Chapter 47 – Drenched Lovers (I)

Tiana’s gaze met Lucius’ as she felt the cold water running down her hair. She felt a sense of wonder seeing herself reflected in his golden eyes. She stared blankly as a blurry afterimage nudged into her mind. Did this happen before? The memory of that day overlapped with clear skies, like today.

“Danger, Tiana!” she recalled a voice.

“Sorry, Lucius,” she stammered and tried to get up. But a flood of water erupted from the pipes again, and she fell on his stomach.

There was something about this occurrence that Tiana couldn’t brush off as nothing. She could feel that something similar happened before. The thought nagged at her. She wondered if the splitting headache had been a memory surfacing from the past. Their first meeting had been the same, she recalled. It seemed that when a similar situation occurred in her life; the memories associated with it resurfaced. She was confused, because this only happened when she was with Lucius. She couldn’t understand why. It had never occurred when she was with Edwin, or any other person from Grand Duchy. Is it because he is special to Tiana? She wondered.

She resolved to be more careful when she was with him, for something like this in the future. She finally noticed her still wet situation and felt embarrassed. With Lucius’ clothes getting wetter and wetter and sticking to his skin, she tried to look everywhere but at him.

She could see that his thin shirt was completely soaked, and it exposed his bare skin. As much as she avoided it, her eyes fell on him and she could feel desire stirring within her heart. Tiana wanted the time to freeze so she could enjoy looking at his sculpted body as long as she wanted. She shook herself out of her reverie. She tried to think of something else, anything else!

“Are you okay, Tiana?” asked Lucius, worry etching his face. “Are you able to stand?”

She tried to lift herself, shaking off her disappointment in having to do so. He tried to shield her from the water as best he could. Tiana slowly got up. “You might catch a cold,” she said, seeing him drenched.

Lucius smiled; his cheeks were slightly flushed. While still not being able to take her eyes off him, she smiled affectionately when she saw him shielding her from the water with his hands above her head, trying to make a makeshift umbrella which made him get more drenched from the spraying water. Although she didn’t really want the moment to end, she didn’t want them both to catch a cold. She leaned down to turn off the sprinkler at the bottom of the fence. She reached up to take his hands and rubbed them to warm them. “At this rate, you will catch a cold,” she said, “You should go in and take off your clothes.” She corrected hurriedly, “Because your clothes are wet, not because of any other reason.” She blushed.

“You are soaked too, Tiana,” said Lucius smiling, mischievously.

“I am not as soaked as you,” she said flustered, “Only my top is wet, and my hair. Yours is all drenched.”

“Well, then,” he said, still looking at her, “Let’s go together.” He took hold of her hand and ushered her with him. Tiana followed him without complaint, his hand felt warm and nice in hers.

When they reached the mansion, the maids were shocked to see them so drenched. They hurried off to fetch some towels. As the maids helped to dry her, the butler came down from the second floor.

“What happened, my lord?” asked Warren, perplexed.

“I accidentally hit the sprinkler switch in the garden,” explained Tiana, laughing awkwardly, “I am not that wet, but Lucius is soaked, sir. Hopefully, he doesn’t catch a cold. Could you kindly draw him a warm bath?”

“I will get to it right away, ma’am,” obliged Warren, “I will have some change of clothes sent to you as well.”

“I’m fine, sir,” said Tiana, “It’s just my hair that’s wet. My clothes, not so much. They will dry in no time.”

“Warren,” said Lucius in a low voice. He looked at Warren. “Draw her a bath first.”

“Yes, sir,” said Warren, bowing. He turned to the maids and gave them instructions.

Tiana was embarrassed to trouble them so. “Lucius,” she called.

“Yes?” he responded.

“You should wash up first!” insisted Tiana, “I am not that wet. But you are soaked, you will get sick. I am fine—”

“Tiana,” Lucius interrupted her. He approached her. They were standing so close together, only a hand’s width apart. He was looking at her with concern. Tiana felt nervous because of the closeness. “No matter how fine you say you are,” he said in a low, gentle voice, “being drenched in cold water might make you sick.”