Page 27 of Kindred Lies
Chapter 15
The island was a little slice of paradise. Blue waves, remnants from the storm the day before, crashed against it from the middle of the lake and rolled around it until they met the mainland’s shores. The parts that were not sandy or rocky were covered with soft green lusciousness and snow-white wildflowers. Butterflies floated around them and landed against the white petals.
They hadn’t gone directly to the caves, as she’d wanted to. He had led her to other parts of the island and explored all of the nuances. Amethyst had loved every second of it. This island spoke to her and she felt as if somehow she’d been there before. A sense of déjà vu… She knew she’d never been there in her entire life though. There had been many locations around the country she had been, but none of them equaled the sheer beauty of Ghost Peak Island.
They were at the edge of the large hill that was in the middle of the island. It was more than a hill, but it wasn’t exactly a mountain either. It had the rocky exterior of one though. Somewhere in that stony expanse were the caves she’d wanted to see and she fully intended to scale the peak to get to them. “Can we see the caves from here?” Amethyst turned toward Cooper and met his gaze.
“No,” he replied. “We need to climb a little bit more before they will become visible. He held out his hand to her. “Do you trust me?”
“With my life,” she answered easily and flashed him an easy smile. She went on to her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. Amethyst loved kissing him and the easy comfort she felt around him. It seemed so natural to be with him. How had she gone her entire life without him at her side?
“Mmm,” he mumbled against her lips. “As much as I’m enjoying this we’re never making it to the caves if we stay in the same spot the entire day.”
She laid her head against his muscled chest and sighed. He was right of course. Amethyst enjoyed being held in his arms and the comfort that it brought her. She felt starved for this sort of affection and that was why she kept touching him, kissing him, and wrapping her arms around him. Perhaps it was a result of fear. Deep down she believed if any distance separated them she’d lose him forever. It was a silly thought, but so ingrained in her she couldn’t shake it.
The wind blew around them. The sun was as high as it could get in the sky, but some clouds had rolled in overhead. That took some of the warmth away, but at least it wasn’t a storm. That kept her at ease. She had never really liked thunder and lightning. Rain was all right… It was what sometimes came with it that kept her on edge.
She sighed. “I know.” She nibbled on her bottom lip. “Lead the way.”
He kissed her one last time and then stepped back. Cooper took her hand in his and they started walking up a path on the hill. It was a little overgrown, but still easier than trying to climb the rocky expanse another way. The white flowers that seemed to have overtaken a large part of the island seemed to border the path they were taking. The butterflies floated upward appearing to follow them up the entire expanse of the tiny peak.
Amethyst’s foot caught on the edge of a rock. She tripped over it and fell forward. Cooper reached out to catch her and they tumbled to the ground with him landing over her. Butterflies danced across those pearly white flowers nearby. A large blue one landed near them. She stared at it amazed by its beauty then turned her gaze to Cooper. He stared at the butterfly too. A moment passed and then he turned his attention to her. His cerulean eyes seemed almost electric with intensity. The need to kiss him seized her. She wanted to be as close to him as she could possibly get.
There lips met in a spur of energy that neither one of them seemed to be able to control. This was a kiss like she’d never felt before and so unlike the one’s they had shared in the past. The pleasure that wracked her body was strong and uncontrollable. Amethyst ran her hand down his shirt and then pulled it upward. The pads of her fingertips brushed his hot muscled back. He pushed his tongue inside her mouth. Her tongue touched his and they danced together as they tasted each other in a primal way. She pushed her fingernails into his exposed skin and moaned. The intensity was driving her mad with desire. Passion was one of those elusive emotions she’d never experienced and now that she had a taste of it she wanted to explore it to its fullest.
A crackle of thunder echoed around them breaking the spell. Cooper rolled away from her and stood, then held his hand out to her. Once she was at her feet they both looked up at the sky. The clouds had darkened and another spark of lightning flashed through the sky. The boom followed not long after indicating the storm’s distance was close. She swallowed hard. “Did I mention that I hate thunderstorms?”
He shook his head and cursed under his breath. “The cave is closer than the cabin. We can take shelter from there until it passes.” He frowned. “I’m sorry. I should have checked the weather before I suggested we come out here today.”
“Don’t worry about it,” she said trying to reassure him. “The cave will be fine. I wanted to explore it anyway.”
“Still…”
She placed her hand over his mouth stopping him from continuing. “Don’t. I mean it. I’m exactly where I want to be.” Amethyst tilted her lips upward. “I’ve enjoyed every second of it too.” She lifted a brow. “Now lead the way.”
Cooper didn’t argue after that. He just looped his arm around her waist and they continued onward, albeit it a little faster of a pace than they had set before. It hadn’t taken long to reach the entrance. They entered the cave just as the sky unleashed its fury.
***
The cavern was dark and there wasn’t much to see inside. A stack of wood had been carefully piled farther inside to keep it safe from most of the elements. Cooper was grateful that along with the tiny flashlight he’d strapped to his belt buckle he’d also pocketed a matchbook. He could start a small fire for them to keep warm by.
He handed the penlight to Amethyst and he went to work creating a fire. First he piled the wood in an optimal way to keep the fire going. Once it was stacked on and appropriate angle he pulled the matchbook out. He struck a match and set it against the wood. After a few seconds it lit and not long after that a full fire was blazing. Cooper breathed a sigh of relief. The storm continued to rage on outside and he hoped it would be a short one. His father would worry if they were stranded on the island for any length of time
Amethyst stood next to him and rubbed her hands over the fire. “This feels nice.” She practically hummed with pleasure.
His entire body went on full alert. That kiss earlier… He’d never been so engrossed and completely out of his mind. When he had pressed his lips to hers he hadn’t been aware of anything around him. He just needed to touch her and feel the softness of her beneath him. If the thunder hadn’t boomed in the distance he might have tried to take things farther than he should have. Cooper wanted her desperately. “That it does,” he agreed and stood.
Cooper pulled his phone out of his pocket and stared down at it. If he didn’t call his father he’d probably call him with worry. He pressed his finger to the touch screen and it lit up. There was no signal… He cursed and shoved it back into his pocket. The cavern was probably blocking the signal from reaching his phone. He prayed the storm washed over them as fast as it had rolled in.
“What is it?” she asked.
“I was going to call my dad but that isn’t happening until we can leave this cave.” His stomach growled and had him cursing inwardly. There lunch was in the cabin. He should have brought it with them. What were they going to eat in the mean time?
“Sounds as if your belly isn’t very happy right now.” She lifted her lips upward. “I have a couple of granola bars. If you ask nicely I might share.”
He returned her smile. “Pretty please may I eat both of them?”
She lifted a brow. “That’s asking a too much don’t you think.” She pulled out one of the granola bars and waved it in front of him. “Keep being greedy and I’ll eat both and make you watch.”
