“You ready?” he asks. He seems… distracted.
“Yep.” I follow him outside, zipping up my jacket against the cold.
I take a second to give him a once over. He’s wearing dark jeans, an off-white Henley shirt, and a cobalt blue jacket. He’s also nearly vibrating with a restless kind of energy that keeps his eyes on the horizon. They rove around the countryside as we stroll, looking everywhere but where I’m at.
Ah, that’s it. He’s trying not to look at me. I suppose I should do the same, then.
I stuff my hands into the pockets of my jacket, looking around me. We walk up the steep cobblestone road, emerging onto a road outside of the village pretty quickly. On either side of the road is thegreenest pasture land, contrasting with the seemingly endless skies, a fat swath of white just barely tinged with blue.
We start veering left; in the distance I can see the shore of the land looming near. As we walk, the road only grows steeper. We don’t have to talk; we each struggle to draw in breath as we continue to climb. I can’t help but sneak looks at Stellan.
Two spots of red ride high in his cheeks. His dark hair ruffles in a gust of wind. He’s handsome and brooding and everything I never thought I would want.
Stellan eventually notices me looking at him.
“It’s not much farther,” he says gruffly. “I promise.”
I merely shrug, stuffing a quip about how he always keeps his promises deep down inside myself. He turns out to be right, though. As he leads me up a little hill, I can hear the water rushing. It gets louder with every step I take, though I can’t see the source of it at all.
We are getting closer and closer to where the land drops off dramatically, ending on a cliff that overlooks the dark blue, restless sea. Close enough that I can feel the salt spray in the air, feel the rush of the air whipping around my face. By the time I see the waterfall, I’m right on top of it.
Right on the edge of the cliff.
I lean over to look at the waterfall as it spits torrents down the craggy cliff face to fall into the ocean. Stellan pulls me back, his hand gripping my upper arm. “Careful.”
Frowning at him, I shake off his hold on me. “I’m fine.”
Heading along the edge of the cliff, I find a spot with a full view of the waterfall. It’s majestic if a little loud. Then I sit down, dangling my feet over the edge.
Stellan comes to sit beside me, squinting at the horizon. “It’s beautiful out here,” he murmurs.
I glance at him, at how close he is. His hand nearly touches mine; our thighs are only a few inches apart.
I wish he were closer. Why do I spend so much time longing for this man? I could pick anyone else to have this terrible crush on… but I pick the one person who can’t return my affections.
What does that say about me?
He turns and looks at me, his ice blue eyes actually making my heart skip a beat. His gaze drops to my lips, then he heaves a sigh.
“What am I doing, Margot?” he asks. “Why is there this… this heat between us?”
Blushing a little, I duck my head. “I don’t know,” I admit. “But I feel it too.”
He blows out a slow breath. “I like you.”
Wrinkling up my face, I nod. “I know.”
He looks at me, a little surprised. “You do?”
I roll my eyes, a smile on my lips. “Yes. Something about all the kissing tipped me off to the fact that you might have feelings of some kind for me.”
He squints at me. “I am so fucking tired of all the expectations that are heaped on me. I just…”
I cut him off with a kiss. Stellan brings up his hand and cups my jaw, returning my kiss with a passion and a vigor that surprises me. I slide my hand around his neck and bury it in his short hair.
The entire time he’s touching me, my whole body is awakening. Tingling, flashing hot, aching. He finds the seam of my mouth. I open to him eagerly, unable to bridle my reaction. His tongue sweeps the inside of my mouth and dances with mine.
He tastes like the way I imagine the earth feels rightafter a rainstorm; fresh, sharp, wet, and clean. I moan into his mouth as he pushes me down onto the ground, his mouth leaving mine to trail kisses down my jaw.
