Page 106 of The Icy Highlander's Virgin

"That's exactly why we're here," Lachlan said, his voice warm with understanding. "To give ye back that control."

For a long moment, they stood in silence, the only sounds the gentle lapping of water against the shore and the whisper of wind through the grass. Finally, Erica took a shaky breath.

"What if I panic again?"

"Then I'll be right there to help ye through it."

"What if I cannae do it?"

"Then we'll try again tomorrow. And the day after that, if necessary."

She looked at him then, seeing the absolute conviction in his face, the patient strength that had become such a cornerstone of her new life. Slowly, reluctantly, she nodded.

"Just... start very small?"

"As small as ye need."

Lachlan helped Erica out of her heavy riding dress. She stood in her chemise, arms wrapped around herself against the cool air.

"Much easier to move this way," he said practically, turning to remove his own shirt and boots.

"Honestly," Erica muttered, "I'd much rather be removin' clothes for other reasons than swimmin'."

Lachlan paused, his shirt half over his head, and she caught a glimpse of his grin. "So would I, love. But later. First, we conquer this fear of yers."

When they waded back into the water, Erica was surprised to find that her earlier panic had somehow cleared away some of her deeper anxiety. Perhaps because she'd already faced the worst of it and survived.

The first step was simply walking to the water's edge, which took nearly ten minutes of coaxing and several false starts. Erica approached the lake like she was approaching a sleeping dragon, ready to flee at the first sign of danger.

"See?" Lachlan said as they stood on the rocky shore. "It's just water. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Easy for ye to say," she muttered. "Ye didnae nearly drown in it."

"Nay, but I've seen plenty of men nearly drown in battle—in rivers, in moats, even in horse troughs when they were drunk enough. Fear of water is nothin' to be ashamed of. But, it would be a shame to miss an opportunity to conquer that fear."

The next step was removing her boots and stockings, then sitting on a large rock with her feet in the shallow water. Even this smallcontact made her tense, but Lachlan sat beside her, one arm around her waist, radiating calm reassurance.

"How does it feel?" he asked.

"Cold. And... wet." She managed a small smile at her own obvious statement. "But nae terrible, I suppose."

"Good. Now just focus on the feelin'. It's just water touchin' yer skin—nothin' more dangerous than a bath."

They sat like that for nearly a quarter hour, with Erica gradually relaxing as she became accustomed to the sensation. When Lachlan suggested they wade in ankle-deep, she only hesitated for a moment before nodding.

The sand beneath her feet was soft and surprisingly warm from the sun. Small fish darted between her ankles, and she found herself fascinated by the way the light played through the clear water.

"This isnae so bad," she admitted, some of her tension finally beginning to ease.

"See? The water isnae tryin' to hurt ye. It's just there, the same as the air or the ground."

Emboldened by her success in the shallows, Erica allowed Lachlan to lead her deeper, until the water reached her knees.He stayed beside her every step, his strong hand steady on her back, ready to support her if she stumbled.

"I'm goin' to show ye how to float," he said gently. "It's the most important thing—once ye ken how to float, ye'll never truly be helpless in water."

"Float?" she asked nervously. "That sounds... difficult."

"Nae difficult. Just different from what yer body expects." He moved in front of her, his hands positioning themselves to support her back and shoulders. "Ye're going to lean back slowly, and I'm going to hold ye up. The water will help—it wants to support ye."