Page 41 of Romantic Hero
‘You could have that same effect on Henry,’ River says with a quirk of his brows. ‘If you let me show you how.’
‘Fine.’ I rub a hand over the back of my neck. ‘I just need to relax, loosen up a bit. I’m so uptight and nervy about it all, it’s making me act weird. I can’t flirt if I’m all tense.’
‘That makes sense.’ River loops his thumbs into his waistband. ‘So what does Gertie Bickerstaff do to relax? And … is it something I can help with? To loosen you up?’
I peer at him. ‘Something you can help with toloosen me up? I can’t tell if you’re flirting again or it’s just your accent and deep voice making it sound that way.’
‘It’s just my accent and deep voice this time.’
I snort. ‘Good. Well, actually, there is something I think will relax me.’
‘Great,’ River says, taking my hand and yanking me out of the bed. ‘What is it? A walk? A run? You want to explore the grounds? Get in nature? Let’s get to it.’
*
I step into the spa pool area to find that River is already situated in the jacuzzi and looking not at all happy about it.
I edge carefully down the steps into the warm, soothing bubbles and I sit to River’s left, sinking down into the water, my shoulders immediately loosening with the soothing sensation of water dancing over my skin. I take my phone and look up ‘Spa Music Track 1’, placing the phone on the little ledge behind me and pressing play. The sound of pan pipes, flutes and tinkling bells starts to drift into the air. I breathe in deeply, the scent of lavender and rosemary making me feel immediately sleepy. When I exhale it’s with a happy sigh.
‘I know it’s not your cedar tree in the meadow, or your horse Kenneth, but the bubbles – they feel good, don’t they?’
‘I don’t know,’ River says, wriggling about awkwardly. ‘Feels kinda like I’m trapped in the belly of a beast with gastric issues.’
‘Wait, is this your first time in a jacuzzi?’
‘I don’t exactly have time for jacuzzis.’
‘That’s a shame. They always zen me out. Josie and I used to go to one in London the morning after a night out. They’re a great hangover cure.’
‘I don’t get hangovers.’
‘Must be nice.’
River huffs. ‘So … what exactly do wedoin the jacuzzi?’
‘We relax,’ I say. ‘Just … soak in the zen of the spa.’
He nods slowly and then, less than two minutes later, he sighs heavily and starts tapping his fingers on the side of the jacuzzi barrier. I side-eye him.
‘I’m sorry.’ He clasps his hands together. ‘I’m afraid I’m not used to “soaking in the zen of the spa”.’
‘Ilovesoaking in the zen of the spa. I’m excellent at it.’I nod over to the empty pool on the opposite side of the room. Why don’t you go have a swim?’
River shakes his head quickly, a large swallow making his Adam’s apple bob up and down. ‘No swimming!’ he says in a weird, strangled voice, before clearing his throat and saying in his normal voice, ‘I mean … I’d prefer not to swim right now.’
‘Hold on …’ I say, surprised by his response to the mere suggestion of a swim. I gasp. ‘River … Can you not swim? I mean, it’d be odd if you couldn’t with a name like River.’
He throws me a look of disdain. ‘Yes, I can swim. Are you kidding? Of course I can swim.’ But his reddening cheeks tell another story.
‘No way!’ I breathe. ‘Wow. Something you’renotamazing at.’
‘I never professed to be amazing at everything.’
‘Only seduction, literary quizzes, ranching, horse-riding, flirting and picking out hot dresses for heartbroken women.’
River throws his hands up, causing a little water to splash onto his chest, where it snakes slowly down over his pecs. I drag my eyes away. ‘Fine,’ he grumbles. ‘I can barely swim. I took a few lessons as a kid but my mom was deathly afraid of deep water. Every time she brought me to the pool for a lesson, she’d get hysterical, shouting at me to be careful, not to go too deep. I’d never seen my mom lose control over her emotions like that – not before she started drinking anyway. Her reaction mademeafraid of deep water, seeing her so certain that something bad would happen tome. She took me out of lessons and, I don’t know, I just never went back.’
I look across at him, this big bruiser of a man, and cannot imagine him being afraid of anything. He stares grimly at the bubbling water.
