He reached out to take her hands in his own.
Entwining their fingers, Chantel smirked. “I think I proved last night that I’m no angel.”
Pulling her forward, he leaned down, unable to resist, and pressed his lips to hers gently. “And let’s not forget this morning.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Oh, that was you?”
“Oh yes, Chantel.” He dropped his eyes to her plump red lips. “That was me deep, deep inside of you as you screamed my name.”
Letting her head fall back, she basked in the warmth of the sun. “Hmmm, that’s because you set me on fire.”
He wrapped his arms around her waist. “Don’t start that. I want to get down to the river before we lose the light.”
Sighing dramatically, she shook her head. “Fine, Mr. Artiste. Lead the way.”
Taking her hand, he guided her down the small dirt path through the rows of vines. As they rounded the bend, he let go of her and moved forward until he realized that she had stopped.
“You okay?”
Chantel nodded as she tilted her head to the side. “Yellowhammers, right?”
He looked up above them, and sure enough, there were several little birds chirping and jumping through the branches.
“Yes,” he replied, and laughed. “How did you know that?”
Instead of answering him, she just smiled and bent down.
“What are you doing?”
“Taking my sandals off,” she replied as though he should already know this. “I want to feel the grass.” She paused for a moment. “There is grass, right? That day we came down here, I think I remember?—”
“Yes, there’s grass. It’s extremely green and lush right now. There are no stickers, either. Your dainty little feet will be safe.”
He watched as she kicked off her sandals and let her toes sink into the long green blades. Clasping her hands in front of her, she smiled in his direction, and for a moment, he was struck with just how incredibly special she was.
This woman was not only beautiful on the outside, she also had everything good and pure inside of her. Whether through her music or just the way she stood there now guileless, trusting, and serene, she had a way to touch people. In a place so untouched, he couldn’t imagine a better scene to capture her true essence.
“Come,” he said, watching as she moved toward his voice.
With each step she took, she seemed to delight in the grass tickling her toes. She beamed as she moved closer. When she finally reached him, he took the hand that was by her side.
“If we wade out just a little bit, it will be perfect.”
Nodding in agreement, she squeezed his hand and turned, moving toward the water’s edge.
“I went and bought a secondhand violin today,” he told her.
He noticed that she was looking down to where the water was lapping at her bare toes. Giggling, she replied, “Well, that’s good, because I was not going to bring Diva in here with me.”
He couldn’t help but smile as she stood there with her feet in the water and a grin on her face. God, he loved her, and tonight, he was going to ask her to be his forever.
As she ran her nimble fingers through his hair, he closed his eyes and groaned from the pleasure of her touch. Who knew he would ever feel such peace at the hands of another human being? What a gift she had, and each time she touched him, she reminded him of the bond they had with one another, the pull they felt toward each other. When he opened his eyes, he saw that she was staring right back at him almost as though she could see him, and he knew that she felt it too.
Pulling back gently, he ran a hand down her hair. “Are yousureyou don’t mind being in the water?”
She released his hand, and he felt the absence as acutely as he would a missing limb. When her ankles were submerged, she turned back to him and smiled.
“Not in the least.”
