And when his gaze dropped to my mouth, I noticed drops of water clinging to his lashes.
I felt the subtle shift of his body as he adjusted his footing, the flex of muscle beneath me. It was intimate. Consuming.
We were close. So close.
Then—
He touched his mouth to the corner of mine. Tentative. Testing.
I turned, just enough?—
I kissed him.
He kissed me.
Even in the cold, I melted into him like butter on a skillet.
He drew back a little, and I could feel the hitch in his breath. “I didn’t plan this.” His voice was gravelly.
“I know,” I said, just staring back at him.
And then he leaned in again, slower this time. Deeper.
His mouth moved against mine like he was memorizing the shape of it. Like he’d been holding back and finally let go.
My fingers slid into his wet hair, and the sound of the falls disappeared.
There was just him.
Just this.
I kissed him back like my life depended on it.
And in that moment, I didn’t want it to stop.
Ever.
CHECK THAT OFF THE BUCKET LIST
Unfortunately, kissing in ice-cold water forever…wasn’t exactly practical.
As much as I wanted to keep going—God, did I want to keep going—my limbs were starting to go numb. Both of us were shivering more violently by the second, and although some of it was from the explosive combination of adrenaline and attraction, not all of it was.
A significant part of it was due to the cold.
I’d always thought kissing under a waterfall sounded super romantic, but when it came down to the actual logistics, and the fact that this water was essentially just melted snow…
“I need to get you out of this water.” Noah’s mouth moved against mine. I was literally wrapped around him, trying to absorb as much warmth as I could.
“Y-y-y-yeah…” But I didn’t let go.
Noah groaned, but I could feel us moving, his arms shifting under me, walking us slowly through the shallows like I weighed nothing.
But even when I dropped my feet from around his waist, standing on my own, I didn’t let go. I wasn’t ready yet. I needed...
“A little more…” Did I really say that out loud?
No hesitation. His mouth was on mine again.
