Even though we’re absolutely not,she reminded herself firmly. Nothing that would get them thrown off the island in disgrace, like a failedSurvivorcompetitor.
And besides which, the view is pretty nice here,she had to admit, raising an eyebrow as she appreciated Rhys’s rear end as he climbed the steps in front of her, carrying the absolutelyludicrouslysized hamper of food as if it weighed nothing at all. He was barely even breaking a sweat, despite the humidity, the walking, and how much that thing must weigh.
I wonder if that has to do with him being a shifter,Maisie thought. It had to come with some perks other than just turning into a griffin, right? She really had so many things she wanted toask him, but everything had been in such a whirl for the last day or so that somehow, the moment had never seemed quite right.
But clearly, he’d healed up from his bullet wounds in no time – there was no sign he’d ever been shot at all right now. Just the fact he was up and walking around at all was proof enough of that, let alone everything else.
As tempting as it was to just keep staring at Rhys’s arse and not ask any questions, eventually Maisie felt she had to say, “Uh, Rhys? You mentioned we were going swimming, but I really can’t help but notice we’re kind of going up a mountain right now.”
And they really were – the scenery was beautiful, lush and green, with tall hoop pines breaking through the canopy of the other trees. She could hear bird calls, and in the shade it was a lot less warm and humid than it had been at the resort. But still, it wasn’t really swimming.
“I promise we’ll get there,” Rhys said over his shoulder, flashing her a grin.
Ugh. I can’t really argue with him when he does that,Maisie thought, as her legs, stomach, and brain turned to jelly.That grin will be the death of me.
She kept following him, until finally the path flattened out and then plateaued, leading to what seemed to be a lookout platform.
The view was stunning – the lookout faced away from the resort area and over the other side of the island, where the mountains hadn’t been built on and all there was as far as the eye could see was the vivid green of the forests and the endless blue stretch of the sky. In the distance, she could see the sparkle of the sun on the ocean, a brilliant aquamarine color that Maisie had been sure didn’t actually exist outside of tourism brochures.
“Wow,” she murmured as she gazed out over the view. “This is incredible.”
“Yeah.” Rhys put down the hamper, and turned to her. “And it looks like we’re the only ones here as well. We have the place to ourselves.”
“That’s for sure.”
Maisie was shocked at how secluded this place felt, considering there was a crowded resort not a twenty-minute walk down the mountain. Here, everything was green, shady, and silent, aside from the sounds of the birds calling to each other as they flitted between the trees.
“Is there like… a water hole around here or something like that? Are we allowed into it?” Maisie asked, as she glanced around. “I mean, itisgorgeous, but why did you ask me to bring my swimmers?”
“Well… I just thought it might be nice for us to get some time somewhere a little quieter than the resort, nice though it is,” Rhys said, rolling his shoulders. “Somewhere a little more peaceful.”
Maisie raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”
Rhys nodded, then cocked his head. “You’re not afraid of heights, are you?”
Frowning, Maisie looked at him. “Uh, no? I don’t think so, anyway. Why? Where are you –” Suddenly, the look Rhys was giving her, and the memory that his griffin form had wings, came together in her mind. “Wait,” she said, holding up her hands. “Wait. Now, just hang on a moment. Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?”
“I might be.” Rhys grinned. “Well, what do you say? Fancy a little fly out to our own private island?”
Maisie shook her head – even as her mind immediately screechedYes!
“Fly?” she asked. “Okay, you’re really being serious right now. You’re – you’re saying you’re going to shift into your griffin form, and I’m going to… what?Rideyou?”
“If you don’t object,” Rhys said. “I would never, ever let you fall, Maisie. You can be sure of that.”
Maisie knew, somehow, that she could believe him, but still –really?!
“What if someone sees?” she asked.
“Well… they might,” Rhys admitted, but he didn’t look very put off by the idea. “But look – we’re pretty isolated out here. This side of the island doesn’t have anything on it, and once we’re out over the ocean I’ll fly high enough that it’s really unlikely anyone will see us.”
Maisie stared at him. “What do you meanhigh enough that no one will see us?”
She really hadn’t been lying when she’d said she wasn’t afraid of heights, but she’d more meant things like climbing up a ladder or looking down from the balcony of a tall building. She hadn’t meant… well, flying around on a griffin’s back over the ocean!
“It’s safe, I promise,” Rhys said, his voice filled with sincerity. “We might be high up, but I know what I’m doing.”
“I don’t doubt that,” Maisie said, and really, she didn’t. Part of her really wanted to just jump into Rhys’s arms and screamYes! Sweep me off my feet!!But the rest of her was asking if this wasreallyabout to happen right now. “Are you sure about this?”
