The world falls away and it’s just me and him and the soft brush of our lips as we share the most perfect kiss of my life.
When we finally pull back, a mewl escapes me, my lips tingling as I lose myself in his molten gaze. His thumb gently traces my cheekbone, the touch setting my skin ablaze, stoking my burning desire to do more than would be appropriate on a glacier in the mountains with an audience, no less.
Standing there in his arms, staring in the eyes of the man I know is my soulmate–my One–I feel alive, I feel free, I feel like I’m ten feet tall and bulletproof.
"I've wanted to do that for so long, Maggie.” His voice is a husky whisper that sends shivers down my spine. "I can’t waste another moment not bein’ with you. I don’t want to. It took long enough to see what was right in front of me the whole damn time.” I smile at that. “You’re my One, the mountain’s choice for me.”
"You're mine too, Red. I'm startin' to think you have been for a while now."
He brushes his lips against mine again, and when he pulls away this time, I chase him, not wanting to stop. With a chuckle, he wraps his arms around my shoulders. I melt into his chest, resting my cheek right over his thrumming pulse.
"Your heart is beatin' so fast," I say quietly.
“Been doin’ that the whole trip. Now I know it was just my body tellin’ my brain to catch up andnotthat I’m overdue for my physical.”
I straighten and lift my eyes to his. “And now that we know?”
“I ain’t ever lettin’ you go. You and me, this is it. Lines crossed, walls down, just us. You OK with that?”
I lift on my toes and kiss him, gripping his shoulders and holding on as I lean into the warmth and safety of his arms. I can feel the truth behind his words in the way his hands tremble slightly against my back and how his heartbeat matches the rapid rhythm of my own.
When we finally come up for air, the slow-growing smile that curves his lips is another boon that I commit to memory.
“Yeah, you’re OK with that,” he says roughly.
“I’d be evenmoreOK if we could get off this glacier and go back to our cabin right now,” I whisper for his ears only.
Red nods, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “Seems like the Call makes us think alike too, darlin’. Let’s go see if we can make that happen.”
We link hands again and walk back toward the tour group, but this time my mind is far away from the gorgeous glacier, and going by the determined look on Red’s face, I’m not the only one.
23
RED
As much as I loved the glacier tour, for obvious reasons, I’m more than a little eager to get back to the cabin.
We hold hands the entire drive back, the slow sounds of Eric Clapton playing on the radio. The air in the cabin is content, contemplative, and with an undeniable buzz of anticipation.
The sky has darkened by the time we arrive back at the cabin, the expected storm beginning to roll in just as forecast.
Shutting the engine off, I turn toward Mags. “I want to gather some more firewood inside to tide us over and while I’m at it, I’ll check around the outside to make sure everythin’ is battened down. Is that OK?”
More than anything I want to go inside and lose myself in Mags, but I also want to make sure we’re going to be safe from the storm because once we get started, there ain’t nothing and no one that’s going to stop me from being with her.
She smiles. “Of course. I’ll go inside and make sure we’re set in case the power goes out and we end up stranded for a while.”
My lips tip up. "Can't say I'd be disappointed to be shut away from the world with you.”
"Sweet talker," she murmurs, leaning toward me. I meet her halfway, gently caressing her cheek before bringing our lips together in a soft and slow kiss, making sure to take my time to trace her lips before sliding my tongue inside. I lap at her mouth, seeking and getting a gratifying breathy moan in response. Knowing I have to stop this before I forget all about firewood and supplies and the impending storm, I pull back and just look at her.
“See you inside, beautiful,” I murmur, stealing one last kiss.
“That you will,” she replies roughly before we both get out of the truck and go our separate ways.
The wind outside has picked up, the first few droplets of rain peppering my face as I quickly gather more firewood. The storm is coming in fast and it’s as if someone has pulled a thick curtain over the world.
After dealing with the firewood, I move around to the front porch to make sure everything is secure. The wind has picked up a lot now, making the trees rock back and forth as the sound of thunder rumbles in the distance. Eventhat’snot enough to drown out the thoughts of being back inside with Mags and what the night ahead of us may hold.
