“Be right in!”
Jogging around the edge of the pool to the path he knew well enough to navigate blind, he climbed up the rock formation to the top of the falls. Once he stood firmly on the large rock that jutted above the flow of the fast-moving water, he cupped his hands around his mouth and called out for the attention of the bathing beauty some thirty feet below.
When she caught sight of him, she scrambled to her feet and yelled something that sounded an awful lot like a dig on his intelligence.
Pretending he hadn’t jumped from this very spot hundreds of times before was probably cruel, but the mischievous teen inside him couldn’t resist a little prank. “Don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll be fine! It doesn’t look too bad!”
Without another word he leapt far away from the rock wall’s edge and reveled in the sensation of free falling alongside the rushing water. Feet first, he plunged into the cool depths, feeling instantly revitalized as he sank to the bottom and then pushed up to break the surface.
“Are you out of your mind? You could’ve slipped and cracked your skull open.”
He looked over to see a livid water nymph kneeling and gripping the edge of her rock, glaring at him for all she was worth.
“What’s the matter, Red?” he asked as he swam over to her. “Afraid you’d lose me over a little cliff jump?”
“Of course not. I was worried about finding my way back down the mountain by myself after you bled out like an idiot.”
Damn, he loved that smart mouth of hers. Laughing, he yanked her into the water with him. She squealed in surprise and tried wresting herself from his hold, but he refused to yield. Soon she was laughing with him, and they spent a good half hour splashing and dunking each other in a back and forth game of cat and mouse.
Breathing heavily from their play, they hoisted themselves onto the rock platform she’d been sunning on earlier. Their legs dangled in the water as they leaned back on their hands. She exhaled heavily and stared out at the scenery before them. “This place is magical, Jackson.” She turned to look at him. “Thank you for bringing me. For sharing this part of your life with me.”
Her words had his gut clenching and his heart swelling. He wanted to share so much more with her if she’d let him. And he planned on telling her. But not now. Now he just wanted to lose himself in her smell, her taste, her body. Her.
Leaning over, he kissed her, slow and gentle, savoring the eager response she gave him. He wondered if she had any idea how easily she unraveled him.
He pulled back. “Ever stand under a waterfall?” She shook her head. “Come on.”
Jax guided her over to the right of the main falls where water still fell down the rock wall, but without the amount and force it had in the center. It also had a decent ledge to stand on, being closer to the shoreline. Holding her hand to keep her steady, he helped her until she had secure footing.
A wide smile broke over her face as she lifted her arms in the air to cut through the thin curtain of water spilling behind her. Jax was spellbound, watching her tip her head back and laugh with the sheer joy of experiencing one of Mother Nature’s wonders.
Growing up in a landlocked state, he’d never known he had such an affinity for water until he moved to the islands. The first time he ever saw the Pacific, it called to him like the moon to a lone wolf. And ever since, water had become as much a part of him as his fighting. Which was why sex with an element of water—whether in a shower, hot tub, rain, or waterfall—was such a huge turn-on for him.
And why his cock was thick and straining against the confines of his board shorts.
Jax stepped in to her, crowding her against the rocks that had been smoothed by hundreds of years of streaming water. Her smile died with the firm grip of his hands on either side of her neck. Her breaths turned shallow, her pulse jackhammered under his touch, and her pupils nearly swallowed the green of her eyes.
He brushed a thumb over her lower lip, the way the plump flesh gave way to his touch so goddamn erotic. “Do you have any idea what you do to me?” His voice sounded harsh and broken, like he’d lost it the day before and it was only now starting to come back. “Every time I look at you, I fucking lose my mind.”
“Good.” She raked her nails down his abs, leaving trails of heated desire in their wake. Then she nipped the pad of his thumb. “That makes two of us, then.”