I felt Declan’s hand touch my back. The warmth and support it brought me made me turn and put my arms around his neck. I kissed him with abandon, loving when a low groan came from his throat.
“What was that for?” Declan asked when I leaned back to look at his eyes. They were shielded by sunglasses, but he pulled them off and propped them on his head so he could see me without that barrier.
“Thank you. That’s all. Just…thank you.”
He smiled, eyes squinting. “If I recall correctly, you thanked me enough last night.”
“And if we weren’t in the middle of a National Forest, I’d thank you again.” My mouth watered at the idea of having him inside of me or something else just as naughty.
His gaze searched our surroundings. “It looks like we're alone.”
I laughed and started back up the trail, loving the burn in my legs from the small incline. “Wait till we get further up, it’s even better. Trees all around and the waterfall, so loud you can barely hear your own thoughts.”
“Sounds beautiful.”
We walked in companionable silence for a few minutes while thoughts raced in my head.
“Go ahead,” Declan said with amusement in his voice. “I know you’re thinking about things and the questions that you have. I’ll answer them all.”
“How fast can you go? Like…when you run or whatever.”
“You mean, have I ever timed myself? Like when I raced out to get the mail or something?”
I threw him a laughing look over my shoulder. “Okay, I see your point.”
“How far up is that waterfall?”
I looked around, estimating how far we’d come. “About a mile, I’d say.”
He stopped on the trail and pulled off his watch.
“What are you doing? I asked.
“Here.” He set the watch in my hand. “Time me. To the waterfall and back. See how long it takes.”
I stepped to the side of the trail, just in case someone else showed up. But it looked like we were alone today.
Declan put his hand over mine and guided my finger to a button on the side. “Just press this, and the timer will start.”
I looked up at him, torn between doubt and amazement. “You’re really going to do this?”
He settled his glasses on my head as well and then gave me a quick kiss. “Yes.”
I laughed and nodded. “Okay. Ready? Go!”
He took off in a blur, making my mouth drop open. I was paying as close attention as I could, and I barely saw the motion as he raced away and vanished into the trees. I glanced down at the watch, seeing only five seconds had passed.
Then I looked back up to the break in the trees. No way he’d be back in the next few seconds. Then I glanced around, anxious, hoping we’d keep this moment of solitude.
One more glance at the watch. Ten seconds.
He’d be at least another minute, right? Or—
There! Another blur through the trees and suddenly Declan was standing next to me with a rush of air. My breath caught in my throat as I stared at him unbelieving.
He was hardly out of breath. He put his arm around me and grinned. “Time?”
“Oh.” I looked down and wonder filled me. The clock had just passed twenty seconds. “How did you…? Did you go all the way there?”
He touched my cheek, and his fingers were wet. “From the waterfall,” he explained. “And when he lifted his other hand, there was a pink flower in it. He tucked it behind my ear. It too had water on it. “And from right next to the waterfall.”
Words failed me. Declan took that moment to kiss me, sliding his tongue along my lips.
He smiled at me. “Faster than you expected? Or slower?”
“Faster. So much faster. This is…” I still couldn’t find the words. It was amazing. So, I told him just that. “That's amazing. You don’t even know. I have to tell my dad about this.”
He laughed. “Do you tell your dad about all the amazing things your boyfriend can do?”
The word boyfriend wormed its way into my heart. Yes, he was my boyfriend. In fact, I was coming to realize he was more. He had already revealed his feelings to me and mine were close to the same. It gave me a jolt.
I covered it with a smile. “Not everything.”
“Good. I also scoped out the area up there. We’re definitely alone.” He grinned. “You know if you want to thank me again.”
My stomach swelled with excitement. Any chance I had to get my hands on Declan made me want to pounce. But still, out here?
“Let me show you,” Declan said.
Before I could say a word, he scooped me up in his arms and held me close to his chest.
“Hold on,” he suggested.
I clenched my hands in his shirt, though I knew without a doubt that he wouldn’t drop me.
Then I prepared myself as much as I could. It still made my stomach swirl and my mouth open in surprise when he took off. The world blurred around us, greens and blues and browns, as we raced to the waterfall. I could hear his soft, even breaths, but more than that, I could hear the accelerated beat of my heart. And the crunch of his shoes on gravel at such a fast, staccato pace, I could hardly believe it.
Except I’d seen it. I felt the flower fall
