Monthly Bonus Content #3— 'Is that a fish, or are you just happy to see me?' (Summer Scenario Special-Mason Version) (Patreon)

“Hold still,” Mason commands with a groan. “I can’t get any deeper with you flailing about like that.”

I roll my eyes. “I’m so sorry that my balance in the middle of a lake is not what it is on dry land.”

“Because your quips are really helping right now. And we’re not in the middle, we’re at the edge,” he comments, wading past me further into the small inlet that’s camouflaged by vines and heavy duckweed. His movements barely ripple the moon-drenched waters.

The small lime-green leaves of the plants stick to my skin, and I grimace as I try to rub them away. “Remind me again why we couldn’t wear wetsuits for this mission and had to wear swimwear?”

He smirks over his shoulder at me. “Because you look so much better in that.”

I tighten my lips to stop the comment that wants to break free from spilling out. Trading in sharp banter right now isn’t going to help get this over with.

In all fairness, when Mason had stripped out of his usual dark jeans and thick t-shirt, it took quite a bit to stop myself gawping.

I shake the memory of his bare, freckled skin bathed in silver moonlight from my mind and try to focus ahead.

Mason pulls the binoculars to his eyes and stares through them to the cottage sitting on the lake’s edge. It would have been impossible to approach it on foot without being seen, so the water was the only option.

Thankfully, the depths still have a warmth to them from the summer’s day.

I try to tread the waters a little closer, my front almost pressed against his back in order to see over his shoulder. There’s only one light on in the little stone-built house.

“How long are we going to have to wait here?” I ask.

“As long as it takes,” he responds, pulling the binoculars away. “Of course, we could find a better way to pass the time—”

“Agh!” I let out a yell as something brushes against my leg, jerking forward and right into Mason.

He lets out a small ‘oof’ but drops the binoculars in order to wrap his arms around me and keep me from sinking into the water.

His lips tilt into a smile as his gaze darkens on me. “I’m glad to see you’re so keen on the idea too.”

I groan. “Something brushed against my leg.”

The smile grows. “That was probably m—”

I hold up a hand with a sigh. “I get it.”

His chuckle is deep and low, rumbling out of his chest and vibrating over my wettened skin. “We are in a lake, sweetheart/handsome. We’re not going to be the only things swimming in it.”

I shudder at the thought. “Then let’s get this over with as fast as possible. I don’t want anything else touching me.”

His fingers grasp at me a little tighter. “I don’t see you complaining about my touch.”

“Well, that’s different. I…" My words stutter to a stop as I realise I was about to admit to enjoying that more than I should. His ego certainly doesn’t need a boost.

He stares at my silence with an arched brow. “Are you going to finish that sentence, or do I have to guess?”

“I’ll leave it to your imagination.” Even I’m surprised at the amount of flirtation to that statement.

A sharp fang glistens in the moonlight as his top lip crooks higher. “Sweetheart/Handsome, if you let my imagination run wild right now, with you pressed against me all slick and wet, then there’s no way I’m finishing this mission.”

I’m pretty sure the water begins to steam around us.

A sudden bang! makes us flinch, and I pull out of his hold as he lets me go.

He fishes around for the binoculars, bringing the dripping equipment to his eyes the wrong way round before huffing and turning them the right way. Even then he seems to struggle to focus as he snaps his search amongst the trees.

I suppress a chuckle, feeling a slight burst of triumph at his sudden flustering.