anything.”
“Then why can’t you say those words to my face. Why do you look so guilty, so trapped?”
He turned and she tried to read his expression but he was a closed door. He had become more like this since his divorce from Josephine.
He shrugged and picked up his fork, took another bite of eggs. “We both want the same thing Mina, for Bronswort to survive,” he watched her and his eyes were filled with a deep, sad knowledge, “the time will come when you’ll find that your life is bound to Bronswort’s existence no matter what happens.”
Continuing to the pond, she suppressed a shiver. That was exactly why she was here, so that she wouldn’t become an old, cynical spinster with nothing but a business to brighten her life.
She needed to feel something other than failure or abandonment.
Fond memories of childhood afternoons spent splashing in the pond and eating the half-ripe figs made her smile.
She stopped at the circular lip of the pond. A hundred feet across, it was a natural catchment for the spring rains.
She bent and dipped a hand into the green water. Hunter shot up inches from her hand, she jerked backwards, lost her balance and landed with a thud on her bottom.
Hunter chuckled sheepishly , water draining from his face, “Sorry.”
He launched out of the water and towered over her for a split second before he was on his knees in front of her, his hand outstretched.
She glared at his proffered hand, his eyes became wary.
She checked the flash of irritation. She’d forgotten how to have fun. Sucking in a ragged breath she leaned back and smiled widely into his face.
Hunter paused , then remarkably toppled backwards onto his butt. He hooted with raucous laughter.
Her smile trembled then fell away. Embarrassment washed over her, then hot fury.
How dare he laugh at her? She was trying to be approachable.
She chewed her lip furiously. Perhaps smiling like a deranged monkey hadn’t been the right response.
She must’ve looked like an idiot. The thought made her giggle, and suddenly her lips stretched naturally and she was dissolving beside Hunter.
She felt foolish and carefree all at once.
She roared beside him. Wiping tears from the corner of her eyes she felt a shift, and then Hunter’s hand was around her waist.
She wiggled into the pressure, snuggled her face against his wet, hard chest. A hiccup racked her as she tried to stop laughing. He held her until her laughter died down to silly sniffles.
He tipped her head back with the gentlest of nudges, making her feel languid with contentment.
T heir eyes met, his was serious. “I’m glad you made it,” he whispered.
“Me to o,” she replied, surprised she meant it.
A lump grew heavy in her throat. Did Hunter want to know her or was he simply bent on possessing her? Maybe she was going too fast.
She turned to look out over the water. “You look so comfortable out there, have you swam in many ponds before?”
Hunter sat forward, bringing her with him. He drew her close to his side. She tensed against the feel of his half naked body next to hers.
She waited but no threat came from him, touching him actually felt safe. She relaxed.
“Quite a few, actually,” he screwed up his lips and she tried unsuccessfully to ignore the tempting jut of his slightly fuller bottom lip.
Without warning he turned, and his blue eyes were filled with faint brown swirls.
He held her probing look. “This pond would qualify as one of the cleanest and safest I’ve been in so far,” he gave her a devilish smile.
She couldn’t resist the sparkle in his eyes, “How so?”
“Let’s just say tha t neither dirty diapers nor constrictors make wholesome companions in the water.”
She suppressed a guffaw of laughter. “Perhaps you should’ve carried along a fishing pole, you might’ve come across something edible.”
Hunter made a comical look of disgust. “I highly doubt that,” he laughed, “I’ve long accepted the fact that some
“Then why can’t you say those words to my face. Why do you look so guilty, so trapped?”
He turned and she tried to read his expression but he was a closed door. He had become more like this since his divorce from Josephine.
He shrugged and picked up his fork, took another bite of eggs. “We both want the same thing Mina, for Bronswort to survive,” he watched her and his eyes were filled with a deep, sad knowledge, “the time will come when you’ll find that your life is bound to Bronswort’s existence no matter what happens.”
Continuing to the pond, she suppressed a shiver. That was exactly why she was here, so that she wouldn’t become an old, cynical spinster with nothing but a business to brighten her life.
She needed to feel something other than failure or abandonment.
Fond memories of childhood afternoons spent splashing in the pond and eating the half-ripe figs made her smile.
She stopped at the circular lip of the pond. A hundred feet across, it was a natural catchment for the spring rains.
She bent and dipped a hand into the green water. Hunter shot up inches from her hand, she jerked backwards, lost her balance and landed with a thud on her bottom.
Hunter chuckled sheepishly , water draining from his face, “Sorry.”
He launched out of the water and towered over her for a split second before he was on his knees in front of her, his hand outstretched.
She glared at his proffered hand, his eyes became wary.
She checked the flash of irritation. She’d forgotten how to have fun. Sucking in a ragged breath she leaned back and smiled widely into his face.
Hunter paused , then remarkably toppled backwards onto his butt. He hooted with raucous laughter.
Her smile trembled then fell away. Embarrassment washed over her, then hot fury.
How dare he laugh at her? She was trying to be approachable.
She chewed her lip furiously. Perhaps smiling like a deranged monkey hadn’t been the right response.
She must’ve looked like an idiot. The thought made her giggle, and suddenly her lips stretched naturally and she was dissolving beside Hunter.
She felt foolish and carefree all at once.
She roared beside him. Wiping tears from the corner of her eyes she felt a shift, and then Hunter’s hand was around her waist.
She wiggled into the pressure, snuggled her face against his wet, hard chest. A hiccup racked her as she tried to stop laughing. He held her until her laughter died down to silly sniffles.
He tipped her head back with the gentlest of nudges, making her feel languid with contentment.
T heir eyes met, his was serious. “I’m glad you made it,” he whispered.
“Me to o,” she replied, surprised she meant it.
A lump grew heavy in her throat. Did Hunter want to know her or was he simply bent on possessing her? Maybe she was going too fast.
She turned to look out over the water. “You look so comfortable out there, have you swam in many ponds before?”
Hunter sat forward, bringing her with him. He drew her close to his side. She tensed against the feel of his half naked body next to hers.
She waited but no threat came from him, touching him actually felt safe. She relaxed.
“Quite a few, actually,” he screwed up his lips and she tried unsuccessfully to ignore the tempting jut of his slightly fuller bottom lip.
Without warning he turned, and his blue eyes were filled with faint brown swirls.
He held her probing look. “This pond would qualify as one of the cleanest and safest I’ve been in so far,” he gave her a devilish smile.
She couldn’t resist the sparkle in his eyes, “How so?”
“Let’s just say tha t neither dirty diapers nor constrictors make wholesome companions in the water.”
She suppressed a guffaw of laughter. “Perhaps you should’ve carried along a fishing pole, you might’ve come across something edible.”
Hunter made a comical look of disgust. “I highly doubt that,” he laughed, “I’ve long accepted the fact that some
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