Page 14 of The Charmer
Shaking my head, I carry her the rest of the way to the waterfall. “Before you quit on nature, I need you to see this.” I place her gently on her feet.
We’re standing behind the waterfall and the water is gushing, flowing in a perfect stream, clear and cool.
Jayde’s eyes widen. “Wow.”
“I know,” I agree, but I’m looking at her.
Tentatively, she runs a finger through the stream, her smile breathtaking as the water rushes over her hand.
“Want to swim?” I drop my backpack to the ground.
“Can we? Here?” Her voice is filled with excitement.
“Hell yeah. You hungry?”
“Not yet.” She whips off her shirt and shimmies out of her tiny shorts and I stifle a groan.
Jayde is sexy as hell. In combat boots and leather miniskirts, she’s a knockout. Naked and blushing, she’s a hundred on a scale of ten. But in a bikini, with all the necessary bits covered but teasing, taunting me at what lies beneath, she’s gorgeous.
And she knows it because she shakes her ass like there’s reggaeton music playing even though it’s just us, the waterfall, and some iguanas.
“You coming?” Her voice holds a teasing lilt.
I kick off my sneakers and lose my tank. Then, I step beside her and grasp her hand. “You ready?”
She snorts. “We’re jumping.”
“We’re jumping.”
“On three.” She moves closer to the edge.
I love that she’s got a wild streak, that she’s a little bit daredevil, seeking a thrill. For most of my life, I played it safe, never even skirting the edge of adventure. But I want to. I want spontaneity and excitement; I want to seek out new experiences and embrace them.
“One, two,” Jayde counts.
“Three!” we say in unison, our hands clenched together, as we push off the rock wall and jump into the waiting pool below.
My body slices through the water. It’s refreshing and cool, wiping away the sweat of the hike in an instant. I don’t letgo of Jayde’s hand and when we break the surface, we’re both laughing, clutching at each other as we get our feet beneath us.
“I had this awful moment, midair, when I wondered if the water was deep enough!” She grips my shoulders, her braids swinging.
I grin, shaking my head. Droplets of water spray her cheek. “I checked with the tour company. I knew it was safe to jump.”
At my response, she tosses her head back and laughs. The sound is loud and genuine, completely uninhibited.
“You’re the best person I know, Reese Keller,” she tells me a moment later, her eyes serious, her mouth still twisted in mirth.
I wrap my arm around her waist and drag her to my chest, holding her there as I kiss her, hard and deliberate. The rushing water fades to the background, along with the chirping birds and rustling sounds of nature.
Jayde’s hands splay in the center of my back. She tips her head back and parts her lips and I don’t waste a second. I arch her as I deepen the kiss, wanting to show her what I think of her. What I know to be true.
I’m in love with her. Twisted up and turned inside out over every look she gives me, every laugh that falls from her mouth, and every kiss I drink from her lips.
But I don’t want to scare her, so instead of telling her, I tuck her under my arm, and we spend a few moments just breathing in the scenery, enjoying the moment.
She looks at me, studying my profile. In my peripheral vision, I spot the tiny smile that crosses her face. I know my feelings aren’t one-sided. Jayde is feeling this weekend, this thing between us, as much as I am.
“Come on. Let’s have some lunch.”
