AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Come on, this route is a bit longer, but it’s really pretty,” she says, guiding me down a track that winds off through the trees to our left.
She’s right. The track takes us to a little hidden valley with a frozen waterfall at its center. The ice formed picturesque sculptures as it froze.
“I reckon I could climb it,” I tell her.
“What, and I’ll stand at the bottom and cheer you on?”
I look at her sideways. She has a quirky little smile at the corner of her mouth. “I’d like you to cheer me on a lot more,” I tell her.
“I’m sure you would. I’ll stand in a line with all your other adoring fans, how about that?”
“No, really. I liked that you were there yesterday. When I slipped, it was the thought of you that gave me the strength to pull myself back up.”
If this was any other girl, I would be lying. I know exactly what to say to get any woman of any species into my bed. A little flattery and sentimentality can get me anywhere I want. Usually a pretty woman’s bed.
But Mira is different. I can tell from our few interactions so far that empty words won’t work. This is a chase that means something to me, and I want her to understand that as clearly as possible.
“I thought of you worrying over me, and it gave me that last push I needed to win.”
My honest comment wins me a really genuine smile. “I was scared for you,” she replies with equal honesty. “My heart was in my mouth when I saw you hanging there by your fingertips.”
My chest expands with warmth at her words.
“So, you want to see me climb the waterfall?”
Again she laughs. “Not today, I think. I had enough nail-biting yesterday, thank you.”
I like the sound of her laugh. She seems to be able to take the piss out of me without it feeling condescending.
“When I was doing a climb at Salash Point, I climbed a waterfall easily ten times that height. Waterfalls are incredibly difficult because the ice can be more fragile. What you think is a good strong handhold can snap very easily. I beat the fastest time by two and a half minutes.”
“Ah,” she says wisely. “I think I know now why you never hurt yourself.”
“Why?” I ask, even though I’m pretty sure I’m falling into a trap.
“Because your ego is so inflated it gives you a soft landing.” She dodges out of my grasp as she says the words.
“Hey!” I yell. “Why have you got it in for my poor ego today?”
Instead of an answer, I receive a snowball in my face.
“Alright!” I reach down and grab a handful of snow, but she has another one on the way before I even get to launch mine.
She dives behind a tree just as my snowball splatters on the trunk. She shrieks with laughter and scoops up more snow. I’m ready for this attack and duck out of the way, launching another ball at her. She squeals as it hits her in the chest.
I spend half my life out in the snow, but I can’t remember the last time I had a snowball fight, or this much fun for that matter. By the time we’re done, we’re both covered in snow and out of breath.
I help her pick the snow from her hair – I wouldn’t want her to get a chill – and we search for her hat amid the snowdrifts.
“Found it,” I say, brandishing the dark red garment.
As she goes to take it, I snatch it out of the way.
“Hey, give it back,” she says, jumping to reach it.
I laugh and place it carefully on her head. Her cheeks are almost as red as the hat after our exertion. She has a wonderful glow about her.
We stare at one another. I long to lean down and kiss her cherry-red lips. But she looks embarrassed and turns away.
