Every so often, Sin asks me what I’m feeling, and luckily for me, getting lost in a book means I get to escape from my own mind, so I don’t feel much of anything other than inner peace.
Truly, guided mediations have nothing on smut.
When the sun finally sets, Sin stretches up, using his fist to crack his neck. The sound makes me cringe.
“Alright, let’s go,” he says, offering me his hand.
I cock my head at him, not moving from my cozy blanket.
“I want to show you something,” he says before scooping me up off the couch, blanket and all.
A startled yelp leaves my mouth just as he apparates us out of the room. We land a moment later, near the cliffs I climbed on one of my first nights here. Only now, we’re a bit further out from the forest.
“To clarify, I don’t think free climbing is a fun activity,” I note, and Sin’s mouth twitches in one corner like he wants to laugh again.
“We aren’t climbing. We’re going to one of my favorite places,” he clarifies, setting me down.
The air outside is warm, and I fold the blanket over my arm as Sin guides me forward, his hand resting on the small of my back. We don’t walk for long before we stop at a small outcrop of rock. I’m about to tease him about his choice of destination when I realize there’s a large crack in the cliff. The opening is large enough to walk through, but the moonlight isn’t strong enough to see where it leads.
A slight pang of claustrophobia hits me, and I stop dead in my tracks.
“It’s okay. We just walked to the tunnel for added effect. I won’t make you walk through it,” Sin reassures me, and I melt a little more.
Such a goner.
My feet leave the ground again, and we apparate over to the other side. The ground feels less steady now, and I look down to find we’re standing on sand.
Tentatively, I turn to see where he’s brought us. My breath catches in my throat, and I freeze to take it in. There’s just enough moonlight to reflect off the soft waves of a cove. The area is entirely sheltered by the cliffs surrounding it, making it feel like a secret oasis.
Sin’s warmth is at my back as he leans close to whisper in my ear, “Do you like it?”
I look up at him as I answer, his face only inches from mine, “I love it. Thank you for bringing me here.”
He smiles and gives me a gentle push, urging me forward. I take off running in the sand, trying to kick off my boots as I head for the water.
Once my feet are free, I skip to the water, doing a small happy dance in the shallow area.
Quietly, Sin follows me before crouching down to place a hand in the water. I pause my splashing to watch as his power flares to life. With it, millions of tiny red lights appear in the water.
My eyes widen in wonder, and he moves back from the water, smiling softly. “They’re bioluminescent plankton. I used my power to make them happy, and it causes them to glow.”
The red glow spreads under the waters, swirling along the waves. Looking down, I notice they’re also around my feet, and I hesitate to move. “Is it safe?”
He nods before backing up another step to sit in the sand. “They won’t hurt you. And the glow will wear off when we leave.”
I walk a few more steps along the shore, transfixed by the ethereal beauty of the lights, before turning to look back at Sin.
He’s smiling as he watches me, evidently pleased that I like his happy place.
I’m struck by how handsome he looks when he isn’t scowling at me. Warmth floods me as I take him in, remembering how he touched me this morning.
“What are you feeling, kitten?” he asks, his voice low, as he unlaces his boots.
My entire body is probably blushing, but I push past the embarrassment. “I’m feeling… hot. I’m thinking about you touching me.”
At my confession, Sin’s hands freeze, his eyes locked on mine. His gaze is heated, and it causes goosebumps to erupt over my skin.
“Are you asking me to touch you again, kitten?” he growls.
