Undercover Panther

Chapter 5. Burgled

Three hours later and I was laying flat on my back on the soft pillows, thoroughly worn out from the excruciating shopping fiasco. Cassidy had pushed me from store to store, and only stopped for coffee when I said I'd pay, but were soon off again.

I was dirty from the dust that had been kicked up, and I had aches in parts of my body I never knew I had. So I went outside and settled down into the river to make use of the setting sun. The trickling water was cool but not cold and it was perfect for the burning I felt.

Fed up of being dragged by my clothing, I shifted them off until all was left was my new necklace. I could have just created a replica, but it wouldn't create the same sense of reality I felt with an actual object. Dipping under the water, I floated under the surface, rubbing my face and hair clean. As I looked up, opening my eyes to a blue world, I saw a dark figure leaning over the water's edge. There was no point in hiding further downstream since it was obvious they could see me.

Surfacing and breaking water. I gasped for breath and pushed my mid-back length hair backwards. Once the water had cleared my vision, I turned to address the intruding figure.

"How's the water?" Gabriel asked. A smirk playing on his face as if he had caught be in the act. What act I wasn't sure. Luckily the water covered my lady parts.

"It's quite lovely. Won't you join me?" I put on a mocking voice.

"Well I would m'lady. But there's the case of me not having bought my swimming trunks."

As he spoke I shifted on a green bikini, careful not to add straps around my neck in case of Gabriel getting suspicious.

"Then I will have to join you."

With that I dragged myself up in the rocks and positioned myself so Gabriel could settle himself next to me.

"What are you doing all the way out here?" I asked.

"I could ask you the same thing."

"I asked you first."

He laughed at my wit. "Okay fair enough. I was just out wandering. And I heard a splash so I went to investigate. Your turn."

"I live here."

"Excuse me?"

"I live here."

"Yes I heard you the first time!"

"Then why did you say excuse me? I don't know about here, but in England that tends to mean you want someone to repeat themselves." Sarcasm dripped from my tongue.

"I'm just trying to make sense of this. There's no house around for miles."

I shrugged my shoulders and looked away.

"Maybe you're not looking hard enough."

He shuffled closer, the exposed skin below his shorts touching mine.

"I'm looking right now." He said lowly, looking into my eyes.

"That was the most stupidest thing anybody has eve said to me." I said between hiccups of laughter.

He didn't take offence by it and simply shrugged.

"What can I say? I'm a hopeless romantic."

I grinned at his cheesy pick up line.

We sat in silence while watching the sun disappear behind the clouds, I had taken up to leaning against his side, my head resting on his shoulder.

"So tell me about England." He broke the silence.