With a final look at his beautiful wife bending over, he quietly let himself out and started counting the hours until he could have her all to himself. Preferably for an eternity.
“Are you sure this is safe?” Hannah asked, clutching Grant’s hand, arm, butt, and then his arm again . . . then back to his butt. She followed in his steps as they climbed up the jagged gray rocks alongside a flowing river.
“I’ll keep you safe, baby,” he said, glancing over his shoulder to toss her a wink and do a little grabbing of his own. Fire spread from her breasts to her toes as she continued to follow him up and up and up. The warm rock against her bare feet was soothing, despite the climb, and she liked how Grant kept glancing back extra-long at her body, which was on display in a red bikini top and a pair of cutoff shorts.
She wasn’t minding the view, either . . .
Grant’s perfect ass in a pair of blue swim trunks and tan skin pulled tight over chiseled shoulder muscles.
“I can feel you ogling me, Miss Hastings,” he said with a laugh in his voice.
“I’m not sorry,” she said.
“Neither am I.” He smiled back at her.
Hannah’s whole heart fluttered. In fact, it had been doing that same weird flutter thing for the past week. Ever since she’d met Grant. They’d been inseparable.
They’d docked in Jamaica an hour ago and had a whole day to explore before having to get back on the ship to hit the next destination. Nice thing about cruise ships—you could drink and have fun while sailing the sea, then have entire days to explore every port where they docked.
“This is incredible,” Hannah said, looking around as she hiked behind Grant along the river and up a mountain. The small group they’d been with had stopped their hike at the last jump point. This beautiful blue river cut through the mountain, stacking slow-flowing waterfalls on top of one another with deep pools at the bottom of each.
The sounds of “Woo-hoo!” and “Yeah!” were echoing from the others who’d decided to jump from one platform down. But Grant wanted to go just a little higher. One more waterfall up. One more pool.
“We’re here, baby.” He grabbed her hand and helped steady her as they made their way to the edge of the waterfall and looked down at the fifteen-foot drop into crystal-clear water.
She looked down, then out. She was standing in a place she’d never guessed she’d be. In the middle of the beautiful Jamaican countryside, at the edge of a waterfall, with the man she loved.
Her eyes snapped to Grant at the realization her brain kicked out.
“Something wrong?” he asked. His arm snaking around her waist, he looked down at her with concern in his eyes.
“Yeah . . . something is wrong . . . ,” she said. She looked into his dark eyes, the high Jamaican sun haloing him, and she couldn’t hold back everything her brain and her heart were screaming. “I love you,” she admitted
.
Grant just looked at her with such easy softness. As if he wasn’t surprised, but rather, grateful.
He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her softly on the lips.
“Hannah,” he whispered against her mouth. “I want you forever.”
A dose of heat and shock surged through her like the antidote to poison. She leaned back and looked him in the eyes. She opened her mouth to say, “What?” or “Are you serious?” but Grant just smiled.
With her face still in his hands, he repeated, “Forever.”
A sting hit behind her eyes. She’d never felt this kind of intensity before. The intensity of needing someone. Wanting to need someone.
“Yes,” she breathed.
He kissed her hard, and she smiled against his lips.
“Ready to jump?” he said, holding her hand, both of them facing the edge, the unknown, the beauty.
“With you?” She squeezed his hand. “Absolutely.”
With that, they jumped off the edge together.
Chapter Seven