edge, allowing me to kick off into the middle of the river.
The cool water enveloped me as I dipped beneath the surface. The prickling warmth that had been crawling over my skin ceased to exist, replaced only by the smooth embrace of the water.
When my life jacket forced me back to the surface, I shook my hair and the water from my eyes. I glanced up at Cole with a smirk. He stared down at me with startled eyes and his hands hovered in mid-air like he didn’t know what to do with them.
“Are you coming in or not?” I shouted, cupping my hands over my mouth as I floated away.
“You’re insane. If you didn’t want to kiss me you could have told me. You didn’t need to throw yourself from a cliff.”
“Once again, don’t be dramatic. It’s a rock and it’s what this spot is for.” Breaking out into a crawl, I made my way over to the beach. Cole tracked my every movement, studying me with a calculating gaze as if trying to predict my next move.
“I should have let you fend for yourself on the train. I’m sure the creeper would have come off worse.”
“Don’t change the subject. Are you going to jump or am I going to have to come up there and push you?”
He snorted. “I’d like to see you try.”
Challenge accepted, I climbed the rock swiftly. He was standing by the time I reached the top, and without thinking things through I charged at him. I raised my arms in front of me, preparing to push him with all of the force I had … only they never made contact. Cole gripped me under my arms and he used my momentum to sweep me up and spin me.
Before I could register what was happening, I sailed through the air again with a shriek. Realising I only had a second to suck in a breath, I shut up and closed my mouth right as my feet hit the water again.
I came up spluttering, coughing to clear my throat of the water I accidently swallowed.
“What the hell did you do that for?” I cried up to where Cole grinned down at me. As I waded through the shallows furiously, the deep rumbles of his laugh only increased. “Seriously? What. The. Hell?”
“I said you couldn’t push me off.”
I grumbled, and using my hand to shield my eyes from the sun I scowled at him. Placing my free hand on my hip, I decided to change tactics. He was right and there was no possible way for me to move him if he didn’t want to.
An idea came to me. “I bet you won’t jump.”
“What do I get if I do? Can I claim the kiss you were so afraid of?”
“No,” I deadpanned. “Although, if you jump now, I promise there’ll be no more crazy for the rest of the day.”
“You can do normal?” he asked incredulously, his expression morphing into amazement.
“Are you accepting the bet or not?”
Taking a few steps back, his only answer was to run and leap into the air with a war cry. The sound cut off as soon as he hit the water, replaced with the largest splash I’d ever seen when droplets were thrown metres into the air. The clear surface filled with bubbles, his impact causing ripples to spread out in rings around his entrance point.
A few seconds later he bobbed up, spitting out a mouthful of water, and rubbed his eyes. He paddled back towards me until he reached the beach. The pebbles darkened beneath him as he coated them in a layer of water. When I glanced up to meet his eyes they were framed by droplets clinging to his lashes.
“Told you I don’t back down from a bet.” He smirked.
“It’s a good thing I only make bets I don’t mind losing.” I matched his expression. “I didn’t have any more crazy planned for the rest of the day to begin with.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Cole
She threw herself off a rock—a fucking rock—just to get away from me. I’d never had that happen before. No one ever said no to me, let alone flung themselves into a river to stop a kiss. Seriously? Couldn’t she have just said no? I mean, what happened if next time—because there would be a next time—we were on a roof?
The cool water enveloped me as I dipped beneath the surface. The prickling warmth that had been crawling over my skin ceased to exist, replaced only by the smooth embrace of the water.
When my life jacket forced me back to the surface, I shook my hair and the water from my eyes. I glanced up at Cole with a smirk. He stared down at me with startled eyes and his hands hovered in mid-air like he didn’t know what to do with them.
“Are you coming in or not?” I shouted, cupping my hands over my mouth as I floated away.
“You’re insane. If you didn’t want to kiss me you could have told me. You didn’t need to throw yourself from a cliff.”
“Once again, don’t be dramatic. It’s a rock and it’s what this spot is for.” Breaking out into a crawl, I made my way over to the beach. Cole tracked my every movement, studying me with a calculating gaze as if trying to predict my next move.
“I should have let you fend for yourself on the train. I’m sure the creeper would have come off worse.”
“Don’t change the subject. Are you going to jump or am I going to have to come up there and push you?”
He snorted. “I’d like to see you try.”
Challenge accepted, I climbed the rock swiftly. He was standing by the time I reached the top, and without thinking things through I charged at him. I raised my arms in front of me, preparing to push him with all of the force I had … only they never made contact. Cole gripped me under my arms and he used my momentum to sweep me up and spin me.
Before I could register what was happening, I sailed through the air again with a shriek. Realising I only had a second to suck in a breath, I shut up and closed my mouth right as my feet hit the water again.
I came up spluttering, coughing to clear my throat of the water I accidently swallowed.
“What the hell did you do that for?” I cried up to where Cole grinned down at me. As I waded through the shallows furiously, the deep rumbles of his laugh only increased. “Seriously? What. The. Hell?”
“I said you couldn’t push me off.”
I grumbled, and using my hand to shield my eyes from the sun I scowled at him. Placing my free hand on my hip, I decided to change tactics. He was right and there was no possible way for me to move him if he didn’t want to.
An idea came to me. “I bet you won’t jump.”
“What do I get if I do? Can I claim the kiss you were so afraid of?”
“No,” I deadpanned. “Although, if you jump now, I promise there’ll be no more crazy for the rest of the day.”
“You can do normal?” he asked incredulously, his expression morphing into amazement.
“Are you accepting the bet or not?”
Taking a few steps back, his only answer was to run and leap into the air with a war cry. The sound cut off as soon as he hit the water, replaced with the largest splash I’d ever seen when droplets were thrown metres into the air. The clear surface filled with bubbles, his impact causing ripples to spread out in rings around his entrance point.
A few seconds later he bobbed up, spitting out a mouthful of water, and rubbed his eyes. He paddled back towards me until he reached the beach. The pebbles darkened beneath him as he coated them in a layer of water. When I glanced up to meet his eyes they were framed by droplets clinging to his lashes.
“Told you I don’t back down from a bet.” He smirked.
“It’s a good thing I only make bets I don’t mind losing.” I matched his expression. “I didn’t have any more crazy planned for the rest of the day to begin with.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Cole
She threw herself off a rock—a fucking rock—just to get away from me. I’d never had that happen before. No one ever said no to me, let alone flung themselves into a river to stop a kiss. Seriously? Couldn’t she have just said no? I mean, what happened if next time—because there would be a next time—we were on a roof?
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