Page 74 of Keep Your Guard Up
Chapter 40
Mari
Chance drove us right up to what appeared to be an old lookout point. There was a picnic table under a nearby bungalow, though it didn’t look like it could hold one of us without snapping in half. The bungalow looked to be in decent enough shape, but a rusty squeaking was coming fromsomewherearound us.
“I’ve got us covered. Don’t worry.” He smiled before reversing JJ’s ute under a pair of trees.
“Is this the part where you kill me and throw me off the side of the cliff?” I teased.
“Yes,Mari. You got me. I brought you to one of my favourite places in the entire planet just to kill you and throw you off a cliff,” he replied dryly, shutting off the engine and hopping out.
I went to follow, but the lever on my door refused to open. “The hell?”
I tried it repetitively until Chance reached my side. The door creaked open and a hand was waiting in offer. Hands instantly clammy from the gesture, I rested one on his and let him hop me down from the ute. Glancing at the open door, I noticed the little black lever that was normally pointing jaggedly left was twisted to the far right.
“Did you pull the child lock on my door?”
“How else am I supposed to show off all of this chivalry?”
His face was so close to mine, I could smell the mint and coffee on his breath. That teasing smirk faded, but not even his locked jaw could stop those pheromones freakingwaftingover me.
He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, a loose curl that had fallen. His lips tipped up in appreciation as his fingers traced my jaw.
“Come on, Sunny baby. Let me show you,” he murmured.
“Show me what?”
“The view.” His hands dropped to my waist. “Tuck your legs up.”
He lifted me over the side of the ute tray, and I found what I had failed to notice this entire time. Blankets and a few stray pillows were scattered about, all on top of one giant flannelette picnic blanket.
“Is this Nan’s picnic blanket?” I asked.
“Sure is. She loaned it to me for the day,” he replied, effortlessly hopping up and over the edge.
“You two really are besties, aren’t you?” I teased.
“Like I said, she’s a special lady. I’d like to keep her on side.”
“What do you mean ‘on side’?” I asked.
“Sunny, I can’t believe you’ve been up here for thirty whole seconds and haven’t noticed what’s right in front of you.”
“What—”
Words could neither be lost or found for what I could see. Long, stretching vines fell alongside rich, green bushland that sprouted off the edge of the cliff face. Brown and yellow shining stones edged alongside it, a barrier for nature and its visitors, but a stage for the main attraction:
The waterfall.
The falls weren’t gushing, fast and wild. They were blue, the same colour as Chance’s eyes, and were smooth and swift. Seeing the source of water brought the fresh smell to my nose. Nature, sweet, sweet nature.
I looked up into those blues, the ones I could lose myself in as easily as I could lose myself in that falling water. They were gazing around us, not a cloud in sight in them. Clear and blue, the sun seemed to sparkle off them. As if those eyes,hiseyes, were the ocean the sun longed to shine for.
They sparkled more when they met mine.
“What’s on that beautiful mind of yours, Sunny baby?”
“How did you find this place?” I asked, unwilling to share just how hooked he had me with those goddamn eyes of his.
