Killian circled around Cerberus, reaching into the pouch attached to the horse’s side and took out two red apples. He fed his stallion and then my mare.
I watched him pet Cerberus before my eyes went back to the waterfall. It beckoned me, silently tempting me.
And I allowed myself to be swept away by its beauty. I sneaked a peek at Killian and saw that his attention was on our horses.
I didn’t know where the newfound confidence came to be. Or maybe I just simply wanted to test how far I could push Killian until he snapped.
It intrigued me.
And that made me bold.
With the sound of rushing water echoing in my ears, I slowly got rid of my clothing. My skirt went first and then my blouse, until I was partially naked.
Killian’s breath hitched behind me. “What are you doing?” he hissed.
“Disrobing.” I discarded my underwear, carelessly throwing my panties and bra over my pile of clothes so that I was standing bare in front of my husband.
I spun around to face him. His body tensed, eyes raking over my chest and then the juncture of my thighs.
“Why?” he questioned hoarsely.
My nipples puckered at his attention. “Because I want to get in the water. Do you want to join me?”
“Julianna,” he warned.
My lips curled. “You hate me, right?”
His fists clenched in a silent response. The tension between us was palpable.
Quirking up an eyebrow, I gestured toward him. “You’re hard.”
“For fuck’s sake,” he swore.
I smiled before turning around and walking into the pool of water. It was neither too cold nor too hot. Just the perfect temperature. I made sure to stay by the edge, where my feet were still touching the rocks below the surface.
I kept my back to Killian as I waded through the soothing water. A few seconds later, I heard a splash and then…
Fingers circled my hips and he tugged me into his body. His wet, naked body. My back was plastered against his front, his hardness digging into the curve of my ass.
“You’re so maddening,” he rasped in my ear. “I don’t know what to do with you.”
“The feeling is mutual,” I breathed when his lips brushed over the pulse in my throat.
“Why are you doing this, Julianna?” The raw pain in his voice made me pause and my smile slid away.
I let my head fall back against his shoulders, leaning my weight into him. “I don’t want to hurt you, Killian.”
“But you are.”
“Tell me how to fix it then.”
“You crashed into my life like a hurricane and you promised me forever. But you stole that forever from us,” he accused, his voice cracking at the end.
“Tell me how to fix it,” I repeated, more urgently now. His body was warm against mine in the cool water and I didn’t want to ruin this moment. I wanted it to last longer. The last time we had been this physically intimate was the night of the masquerade ball and I had been craving more of that intimacy since then.
His hands tightened on my hips and his chest rattled with a sound, a mix of frustration and agony. “Don’t make me fall in love with you again.”
“I can’t promise that,” I whispered. “Because it doesn’t matter how hard I try, I can’t take you out of my heart. You’re so deep under my skin that you’ve burrowed yourself into a corner of my soul, Killian.”
Almost like my words had snapped the last of his self-control, Killian let out a low snarl. His arm circled around my waist and he dragged me deeper into the water. I gasped, before going limp in his embrace.
Trust. That was exactly what we lacked in our marriage.
So I gave him the fragile piece of my heart. I trusted him, yet again.
Killian pulled us under the waterfall and I spluttered, but then he was pushing up against the rocks. I blinked, letting the droplets of water fall from my lashes before my blurry vision cleared. When I looked around, trying to make sense of our surroundings, I realized that Killian had dragged us behind the waterfall, though our bodies were still submerged in the water.
“You’re a wicked woman,” he said huskily. “A good liar, a pretty manipulator, and a deceiving wife. Congratulations, Mrs. Spencer. You should win an Oscar. What a flawless act that was.”
I curled my arms around his neck and it was almost like our bodies were in sync, refusing to listen to our brains. His hands cupped my ass, lifting me, and I instinctively wrapped my thighs around his hips.
Our bodies collided together, chest to chest. Hips to hips. My tight nipples rubbed against his chest and I swallowed my needy moan. Gooseflesh peppered my skin and I shuddered when the tip of his erection brushed against my opening. His hips bucked upward, rubbing the length of his hardness against my oversensitive clit.