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Derek gave her a soft smile. “You being here is like a dream,” he said softly for only her to hear.
She was so lit up inside she wasn’t sure how to express it, or if she even needed to.
Derek took her hand, and they walked slowly around, savoring the fresh air, the scents of flowers and soil, and the beauty of nature inside and out. As they got closer to the windows and the exterior patios, she gasped. The view of mountains, lakes, the valley, the church, the little town—it had been awe-inspiring to drive through and see from the other levels of the castle, but seeing it from this lofty perch, with nothing to impede the view, was insane.
Malik and Kiera stood off to the side, talking quietly. Derek wrapped his arm around her waist and she leaned into him, savoring the view.
“I had no idea such beauty existed,” she murmured to him.
“I feel the same when I look at you.”
“Now that you’ve got me here, are you going to be spewing out fake, gushy compliments constantly?” she tried to tease, but she was out of breath simply looking into his blue eyes. The view had nothing on this man.
“For sure.” He grinned. “Elle …” He bent down toward her, his gaze full of her as he gathered her close with his strong arms.
Ellery longed to kiss him. He was too close, he smelled too manly and good, and they were inches away from the best kiss of the century.
“Whee!” Kiera screamed out.
“Kiera!” Malik hollered.
Ellery’s eyes opened and she searched for the little girl.
Derek leaned over the balcony ledge, and Ellery followed his gaze.
Kiera had her arms and legs wrapped around a brass pole and was sliding down it. The pole ran along the exterior wall to a small grass ledge far below, one of the gardens Ellery had seen earlier.
“I turned away to give you two some privacy and she was gone,” Malik muttered.
The girl released the pole ten feet before it ended and did an impressive backflip. She landed easily on the grass, then leaned her head back and gestured for the rest of them to come down.
Ellery laughed. “She is a wild child.”
Derek smiled and gestured. “Would you like to?”
“Of course I do.” She winked and climbed onto the balcony ledge, edging over to the metal pole. She was ten stories off the small patch of grass, but beyond that the world fell away to the valley below. There would be no coming back from that fall. Ellery breathed in the fresh air, loving the challenge and the danger. Derek always made her feel like life could be happy and that fun did exist.
“And people think I’m nuts,” Malik muttered.
“You aren’t coming?” Derek climbed up as well.
“You two go play Ninja Warrior with the twelve year old,” Malik said. “I choose life.”
Ellery knew that was from a movie, but she didn’t think the stunt was that dangerous. She reached the pole that attached solidly above her to the roof line and wrapped her arms and legs around it, sliding down with wild abandon. Her hair streamed out around her and her stomach hopped happily. She was in her element.
Would kissing Derek feel as good as this wild ride down a metal pole?
“Yes!” Kiera screamed as Ellery slowed her speed ten feet off the ground, flipped, and landed next to the little girl.
Derek, of course, couldn’t be bested. He slowed down fifteen feet off the ground and did a double backflip.
He landed and they both clapped.
“You’re all insane,” Malik hollered down to them.
They cheered louder, and Kiera jumped into Derek’s arms.
“I love you both so much!” she cried out. “Nobody else understands me.”
