Page 63 of Entwined in Norway

‘You’re the only girl I’ve skinny-dipped with.’

‘That can’t be true,’ she laughed.

‘Why not?’

‘Because… you’re gorgeous. Didn’t you have girls fighting to go skinny-dipping with you?’

‘No girls who wanted me for the right reasons. I guess I’m not the kind of guy who’s happy skinny-dipping with someone who only sees the snowboarding champion.’

‘I have a confession to make. I googled you after you first checked in.’

‘You did?’

He was still pondering that when Ida rode off. Climbing onto his own bike, he pedalled hard to catch up with her. So she had known exactly who he was all the time he was being a grumpy asshole. All the time he’d thought he’d landed in a place where no one knew him, and he couldn’t have been more wrong. He also loved that she felt brave enough to tell him he was gorgeous. It kind of made him laugh because since he’d been here, he’d hardly taken care of himself. He was unshaven most of the time, and he hardly looked in the mirror to check how he looked at all. So it felt good that she thought that.

‘You googled me.’ He pulled up alongside her.

‘I don’t want you to think I have any interest in you other than that you used to be a championship snowboarder.’ She looked at him quickly before she turned her eyes back to the road, but not before he saw the glint in them.

‘Understood. Although I think there was something between us right then. Before you had chance to google.’

‘Do you?’ She looked at him properly, then wobbled dramatically.

‘Sure.’

‘Was that before or after the salute?’

‘Shit, Ida. You remember that?’

‘Of course. You’re the first guest I’ve had who saluted. I’m not going to forget that. It felt like a moment.’

‘That might be the most embarrassing thing I’ve ever done, but I thought I’d got away with it.’

‘I like to think it was a sign you were flustered around me.’

‘Yes, that’s exactly what it was. Like I said not two days after that, you’re beautiful.’

Ida pulled off to the left, across a bridge slung low over the water, marking the crossing point at the end of the lake.

The sun was higher now, and it was warm. A perfect summer’s day with nothing to do other than meander their way back to town.

With no prospect of finding anywhere to eat in the countryside, they carried on riding until they came to a patch of woodland with a track leading through it, presumably to the water’s edge.

‘Shall we stop here for a snack?’

‘Okay,’ Ida said, leading the way down the track, through the trees until they could see the lake again. They got off their bikes and left them in the shade of a tree, then sat close to the water under another tree. It seemed to be a small inlet, an extension of the main lake, so out of sight of anyone. Perfect for skinny-dipping. As if they’d manifested it with their earlier conversation.

Without saying anything, Erik began stripping off while Ida looked on, arms crossed, an amused look on her face. Only a moment later, she did the same.

She actually beat him into the water, squealing as the cold water hit her skin. Both of them were hot from riding, and the cold was welcome, but maybe a little too refreshing. And it was too shallow to plunge your whole body into in one go.

Erik scooped a hand through the water and splashed her, making her scream. Then she returned the favour, and it wasn’t long before they were both laughing, soaking wet and out of breath.

‘Now I’m really hungry,’ Erik said, scooping Ida into his arms and carrying her back to where they’d left their things. He put her down, then took the spare sweaters they’d packed in case it was chilly, and laid them down on the floor. ‘We can dry off in the sun while we eat.’

‘This is so weird being outside naked.’

‘Kind of freeing, though.’