Page 93 of True Abandon

“I got you,” he says, pulling me into a bear hug. “Breathe, Trish. Just breathe.”

He takes deep breaths. They’re steady and long. Mine are short and come out in pants.

His chest pushes mine in and draws it out. His hands caress my back and create a cocoon of safety. I take a shaky gasp of air, and slowly, my rhythm runs steadily with his.

I bury my head into his neck and breathe in the heavenly scent, becoming enraptured in all things Jackson Davis—calming me.

We stand here for a while, Jax not letting me go and me not wanting to be without him. I run my hand over the ridges of his back. His skin feels so smooth over the muscle. The coarse hair on his jaw tickles my neck, and I move around to avoid the goosebumps it’s giving me.

Leaning back, I look up at him. Our arms are still entertained. “I’m okay.”

“Good,” he sounds relieved.

Taking my hand, he looks over the cliff and then at the tree that leans out. Tied onto the large limb is a rope. The end is weighted and sitting on the edge of the cliff.

He points to it. “I wanted to jump together, but if you’re this nervous, I’m afraid you won’t jump out far enough. This may be an easier way for you to get down.”

I inspect the thick, braided strands of the rope. I like the idea of having something to grab onto.

I nod my head.

Still holding onto my hand, he gives it a squeeze. He stands tall, chest out and chin up as he looks out at the tops of the nearby trees and up to the rest that are even taller than we are.

“Look at how beautiful this is.” His voice is in incredible awe, the caramel lighting up with a golden hue from the proud sun.

He’s right.

The view is positively stunning.

I’ve come here before with Lani, but only for a swim and then we continued hiking. I’ve never stood near the top of a waterfall and seen the view. I shift my gaze to the waterfall that is on the other side of the lagoon. There’s a current at the top, rushing toward the edge, unable to stop. As the water falls, it’s violent and powerful and with a force that is uncontrollable. Yet, at the bottom, in the pool of water that sits at the base, lies a serene place of rest where the water can finally just exist for the pleasure of enjoyment.

While the view is beautiful, I feel very much like a baby bird in it’s nest conjuring up the nerve to take my first flight.

Jax releases my hand and faces me. His lips part as he leans in to brush a stray hair that fell out of my braid off the side of my face, tucking it behind my ear. His hand remains on my face, and I absentmindedly fall into it.

His other hand lands on my hip and rests there gently. My stomach drops in a good way.

His eyes soften and the way he’s looking at me, a way no one ever has, ever could, has me swallowing hard.

“You ready?” he asks.

“You go first.” I push him toward the edge.

He looks unsure. “Really?”

I nod my head quickly.

He runs his thumb along the inside of my palm before letting go of my hand. With two arms firm on the rope, he steps back and the runs straight-forward, kicking off the cliff and flying into the air.

When he’s far out over the water, he lets go and does a flip in the sky before diving into the lagoon.

The rope swings back toward me, so I catch it and look down to make sure he’s okay.

When his head pops through the water, his hand pushes his hair back, and I let out a large sigh of relief.

He wades, waiting for me to jump. “Come on, baby. Grab on and let it pull you.”

I have two hands firm on the rope. It’s rough and corded and doing absolutely nothing for my feet that feel like they’re cemented to the ground.