“Secret Cave?Seriously?”
Running a hand along the cave wall, Lissa shrugged.“I actually have no idea what it’s called, or if it even has a name.There’s a lot of these little hidden caves along the coast.You just have to know how to find them and when to go.I’d say we have about an hour or so before we need to leave.When the tide changes, this place fills with water, and it comes in fast and heavy.”
The danger of the situation did nothing to help Ria’s pounding pulse, but she didn’t mind.She actually found herself enjoying the extra adrenaline kick.Damn, this woman was awakening all sorts of new things Ria never knew were sleeping inside her.
“Well, it’s gorgeous,” she said, climbing to her feet.“What’s inside?”
“Not much,” Lissa replied.“A few tide pools that are often filled with some fun critters like starfish and anemones, buuut…” She dragged out the word as she placed her hands on Ria’s shoulders and guided her past the small pools.“There’s also this.”
Ria stared down at the bubbling pool at her feet.It wasn’t massive, similar in size to a large hotel jacuzzi, but the little bursts of water had her on her knees in seconds to get a closer look.The dim light from the cave entrance provided enough illumination to make out that the center depth of the pool was far deeper than it was around the rim.
“What is it?”she asked, dipping her hand into the water, surprised to find the temperature was much warmer than the ocean behind her.
Lissa crouched down beside her.“You’ve heard of Devil’s Punch Bowl, yeah?”
“Of course.Every Oregonian has been there.”
“Well this is like a tiny little hidden version,” Lissa said, running her hand over the rippling surface.“I’m not sure exactly how it works, but I think it’s like a hollow tube underneath that pushes up the water in mini geysers every so often.Pretty cool, huh?”
“That’s putting it mildly,” Ria replied, laughing when an unexpected burst tossed a spray of sea water over her face.“Is it safe to get in?”
“Yeah,” Lissa said, dropping down into the pool.“There’s a bit of a ledge here you can sit on.Just stay off to the sides and avoid the middle where the water shoots up.”
Ria eased down beside Lissa, her butt finding the natural bench.“Why is it warmer than out in the ocean?”
“Beats me,” Lissa replied, resting her arm around Ria’s shoulder.“I wish I could spout off some scientific explanation and impress you, but the truth is I got nothin’.”
There was something about her tone that had Ria studying Lissa’s face, noting all the things that shouldn’t be there.The hint of uncertainty, the frantic way she ran her tongue over her lip piercing, the tapping of her fingers on the lip of the pool.Why was she so nervous?
Shucking off the arm around her shoulder, Ria crawled onto Lissa’s lap, settling her thighs on either side of Lissa’s legs.“You don’t need to impress me; you know that, right?”
Lissa glanced away, refusing to meet Ria’s gaze.
“Hey,” Ria said, cupping Lissa’s face with both hands and pulling Lissa’s attention back to her.“I’m serious.The sea lions, all of this… It’s all been so wonderful, but you don’tneedany of it.I’m impressed just by being around you.By your spirit and the way you embrace life.I…”
Ria knew what she wanted to say, but the words caught in her throat.The last person she’d said those words to cheated on her, and ever since, they’d remained locked away, not even remotely interested in coming out to play again.There was something about Lissa, though, that coaxed them out of hiding and brought them into the light.
“Lissa, I… I think I might be in love with you.”
As soon as the words were out, Ria wanted to snatch them from the air and bring them back, lock them inside again.Too soon.It was way too soon to say it.Too soon tofeelit.And yet…she couldn’t deny the emotions swirling inside her.She’d tried so hard not to fall for Lissa and failed magnificently.She shouldn’t be surprised.She failed at most things after all.She just hoped this was the first time her failure would be a good thing.
Staring into Lissa’s eyes, she wished there was more light in the cave.She wanted to see every detail of what was playing out across Lissa’s face as the words hung between them, and Ria waited for what felt like an eternity for Lissa to respond.
When she finally did, Ria regretted her declaration even more.
“Don’t,” Lissa said quietly.“Don’t love me, Ria.There’s so much about me you don’t know.”
Something painful churned in Ria at the response.She didn’t know what she had expected Lissa to say.Okay, lies, she knew exactly what shehopedLissa would say, and it definitely wasn’t that.
“What are you talking about?”Ria asked, swallowing down her pride that begged her to let it go and pretend she’d never said anything.“I know everything about you, Lissa.I know how you fiddle with your lip piercing when you’re nervous, even though you’re scared it’s damaging your teeth, but you can’t help it.I know all the different smiles and laughs you have, depending on whether or not you find something genuinely funny or you’re just being polite.I know you act like Daria letting herself into your home to steal your coffee is annoying, but really it makes you secretly happy she’s comfortable enough with you to do that.I know how you always put other people’s wants before your own because you struggle with needing to feel valued after your parents made you feel unimportant.I see all of you, Lissa.Everything that makes you so special and incredible.How could I not fall in love with someone like that?”
Leaning forward, Ria captured Lissa’s mouth with her own before Lissa could respond, because she also knew Lissa would argue with her if she didn’t.She would try to devalue Ria’s love.For as confident as Lissa was about everything else, Ria had never met someone who was so scared of their own innate worth.She loved this woman.She was completely and utterlyin lovewith this woman, and she wouldn’t listen to a single negative thing about Lissa.Not even if it came from Lissa herself.Especiallywhen it came from Lissa herself.
Ria needed to make Lissa understand how much she cared about her, and if words weren’t enough, that only left actions.
Moving away from Lissa’s lips, Ria peppered kisses along the column of Lissa’s throat.“I love you, Lissa.Now let me show you just how much.”Ria slipped a hand inside Lissa’s bikini bottoms and nipped at the shell of Lissa’s ear.
“I’m going to fuck you until you feel every ounce of my love.”
