Page 147 of Power Shift

The toe of my boot catches on a turned-over rock as I stumble forward and stare wide-eyed at the sky. Ronan catches me before my knees hit the ground, and I wince, embarrassed.

“Or you can forget that you heard me say that,” I ramble.

The dark eyes staring down at me are intense, focused. There’s no chance for me to duck and run before I’m being picked clean up off the forest floor.

“Ronan!” My shriek gets swallowed in the trees.

“I couldn’t forget those words if I tried.”

I cling onto him, even though I know my effort isn’t needed. He’d never drop me.

“Well, maybe just postpone your hearing of them for the time being?” I counter.

“I won’t be postponing shit, Petal. Own it because I do.”

My pause is heavy as I try and reason with the part of me that assumes he’s saying something more than what he actually has.

“You do what?”

He shakes his head, jaw tensing as if he’s angry. I don’t think that’s what’s happening, though. Not when he’s holding me so carefully, the only thing rough about him being the callouses on his fingers.

We pass through more trees in silence until finally, they part. The fading sunset hangs low over the endless blue in front of us, and I gasp at howbeautifulthe mix of orange and pink and blue is on the soft waves.

“It’s gorgeous,” I murmur.

“Yeah, it is.”

He’s not looking at the ocean or the sunset. I tear my gaze from the landscape and find his eyes waiting. They expose a fierceness living inside of him that stokes the flames beneath my skin.

I know he’d be able to handle their burn. Maybe even welcome their heat.

A knuckle traces the length of my jaw as he keeps our eyes locked and swallows. “Been falling in love with you since the moment I saw you, Briar. I’ve been waiting for you to take the same path.”

“You don’t have to say that just because I did.”

“I’m not much for placating.”

I can’t help but smile at the bluntness of that statement. “I expected as much.”

“Walk on the beach with me,” he says, voice dropping low.

“I’d love to.”

In a blink, I’m carefully lowered to my feet in front of him. My boots sink into the smooth sand, and I frown.

“Hold that thought,” I say.

Dropping to a crouch, I unlace both of my boots, needing them off. Ronan hovers, watching as I kick them off before tugging off my socks and shoving them inside the boots.

I glance up at him, an eyebrow lifted. “Are you going to walk through such perfect sand in heavy boots? That kind of defeats the purpose of a walk on the beach, Ro.”

He answers by joining me in going barefoot. I grin and move my boots to the tree line before stepping off the grass and into the sand.

It’s perfect. Even with the small rocks mixed in that slip under and between my toes. Suddenly, I’m energized. I let loose a loud laugh and start to jog along the beach.

“Come on, Ronan. Run with me!”

“What do I get when I catch you?”

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