Page 12 of Burning Mountains

Iturned in his arms, looking up into his eyes.ThetendernessIsaw there made my heart ache. "Thankyou for sharing it with me.Ipromise not to geotag it onInstagram."

Slowly, giving me every chance to pull away (as ifIwould, ha!),Axelleaned down and kissed me.Itstarted soft and sweet, but quickly deepened into something more passionate.Iwound my arms around his neck, pressing closer, wanting to memorize every sensation.Itwas like fireworks, butterflies, and possibly a mild cardiac event all rolled into one.

Whenwe finally broke apart, both breathing heavily,Ifelt dizzy with emotion.Axelrested his forehead against mine, his thumbs tracing gentle circles on my hips in a way that was making it very hard to remember my own name.

"Zoe," he said softly, his voice rougher than usual, "Iknow you've got your life inDenver, andIdon't want to pressure you.ButIneed you to know...I'mfalling for you.Hard."

Hiswords sent a thrill through me, but also a pang of anxiety.Ithought about my career, my plans, everythingI'dworked so hard for.ButthenIlooked atAxel, at the vulnerability in his eyes, andIknewIwas in just as deep.

"I'mfalling for you too,"Iwhispered. "Andit scares me.Like, more than the idea of running into a bear whileI'mpeeing in the woods scared."

Axelchuckled, pulling me closer. "Don'tworry,I'llprotect you from the bears.Can'tpromise anything about the squirrels though.They'resneaky little bastards."

6

AXEL

"A

xel,"Zoegasped looking up at all the stars in the night sky, "I'venever seen anything like this!"

Igrinned, "Waittill you see this,"Isaid, grabbing her hand and guiding her into the clearing.

Aswe stumbled into the open space, the ground beneath our feet came alive.Tinybioluminescent insects swarmed around us.

"Howis this even real?" she exclaimed.

Ichuckled, trying to pull her close. "Welcometo my secret garden."

Shelooked up at me. "You'refull of surprises, aren't you?"

Justthen, a meteor streaked across the sky, followed by another, and another.Soon, it looked like the heavens were having a cosmic fireworks display.

"OhmyGod,"Zoebreathed, her grip on my hand tightening.

Westood there, transfixed by the celestial rave above us.Ifound myself stealing glances atZoe, marveling at how she managed to look so sexy an adorable even while awestruck.

"Youknow,"Isaid, "my grandpa used to tell me stories about the stars.Eachconstellation has its own tale, usually involving some poor sap getting turned into an animal because the gods were bored."

Zoeturned to me, her eyes sparkling with a mixture of interest and mockery. "Really?"

Igrinned, pointing up at a random cluster of stars. "Seethat group there?That'stheGreatDumpsterFire.Legendhas it, there was once a brave warrior who fell in love with a woman.Theirlove was forbidden, but they couldn't stay apart.Onenight, as they met in secret, they were discovered.Thewarrior, desperate to protect his love, prayed to the spirits for help.Theyanswered by transforming him into a giant dumpster, strong enough to hide them both.Butthe price was high - he could never return to his human form.Thewoman asked the spirits to transform her too.Thespirits, being the pranksters they were, turned her into a raccoon.Nowshe spends eternity trying to break into her dumpster-lover, while he tries to keep her out.Thosestars are the two lovers, forever playing out their trashy romance across the night sky."

Zoewas quiet for a moment, her face a masterpiece of conflicting emotions. "That's... the most ridiculous thingI'veever heard," she finally managed, before bursting into uncontrollable laughter.

Ishrugged. "Hey, it's not my fault the spirits had a twisted sense of humor."

Sheturned to me, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. "Doyou... do you believe in that kind of love,Axel?Thekind that survives?"

Myheart hammered in my chest.Thiswas it - the momentI'dbeen both longing for and dreading.Itook a deep breath. "Ididn't... used to.Butnow..."

Zoe'seyes widened asItook her hands in mine. "Zoe,Iknow we haven't known each other long, but these past few days... they've changed everything.I'venever felt this way about anyone before.It'slike you've awakened something in me thatIthought was long dead."

Icould see tears glistening in her eyes, and for a moment,IfearedI'dsaid too much.Butthen she smiled. "Oh,Axel," she whispered. "Ifeel it too.It'scrazy and terrifying and wonderful all at once."

Reliefand joy surged through me.BeforeIcould stop myself,Ipulled her close for a kiss.Itwasn't perfect, but then again, neither were we.Andsomehow, that made it all the more magical.

Theworld around us seemed to fade away, the meteor shower forgotten as we lost ourselves in each other.Myhands roamed her body, memorizing every curve and contour.Herskin was soft under my calloused palms.

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