Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 86068 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86068 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
I laugh and loop my arm through his as we start to climb the short path to the top. “Romance, huh? Are you promising me romance now too?”
“You’ll just have to wait and see,” he says, letting his gaze linger on my face.
I giggle and feel that same heat, the same pull, the same dangerous spark I felt last night.
As we reach the top of the path, the ocean stretches endlessly beyond us. We look out over the cliffs, appreciating the view, the solitude, the sense of being completely removed from the chaos of the city. And when I finally turn to him, I catch that gleam in his eyes, the one that says he’s already plotting to keep me on my toes, to tease me, to challenge me. An image of George comes into my head, but I push it away firmly. I realize that for all the complications Rhett represents, this moment, this connection, is exactly what I want.
And I’m not about to let anyone, not even George, ruin it.
“This is amazing,” I murmur. The wind whips my jacket around me, and I am glad I put my hair up in a braid today. It’s nice to have my lip gloss on my lips, not smeared across my cheeks and stuck in my hair. “I’ve never been anywhere like this before.”
Rhett steps closer to me, wrapping an arm around my waist, and I lean into him instinctively.
“I thought you’d like it,” he says, his voice low. “There’s something about being up here, away from everything, that makes you feel completely free.”
I glance up at him, catching the gleam in his eyes. “You know something. You make everything feel more alive,” I admit, my voice soft. “Even more than the cliffs and the wind and the crashing waves.”
He smiles, brushing his fingers gently over my face. “That’s been the plan all along.”
“I thought the plan was to find a quiet spot …”
A strange expression, pleasure, victory, I can’t tell, crosses his face before he grins wolfishly.
“I was pulling your leg. I’m afraid you’ll have to wait until we get home.”
I smack his arm. “You’ll have to pay for that.”
“You’re going to punish me?”
There is something so sexual in the way he says it that I have to look away. George and I never experimented with anything. It was always just straight sex. Would I like to punish him sexually? I look at him from beneath my lashes. “Do you want me to?”
His eyes gleam. “I’d prefer to punish you, but I’m game for light punishment if that’s what you want.”
Would I like to be punished? I have no idea, but I’d like to try. Light punishment sounds like fun.
We spend a long time at the top of the walkway, walking along the cliff edge, peering down at the foaming waves, and teasing each other about who is braver when it comes to getting close to the edge, who is more likely to lose their balance, and who would survive a fall into the water first. The playful banter is effortless, familiar, and intimate. I find myself laughing more freely than I have in years, the sound echoing across the rocks and waves.
At one point, Rhett takes my hand again, guiding me to a small lookout platform beside the lighthouse.
“Promise me something?” he says, his eyes locking with mine.
“What?” I ask, my heart rate picking up and my breathing quickening. At that moment, I feel like I would promise him anything he asked for.
“Promise me you’ll remember this. This exact moment. Just us, no complications, no expectations, no George or anyone else. Just us, here and now.”
I nod, feeling the thrill of his words, the warmth of his hand, and the electric pull of being so close to him. I don’t want to ruin the moment, but I can’t help it. “I’m pretty sure at least part of that is a Taylor Swift lyric,” I say.
For a moment, Rhett looks surprised, and I hate that I’ve said it, but then he bursts into laughter, and I laugh with him. The moment is ruined, but we are still laughing, and everything is alright in the world.
“You sure know how to ruin a moment,” he says, still laughing.
He goes to move away, but I grab his hand and pull him back into place. It seems important suddenly that I let him know that, despite the joking around, this moment means something to me too.
“I promise,” I whisper, letting myself savor the sensation of being fully present with him.
The wind whips around us, salty and brisk, tugging at my braid, and I close my eyes for a moment, letting the sound of the waves, the height of the cliffs, and the steady warmth of Rhett beside me fill every nerve. I feel exhilarated, alive, untethered in a way that’s rare and wonderful.