it.
He licked his lips.
A strange awareness washed over her, knowing this was the moment he would kiss her and nothing would be the same.
Only he had been so cruel the previous night.
He had abandoned her for ten years and now expected kisses?
Self-conscious, she sat up, hunching her shoulders. The wet dress clung to her and left nothing to the imagination. Not that any amount of fabric layers would protect her from Alek’s grin—stop staring at him!—but it did not help to feel so exposed.
“I’ll fetch your blanket,” he said, rolling to his feet.
She did not twist to watch his confident amble, and she certainly did not admire the way the wet trousers stretched as he bent to retrieve the blanket. Don’t be absurd. She was a gentleman’s daughter.
And she absolutely did not feel his eyes watching her figure as she retreated to the house.
Aleksandar
What was he doing?
