Rhett steps closer to me, wrapping an arm around my waist, and I lean into him instinctively.
“I thought you’d like it,” he says, his voice low. “There’s something about being up here, away from everything, that makes you feel completely free.”
I glance up at him, catching the gleam in his eyes. “You know something. You make everything feel more alive,” I admit, my voice soft. “Even more than the cliffs and the wind and the crashing waves.”
He smiles, brushing his fingers gently over my face. “That’s been the plan all along.”
“I thought the plan was to find a quiet spot …”
A strange expression, pleasure, victory, I can’t tell, crosses his face before he grins wolfishly.
“I was pulling your leg. I’m afraid you’ll have to wait until we get home.”
I smack his arm. “You’ll have to pay for that.”
“You’re going to punish me?”
There is something so sexual in the way he says it that I have to look away. George and I never experimented with anything. It was always just straight sex. Would I like to punish him sexually? I look at him from beneath my lashes. “Do you want me to?”
His eyes gleam. “I’d prefer to punish you, but I’m game for light punishment if that’s what you want.”
Would I like to be punished? I have no idea, but I’d like to try. Light punishment sounds like fun.
We spend a long time at the top of the walkway, walking along the cliff edge, peering down at the foaming waves, and teasing each other about who is braver when it comes to getting close to the edge, who is more likely to lose their balance, and who would survive a fall into the water first. The playful banter is effortless, familiar, and intimate. I find myself laughing more freely than I have in years, the sound echoing across the rocks and waves.
At one point, Rhett takes my hand again, guiding me to a small lookout platform beside the lighthouse.
“Promise me something?” he says, his eyes locking with mine.
“What?” I ask, my heart rate picking up and my breathing quickening. At that moment, I feel like I would promise him anything he asked for.
“Promise me you’ll remember this. This exact moment. Just us, no complications, no expectations, no George or anyone else. Just us, here and now.”
I nod, feeling the thrill of his words, the warmth of his hand, and the electric pull of being so close to him. I don’t want to ruin the moment, but I can’t help it. “I’m pretty sure at least part of that is a Taylor Swift lyric,” I say.
For a moment, Rhett looks surprised, and I hate that I’ve said it, but then he bursts into laughter, and I laugh with him. The moment is ruined, but we are still laughing, and everything is alright in the world.
“You sure know how to ruin a moment,” he says, still laughing.
He goes to move away, but I grab his hand and pull him back into place. It seems important suddenly that I let him know that, despite the joking around, this moment means something to me too.
“I promise,” I whisper, letting myself savor the sensation of being fully present with him.
The wind whips around us, salty and brisk, tugging at my braid, and I close my eyes for a moment, letting the sound of the waves, the height of the cliffs, and the steady warmth of Rhett beside me fill every nerve. I feel exhilarated, alive, untethered in a way that’s rare and wonderful.
He leans closer, brushing his lips lightly against my temple as he speaks. “You’re something else, Pippa,” he murmurs, his voice low and intimate. “I’ve never met anyone like you.”
He rests his forehead against mine, and we stand that way for a moment, just drinking each other in, until the shrill squawk of a seagull reminds us that we’re not the only living things in the world. We break apart suddenly.
We explore the lighthouse grounds, me taking photos, and him teasing me relentlessly. The chemistry between us is effortless, electric, and undeniable. Every touch, every glance, and every playful shove reinforces the tension that’s been building between us since the moment we met. I thought after last night, some of that tension might have drained away because we got the worst of the pent-up desire out of our systems, but if anything, it is stronger now than before.
At one point, I catch Rhett staring at me when he thought I was not looking. Really staring, and I feel a shiver run through me, and the world narrows to just us again, surrounded only by nature, the wind, the waves, the cliffs, and the crazy spark between us. It’s not just in his eyes’ desire. It’s curiosity, admiration, and something dangerously close to … It can’t be. Of course, not. I shake my head, teasing to mask the heat in my chest.
“What now? Are you trying to decide where to hide my body after you murder me?” I ask tartly
He lifts a finger and trails it down my cheek, leaving little sparks of fire on my skin. “I was born to scowl, baby. That was just me, enjoying the view.”
We walk back toward the car slowly, and I can’t stop thinking about how different everything feels with him. How safe yet thrilling, comforting yet unpredictable it is. How impossible it is to want anything more than this moment, and yet how it is also impossible not to want more of him.
