He was drunk on kissing. The summer mavens had rarely kissed him, and never like this. The sweetheart necking he’d done in high school was nothing like these long, slow, lingering kisses where the boundary of his mouth got lost with Astrid’s. How she made little sounds, and her nipples rose up to meet his touch. He felt every inch the pirate within the fisherman. Her touch added more inches, and she gave a wicked little laugh and pulled him on top of her again. This was a new discovery, too: that you didn’t do it, get dressed and go. You could do it and lie around, and then do it again, lie around some more, and then do it again. As much as you wanted. All afternoon, until you were limp and sated and wanting for nothing.

“I love you so much,” he whispered as the light outside grew dimmer.

“I’ve never known anything like it.” She smiled, cheek pillowed on her upper arm, blonde hair falling partly in her eyes. Her hand soft on his face now. “I didn’t know falling in love would be like this.”

“How did you think it would be?”

“Like an explosion. A slap in the face. A fever. But this…?”

“This?”

“This is like coming home. Like finding a new book that becomes your favorite book.” She brushed his mouth with hers. “Like finding a picture of yourself in someone else’s house.”

“A picture with eyes that follow wherever you go.”

“Eyes that say, ‘Darling, you look so troubled. Tell me everything.’”

“Eyes that say, ‘I know you…’”

“I love you.”

“Asta, I—”

They both jumped in their skin, then froze up at the sound of the cottage’s front door opening. A pause, then it closed.

“What the hell,” Kennet said, starting to get up.

The wind must’ve blown it open. But I’m sure I locked it…

“Kennet?” Major called.

“Oh my God,” Astrid whispered, moving closer to Kennet’s body, turning her head into the pillow, looking for anywhere to hide. He flipped the blankets over their naked skin.

“Kennet?” Louder now, but not angry. An edge of urgent alarm in his uncle’s voice.

“What’ll we do?” Astrid said.

“It’s all right,” Kennet murmured, then called out, “Major?”

“Come out here, I need to talk to you. Hurry.”

Kennet kissed Astrid. “Don’t be afraid, it’s all right.” He pulled on trousers and his shirt, slipped out and closed the door, keeping himself between his uncle and the bedroom.

“Her mother’s here,” Major said. “Just arrived on the train. Unannounced.”

The blood drained from Kennet’s head so fast, he swayed back a step. “Oh shit.”

“Minor telephoned and we fixed an alibi, but we need to move fast.”

“Shit.”