The Affair

THE AFFAIR N. A. COOPER Copyright © 2023 N. A. Cooper The right of N. A. Cooper to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First published in 2023 by Bloodhound Books. Apart from any use permitted under UK copyright law, this publication may only be reproduced, stored, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, with prior permission in writing of the publisher or, in the case of reprographic production, in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. www.bloodhoundbooks.com Print ISBN: 978-1-5040-8625-7 CONTENTS Love best-selling fiction? Also by N. A. Cooper Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Acknowledgements You will also enjoy: A note from the publisher Love best-selling fiction? LOVE BEST-SELLING FICTION? Sign up today to be the first to hear about new releases and exclusive offers, including free and discounted ebooks! Why not like us or follow us on social media to stay up to date with the latest news from your favourite authors? Facebook Twitter Instagram ALSO BY N. A. COOPER Ripple Effect * * * Unravelling Alice * * * The Quiet Space Between Us For my sisters. My best friends. CHAPTER ONE AFTER The early morning sun settled on the loch, the uncertain skies of dawn reflecting in its inky surface. Alex’s skin tingled as the water held her, her legs kicking out at the things she could not see. The sound of the gentle lapping of the current filled her ears; she kicked harder, keeping her head above the surface. A couple of wading birds dipped in and out nearby, their calls echoing off the mountains. It was a cool morning, the low sun bright but deceptive – an illusion, Alex thought, there to light up the land and nothing more. She could hear the Highland breeze whispering among the harsh landscape, disturbing the undergrowth and racing through the trees. The icy water continued to bite at her skin; it never warmed here regardless of the heat from the sun – the loch was too big and it held too much – but it never iced over either; it was simply always cold. Alex liked the consistency of it. The predictability. It felt stable in a way that nothing else did, unaffected by the things which come and go. Alex’s chest stung but she stayed focused, the water lapping gently around her neck and her eyes set on the cabin in front of her. It stood just beyond the shoreline, slightly elevated in the shadows cast by the ash trees which flanked it, their spindly limbs reaching out towards each other. The calls of the birds accompanied her as they always did, their songs washing over her like the water. Her legs continued to kick out beneath her, keeping her afloat, but her eyes never left the cabin. The surface of the loch was visible in her line of sight, stretching out like oil before her. Patches of reed cast shadows beneath, darkness lurking among the beauty. She took a deep breath, the cool air catching in her throat, her chest expanding. She held it there for a moment then exhaled slowly, watching as it caused ripples on the water in front of her. This was her time – a moment she’d become accustomed to before he woke. The routine anchored her in a way she needed and it became as vital to her as the oxygen she breathed. Her watch beeped – the ten minutes were over. She swam back to the pebbly shore, her feet finding the bed of the loch and the stones which protruded awkwardly from it. She walked to the cabin and climbed the set of steps to the wooden decking, damp tracks marking her path to the plastic table and chairs at the far end. She grabbed the towel she’d left there and wrapped it around her shoulders before sitting. Her feet were numb; she clenched and unclenched her toes, trying to regain feeling. Her eyes swept the loch, left to right, but she saw only what it was willing to show her. The sun was rising in no particular hurry, the silhouette of the mountains reflecting in the mirror-like surface of Ness. She felt her heart rate returning to normal, her chest loosening. Her skin still prickled, the usual paleness tinged with red. She tied the towel around her waist and wrung out her hair, then she padded barefoot into the cabin to make herself a drink. The bedroom door was open a fraction – just enough that she could see through it. She moved towards it, the palm of her hand holding the wall and her nose almost touching the door. He was still asleep, his hair almost black against the white sheets, his arm resting above his head and his chest rising and falling in rhythm. She turned quietly, careful not to wake him, and dropped the damp towel onto one of the chairs. She made herself a coffee and slipped into her robe before tiptoeing back outside onto the decking. She would watch the sun rise over the loch; she liked watching the way it crept above the mountains and lit a narrow path of orange across its surface. Soon, that narrow strip would turn into a blazing fire of red and gold. She