It’s mindblowing how much has changed in my heart since arriving in Indonesia. Every moment away from home haschallenged my perspective and helped me grow in ways I never expected.
As we zig and zag through the streets of Ubud, passing art stalls and yoga studios, restaurants and trendy clothing shops, I feel like an entirely new person. Steven leads us out of town, stopping in the street to let a mama monkey pass, her baby strapped to her chest with a tight hug.
I squeeze Steven’s waist, cooing at the sweet family.
“They remind me of us,” he says, turning to look at me through his visor.
“Aww.” I purse my lips. “I thought the same thing about those two.”
I point out a pair of monkeys in the tree line going at each other like they’re starring on the Discovery channel. Steven howls as we take off, leaving the family of misfit monkeys behind.
When he finally pulls off the road, it’s like we’ve been swallowed by the jungle. The heat is oppressive, sticking to my skin. My hair is already sweaty from the helmet and I ache for the sea breeze I’ve grown so used to.
But the grin on Steven’s face is a jolt of adrenaline. He loves showing me the hidden gems he’s uncovered, as if he wants me to understand why he fell in love with this country. It’s almost like he’s trying to convince me to stay. The thought makes me tingly all over.
“It’s the perfect day for it. Make sure to drink a lot of water.” The way he fusses over me makes my chest warm and I have to fight back a smile.
I obediently take a swig from one of the giant bottles he bought at the Alfamart and we approach the trail head—just a small gapin the trees. There’s no ticket booth, no sign, and the parking lot is more of a dirt clearing.
“You haven’t been to this waterfall yet, right?” he asks.
“No,” I snort. “How do you even know there’s one here?”
“A friend told me about it.” He smiles and adjusts the straps on his bag as we fall into a comfortable pace. Of course someone told Steven about a secret waterfall. When he isn’t being grumpy and standoffish, he has the kind of magnetism that makes you want to trust him. No one is immune.
“I’ve seen a lot of waterfalls on this trip, but I don’t think I could ever get sick of them.”
“Good, because this one is really special.”
Almost an hour later, sweaty and breathing hard but in high spirits, we emerge from the bush beneath a rocky outcrop. We’ve been following the river and a slowly growing roar, but I’m blown away by the reveal of a massive waterfall. Cool, refreshing air blasts our faces as I take in the glistening crystal pool.
My jaw drops. Steven’s watching me, as always.
“It’s huge and it’sempty,” I shout, spreading my arms wide and enjoying the spray of water droplets on my hot skin. I’ve seen other beautiful waterfalls on my trip, but they were full of tourists, photographers, and lines of people waiting for the perfect shot.
“Can we go in?” I ask, pulling off my shoes to dip my toes in the clear, blue pool surrounding the falls.
“Of course,” he nods, stepping out of his flip flops. “I didn’t bring my swimmers. Thought since we weren’t on the island…”
I haven’t brought my bathing suit either, but there’s no way I’m passing up the opportunity to touch this powerful natural phenomenon.
“Does this place usually get busier?” I ask, raising one eyebrow.
“It’s always been empty when I’ve been here.” He holds my gaze with a smirk.
“Great!” I pull my shirt over my head, unhooking my bra and tossing it onto my bag. He matches me, then pulls me by my belt loops and crouches down. He kisses beneath my belly button, making me squirm before he pulls my shorts down.
When he catches my gaze, his face is inches from my underwear and my aching core beneath. “Step out,” he says, and it takes a moment for my mind to get out of the gutter and register the words.
I lift my ankles one at a time as he removes my shorts, drawing out the moment before he lays me bare. The sun is shining through the canopy of trees, but between the cool air and the anticipation, my nipples are hard as rocks.
He finally hooks a finger into each side and slowly drags my panties off. He’s so close, I can feel his hot breath on my thighs, making me tremble. I grow taut with expectation, my body tingling and tense, until I’m completely naked and his eyes are raking over me like hot coals.
In one motion, he stands, picks me up, then throws me bodily into the pool. Cold water splashes, jabbing like pins and needles and washing all traces of horniness from my mind.
I resurface with a gasp, wipe the water from my eyes, and struggle to look stern while I fight back the laughter that has me in a chokehold.
Before I can muster any words, Steven’s naked and diving in beside me. He takes me into his warm arms and even though he just threw me in, my legs instinctively wrap around his waist and I cuddle up to him for warmth.
