I giggled.Giggled. I couldn’t help it. Xander’s face contorted, his nostrils flaring as he stood in the river with water sluicing off him. His clothes were molded to his body, his tunic practically see-through as he caught my gaze.
And then the giggles dried up.
It was as though all the air was sucked out of my body as we stared at each other. I sucked in a deep breath and told myself to look away. But… I couldn’t. Xander’s gaze was completely and utterly captivating. Even if I had wanted to, at that moment, it felt like we were the only two people in the entire world.
“Aileana,” he snarled. “Why did you do that?”
“What’s wrong, Xander?” Tilting my head, I repeated his words from earlier. “Don’t you like the water?”
He raised a brow, and I swallowed. A deep sound rumbled out of him as he took a step, then two towards me.
Gods.
I felt warmth rushing through me as I stared at Xander. My mouth dried as he walked out of the river. Coming out of the water, with his silver-white hair slicked back from his face, Xander looked especially… not terrible.
The male in question smirked, his golden eyes blazing as he cocked his head. “Oh, it’s like that, is it Sunshine?”
I considered that I might have misjudged the situation when Xander’s lips tilted up into what I could only describe as a wolfish smile.
He clambered out of the water as a low growl escaped his lips, and he stalked towards me. Shoving myself to my feet, I ran away from the river, squealing. Squealing!
Of all the new experiences I’d had over the past week, this was the oddest. I had never squealed before in my entire life, and here I was, having done so twice in the last ten minutes.
Who was this male that he made me do things like squeal?
I was no more than ten feet from the water’s edge when warm, wet hands grabbed me from behind.
“Do you think you’re funny, Aileana?”
A laugh escaped me as my feet were suddenly lifted off the ground.
“I think I am the picture of hilarity,” I said with forced primness as I struggled against his grip. For a male who had recently become well-acquainted with the water, his hands were holding surprisingly firm.
“Do you now?” he asked, a chuckle in his voice as he held me in place. “And here I was thinking, you didn’t even know how to smile.”
“I can smile, you big oaf,” I replied, squirming.
He muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like, “you could’ve fooled me.” I wasn’t completely certain, because I was busy hitting him as he threw me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
Slamming my clenched fists into his back, I ordered, “Put me down!”
He shook his head. “Now, who’s being bossy?”
“Ugh. You’re insufferable,” I huffed, deciding to conserve my strength for a fight I could win. “You’re getting me all wet!”
He chuckled darkly, and a bolt of worry shot through me. I was starting to believe I hadreallymisjudged the situation when he growled, “Oh Sunshine, you’re going to bereallywet in a moment.”
I narrowed my eyes, but before I could reply, Xander’s grip suddenly disappeared from around my waist.
“No!” I shouted, my eyes widening as the river grew nearer. I gasped, blood draining from my face, and I reached desperately for something to hold on to. Anything.
My fingers clutched at empty air until finally, I felt wet fabric between my fingers.
Xander cursed as the water splashed all around us both.
It was cold. So cold.
For a moment, my mind emptied as the frigid temperature of the water became my only thought. My teeth chattered as the frigid liquid seeped through my gown and petticoats, destroying their warmth in a matter of moments.