Page 57 of Saddle and Bound

"So, cowboy, are you ready for the race?" she challenges me with a mischievous smile.

I try to focus, to push away the thoughts that distract me. "Always ready, princess," I respond, trying to mask my turmoil with a playful tone.

We swim together, our laughter echoing in the air. Every now and then, I can't help but glance at Rosie. She's so full of life, so spontaneous. She makes me feel alive like I haven't felt in a long time. Every smile, every gesture makes me want to know her even more, to understand every nuance of her being.

When we finally reach the waterfall, I pause for a moment to observe the landscape. The falling water creates a relaxing melody, and the sun filtering through the tree leaves creates patterns of light on the water. But none of this can compete with Rosie's beauty, with her smile that illuminates everything around her.

"It's incredible here," she says, her eyes sparkling with wonder.

"Yes, it is," I respond, but my eyes are fixed on her, not the landscape. She seems to notice, blushing slightly.

"Stop looking at me like that," she says laughing, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"I can't help it," I respond honestly. "You're... you're incredible, Rosie."The words escape my lips before I can stop them. Yet, I can’t bring myself to regret it. Someone needs to remind this breathtaking woman just how remarkable she is. Judging by the way her eyes widen, the way she momentarily freezes, it’s clear she doesn’t hear it nearly as often as she should. The urge to tell her again, to make her see herself the way I do, swells in my chest. I want to say it a thousand more times, to burn the truth of her worth into her soul. But I hold back, not wanting to push too far, not wanting to risk losing this fragile moment.

She looks at me for a moment, surprised by my words. Then she smiles, and that smile hits me like a punch to the stomach. It's a smile full of warmth, of sweetness. It's the smile of someone who is happy, genuinely happy.

"Thank you, Alex," she says softly.

God.

It’s enough to drive me wild when she calls me “cowboy” with that playful, teasing edge in her voice—but when she says my name? It’s game over. My knees go weak, my pulse pounds, and I’m seconds away from losing it entirely. Hell, I’d willingly drop to my knees for her, surrendering completely. And the things I’d do from that position… things so sinful they’d make the devil blush.

I move closer to her, feeling an ever-stronger connection between us. The urge to kiss her is almost irresistible, but I know I must resist. I can't afford any missteps, I don't want to make mistakes. But perhaps it's time to bring some clarity and talk a bit explicitly with her.

I move even closer. I can feel her quickened breath, see the slight trembling of her lips. The waterfall continues to fall behind us, creating a natural curtain that isolates us from the rest of the world.

"May I..." I whisper, raising a hand to brush her face.

She nods almost imperceptibly, her eyes fixed on mine. I place my hand gently on her face, my fingers brushing against her soft skin, savoring every second of the touch. It's almost too much. God... I’m in deep.

I don’t push it further. Maybe I’m a coward, or maybe I’m terrified of what might happen if I cross that line. But here I am, mesmerized by her beauty, lost in the sheer thrill of just holding her face in my hands.

I see her inhale, and for a split second, I consider pulling away, afraid I might be pushing her too far. But then she leans into me, her lips brushing mine in a kiss that sends a jolt through every part of me.

When our lips meet, it's as if everything else vanishes. The kiss is sweet, gentle, almost shy at first. Her lips are soft and have a slight taste of fresh water. I feel her tremble slightly as my hands caress her face, and her body draws closer to mine in the water.

The moment is perfect: the water flowing around us, the sound of the waterfall in the background, and Rosie in my arms, right where she seems to belong.

The sweet kiss slowly transforms. It begins with a deeper caress of my lips on hers, a touch that becomes bolder, more confident. Her breathing becomes faster, and I feel it vibrate against my mouth. My hands slide down, leaving her face to stop at her neck, feeling her heartbeat quicken under my grip. Rosie responds with a sigh that makes me lose all inhibition. Her hands climb up my chest, making me shiver, she clings to me, pulling me closer, as if she wanted to merge our bodies and leave no space for the water that surrounds us. The kiss intensifies, our lips moving with more urgency, exploring without fear.

"Alex..." she whispers my name against my lips, and that sound drives me crazy. I gently bite her lower lip, drawing out a moan that makes me tremble. Her nails lightly scratch my back, sending electric shocks throughout my body.

The world around us completely disappears. There's only Rosie, her body pressed against mine, her lips responding to mine with the same passion. Our tongues brush, seek each other out, dance together in an increasingly intense rhythm.

I gently push her against the rocky wall next to the waterfall. The water continues to flow around us, but we don't even feel it anymore. We're lost in each other, in this moment of pure passion that seems endless.

Her hands wander over my back, my hips, as if she wanted to memorize every inch of my body. I respond by exploring the curve of her neck with my lips, savoring the taste of her skin mixed with fresh water. I feel her gasp when I gently bite her earlobe.

"You drive me crazy," I whisper hoarsely in her ear, making her tremble in my arms.

"Then don't stop," she responds breathlessly, before capturing my lips again in a kiss that takes my breath away.

The heat between us grows, becoming an uncontrollable fire. My hands move, sliding down the line of her body, fingers slipping under the water, following the curve of her hips and gripping her more tightly. Her breathing becomes broken, and each of her moans pushes me to want more... as if I wasn't already completely lost to her.

The feeling of her fingers on my skin is almost too much to bear, and I feel a moan escape my lips.

I lift her up, her legs wrapping around my waist, and carry her to a flat rock near the waterfall. I set her down gently, our lips not parting even for a second. The sound of falling water, the scent of wildflowers, everything blends into a single symphony that tastes of Rosie, of us, and I fix this moment as the most beautiful of my life so far.

---