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Carlos looked like we’d personally insulted him. “You people are a crime.” He took a long pull on his beer to shake off his shock. “We shot an episode a few weeks ago in New Zealand dedicated to bungee jumping and abseiling.”
I wasn’t familiar with abseiling, but I couldn’t be bothered to ask questions. I was much too comfortable leaning against Duncan to ask about extreme sports definitions.
“New Zealand is beautiful.” Harlow sounded a bit hesitant, as if her Aussie blood prevented her from heaping too much praise on her neighbor. “There’s a yoga retreat in the Southern Alps I want to do someday. I’ve done retreats in Bhutan, Bali, Goa. There’s nothing like practicing the timeless art of yoga in such gorgeous surroundings.”
I furrowed my brow, unable to find Bhutan, Bali, or Goa on a map. I was totally out of the loop when it came to travel destinations. The Olympic Peninsula, maybe. Anywhere else, not so much.
“We did an episode in Bali.” Carlos spoke more to Harlow now than Duncan and me. “Contestants rode jet bikes and went paragliding.”
“Paragliding.” Harlow said the word slowly as if savoring it.
Carlos nodded. “Take a running jump at a cliffside and just sail.”
“Sounds horrible,” I whispered to Duncan.
“Not for you?” His voice was a soft purr in my ear. My answering shudder had more to do with his face so close to mine in the soft light than any thoughts of extreme sports.
“No offense, Molly,” Carlos said, “but you don’t seem like the type to take a running jump at anything.”
He grinned like it was all in good fun, but I’d reached my max for shady comments on my personal life.
“No offense, Carlos, but why don’t you take a running jump?”
He chuckled softly and downed the last of his ale. “I can take a hint.” He stood to go, and Harlow joined him. With a few words wishing us goodnight and a parting wave, they disappeared up the stairs.
Leaving Duncan and I alone together. Possibilities danced through my head.
“I suppose we should call it a night, too,” I said.
Yes. Yup. Definitely didn’t want to snuggle up in the lounge all night.
He hummed agreement, heaved himself off the leather couch, and held his hands out to me. “It is midnight. Cinderella, and all that.”
I put my hands in his, and he pulled me up to standing.
“I’m glad you didn’t go abseiling in New Zealand this week.”
I laughed, imagining the carnage. This was where I wanted to be. “So am I.”
The moment shifted, and we might have been back in the stillness of the Fairy Glen. He traced his fingers along my jaw and up into my hair. My hands found his waist, urging him closer as I waited for his kiss. Finally, he bent down and pressed his mouth to mine.
I made a small sound as my eyes drifted shut, amazed at how quickly he’d left me breathless. My hands slid up his sides and around to his glorious shoulders, holding on like I intended him to stay here a while. His muscles flexed and moved beneath my fingers as his palms glided down my back, spreading shivers like forest fire.
Melting into him, I only knew his warmth, his taste, his beard surprisingly soft against my face. An inferno raged through my body, my thoughts a laser beam zeroed in on Duncan.
First rate, all the way.
When he finally drew back, it was only to a hand’s breadth. “No autopilot from here on out.”
I exhaled soft laughter. “Agreed.”
Only living in the moment, for as long as the moment lasted.
nineteen
The Isle of Skyecalled to me, urging me to reach the lands that had inspired my vacation as fast as I could. Lewis seemed to heed the call, speeding through villages and past crumbling old buildings that by all rights should have been photographed at least a hundred times. By now, I’d grown used to his cavalier attitude about the views.
I’d grown used to having Duncan beside me on the drives, too. I reminded myself that sitting next to each other on a bus had different connotations for adults than it had done when I was in middle school, but after last night’s kiss, I wasn’t so sure. Denying our attraction was no longer an option, but just what we would do about that remained to be seen. For now, sitting together chatting while I ogled the sights was comforting enough.
