Sex with her ex had never been classified as anything more than vanilla, but that didn’t mean Ria didn’t occasionally read a romance novel that made her curious about taking things to another level.Something about Lissa made her want to explore those possibilities a little deeper.
Lissa’s eyes widened, and a little smirk spread across her face.“My, my, little witch, there’s a bit of a wild side to you, isn’t there?A little kinky hidden under those tight, button-down blouses you wear?”
“You know what they say,” Ria said, running a finger over Lissa’s collarbone and down into her ample cleavage.“The more composed on the outside, the naughtier on the inside.”
Lissa’s hazel eyes darkened, and she leaned in close to Ria’s ear.“I’m going to hold you to that.”Then she grabbed Ria’s hand and dragged her down the path.
Ria let herself be pulled along, pleased whatever had been bothering Lissa before seemed to have dissipated.With the spell no longer hanging between them, there was no reason for them to be anything but happy.
Right?
Thetrailwasactuallyfairly short, something Ria was immensely grateful for, given her lack of hiking boots or anything remotely appropriate for trekking through the woods.Maybe five minutes after they started, Ria saw sunlight poking through the branches up ahead.The sound of gentle waves filtered through the forest, and she perked up, whirling on Lissa.
“Are we at the coast?”
“You could say that,” Lissa replied coyly, moving ahead to hold back another large branch.She swept a hand out grandly.“Sangria Christmas Lewis, welcome to Secret Beach.”
Ria stepped past Lissa and stumbled at the sight before her.Lissa gripped her from behind so she remained upright, but she couldn’t even form words to say a thank-you, she was so entranced by the sight before her.
Ria had heard about Secret Beach in passing.In fact, most coastal Oregonians knew about its existence, but due to its remote location and difficult access, few actually sought it out, and it wasn’t in any guidebooks.Ria wanted to kick herself for not investigating it sooner.
They emerged at the top of a small rock outcropping that jutted out over the water, and off to the left a rather treacherous-looking trail wound down the steep slope toward an enclosed, pristine beach.Surrounded on all sides by tall rock faces, the sand remained untouched by any human presence—no footsteps, no remnants of sandcastles, no trash littered about—a perfect little cove hidden away from the world with clear blue waves lapping softly at the glistening sand.
Ria felt Lissa’s hand land on her shoulder, but she couldn’t stop staring at the natural beauty surrounding her.The Oregon Coast was always gorgeous but this… This was next level.At some point, Lissa must have dragged her through a wormhole, and they popped out on a remote island in Fiji.
“Do you like it?”Lissa whispered into her ear.
Ria shook her head.“No.Likedoesn’t even come close to describing it.This isincredible, Lissa.”She finally pulled herself away from the ocean to twist around in Lissa’s grasp.Leaning forward, she pressed her forehead to Lissa’s.“Thank you for bringing me here.”
Lissa kissed Ria on the temple and pulled away.“If this is how you react to seeing the beach, I can’t wait until you see what else I have planned.”
“There’s more?”Ria squeaked, wondering what could possibly make the day even better.
“Right this way,” Lissa said with a wink, pulling Ria toward the edge of the cliff.
“Wait, isn’t the trail down to the beach back there?”Ria asked, tossing a longing glance back toward the rocky path that led down to the sand.
“That’s one way,” Lissa replied.
“Umm… I kind of think it’s the only way,” Ria protested as they reached the edge, and she glanced down at the long drop below them.
“Not quite,” Lissa replied, removing the backpack and pulling off her shirt to reveal a pink bikini top that matched her hair color.
Ria was so focused on the large breasts practically spilling out of the bathing suit she missed whatever Lissa said next.“I’m sorry,” she apologized, shaking off the thick cloud of lust that had settled over her.“What did you say?”
Bending over to untie her shoes, Lissa replied, “I said, it’s time we lived a little.You told me you wanted to be more adventurous, right?Here’s your chance.”
Ria glanced from Lissa to the deep blue ocean below.“I’m sorry, but you want me to jump?Like, fling my body over the edge and hope I survive?That kind of jump?”
“I do, yes,” Lissa said, pulling off her shorts.“We can come back for our stuff later.I’ve got a picnic lunch packed in here, but I want to show you something first.”
Ria arched an eyebrow.“Something that requires me to leap off a cliff like a crazy person into freezing water?”
“Technically, we could get there by going down to the beach and swimming around,” Lissa admitted, “but where’s the fun in that?And it’s notascold during the day with the sun shining.Come on, little witch.Surely part of you wants to throw caution to the wind?”
Chamomile, Chickweed, Chicory…
Who was Ria kidding?She could recite every known herb backward and forward, and it wouldn’t be enough to calm the fear that ratcheted through her every time she glanced over the edge.“And it’s safe?”she asked hesitantly, shocked that she was even considering it.
