like, but why?”
Pushing off with my foot, I launched myself up the smooth face to grab hold of the top. “Because … I want … to sit on … it.” I panted as I clambered up. Finally, I reached the top, and stretching my legs out in front of me I lay back on my elbows. “Aren’t you coming up?”
“Do you wake up like this, or are you secretly addicted to caffeine and sugar?”
“What you see is what you get. This is all natural.” I gestured lengthwise down my body, and his eyes tracked my movements. To be honest, being strapped in a faded red life jacket wasn’t exactly the most flattering outfit, though it didn’t seem to diminish the hunger in his gaze.
“Believe me, I know all of that is natural.”
A blush warmed my cheeks, and when I couldn’t come up with a response fast enough, I remained silent.
For a second Cole disappeared from view, then one hand appeared over the lip of the rock and was quickly followed by a head and the rest of his body.
“Okay, you got me up here. Now what?”
“I don’t know, you tell me.”
He sprawled out beside me, his legs dangling over the edge they were so long. Throwing his arms back over his head, and resting them under his helmet, he closed his eyes as he faced the sky. He didn’t speak for a moment, only the trickle of water beneath us filling the air.
“Do you still think you’ll be here for three months?” he asked finally, cracking one eye and tilting his head towards me.
“Not sure yet. It all depends on how quickly I get bored and run out of things to do.”
“Where are you going after?”
I shrugged. “Wherever I feel like it. Spain, Greece, Germany, or Italy … whatever takes my fancy. The only thing I’m sure about is I’ll be in Germany in November or early December.”
“Why?”
“Christmas markets. I swore to go back after I visited them in high school. What about you? What’s for you after France?”
“Following you I guess.”
My jaw fell slack and I sat up swiftly to stare down at him. “Be serious. You must have had some kind of plan when you started this journey before you met me. Or is that part of the secret?”
He chuckled, the sound warming me from the inside out. “No, it’s not. And honestly there was no plan. I had to get away so I left, simple as that.”
“Why did you have to get away?”
“Ah, now that is part of the secret, sweetheart.” The moment of humour I brought out in him dissipated. His eyes clouded over as he stared at the other side of the river. Focused solely on one spot, his molars ground together and his fists balled on his lap.
I reached out to him, my fingers cupping his jaw. The stubble felt rough against my skin as I forced him to look at me, and only when his gaze met mine did I speak. “It won’t scare me off if you tell me. It doesn’t have to be a secret.”
“It will and it does.”
I shook my head, biting down on my lip. My eyes were round in earnest, begging him to reveal whatever put the darkness into his expression.
“The past doesn’t have to affect your future. You can choose to let go of it.”
“What if your past is chasing you? Not everyone can let go. I may be a fast runner, but it’s going to catch up with me someday.”
“What is? What’s chasing you, Cole?” My voice dropped to a whisper, my thumb running over his cheekbone. His eyes shut at my touch and he let out a sigh. I found myself being drawn towards him; leaning into him, he did the same until our faces were inches apart. My gaze dropped to his lips and back up to his eyes. When his hands slid to my hips, circling round to my spine, I gasped.
The sound focused his attention back on me and the desire in his gaze shocked me. Wetting my lips, my breath caught in my throat as he began to close the distance between us even more.
I only had a second if I wanted to stop him.
Taking a deep breath, I pulled back and launched myself from the rock. My neoprene shoes gave me the grip I needed on the
Pushing off with my foot, I launched myself up the smooth face to grab hold of the top. “Because … I want … to sit on … it.” I panted as I clambered up. Finally, I reached the top, and stretching my legs out in front of me I lay back on my elbows. “Aren’t you coming up?”
“Do you wake up like this, or are you secretly addicted to caffeine and sugar?”
“What you see is what you get. This is all natural.” I gestured lengthwise down my body, and his eyes tracked my movements. To be honest, being strapped in a faded red life jacket wasn’t exactly the most flattering outfit, though it didn’t seem to diminish the hunger in his gaze.
“Believe me, I know all of that is natural.”
A blush warmed my cheeks, and when I couldn’t come up with a response fast enough, I remained silent.
For a second Cole disappeared from view, then one hand appeared over the lip of the rock and was quickly followed by a head and the rest of his body.
“Okay, you got me up here. Now what?”
“I don’t know, you tell me.”
He sprawled out beside me, his legs dangling over the edge they were so long. Throwing his arms back over his head, and resting them under his helmet, he closed his eyes as he faced the sky. He didn’t speak for a moment, only the trickle of water beneath us filling the air.
“Do you still think you’ll be here for three months?” he asked finally, cracking one eye and tilting his head towards me.
“Not sure yet. It all depends on how quickly I get bored and run out of things to do.”
“Where are you going after?”
I shrugged. “Wherever I feel like it. Spain, Greece, Germany, or Italy … whatever takes my fancy. The only thing I’m sure about is I’ll be in Germany in November or early December.”
“Why?”
“Christmas markets. I swore to go back after I visited them in high school. What about you? What’s for you after France?”
“Following you I guess.”
My jaw fell slack and I sat up swiftly to stare down at him. “Be serious. You must have had some kind of plan when you started this journey before you met me. Or is that part of the secret?”
He chuckled, the sound warming me from the inside out. “No, it’s not. And honestly there was no plan. I had to get away so I left, simple as that.”
“Why did you have to get away?”
“Ah, now that is part of the secret, sweetheart.” The moment of humour I brought out in him dissipated. His eyes clouded over as he stared at the other side of the river. Focused solely on one spot, his molars ground together and his fists balled on his lap.
I reached out to him, my fingers cupping his jaw. The stubble felt rough against my skin as I forced him to look at me, and only when his gaze met mine did I speak. “It won’t scare me off if you tell me. It doesn’t have to be a secret.”
“It will and it does.”
I shook my head, biting down on my lip. My eyes were round in earnest, begging him to reveal whatever put the darkness into his expression.
“The past doesn’t have to affect your future. You can choose to let go of it.”
“What if your past is chasing you? Not everyone can let go. I may be a fast runner, but it’s going to catch up with me someday.”
“What is? What’s chasing you, Cole?” My voice dropped to a whisper, my thumb running over his cheekbone. His eyes shut at my touch and he let out a sigh. I found myself being drawn towards him; leaning into him, he did the same until our faces were inches apart. My gaze dropped to his lips and back up to his eyes. When his hands slid to my hips, circling round to my spine, I gasped.
The sound focused his attention back on me and the desire in his gaze shocked me. Wetting my lips, my breath caught in my throat as he began to close the distance between us even more.
I only had a second if I wanted to stop him.
Taking a deep breath, I pulled back and launched myself from the rock. My neoprene shoes gave me the grip I needed on the
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