Leave Me Breathless

‘You and your painting,’ Jarrad whispered in her ear, making her shiver. ‘There’s only one thing in the world I want you to be passionate about.’ He nibbled at her lobe, squeezing her back tighter to his front. ‘And what’s that, darling?’

‘You.’ Her answer was automatic as she broke out of his hold, ignoring his disgruntled grumble. She took a few tentative steps down the rocks to the water.

‘Be careful,’ Jarrad called after her, his voice echoing off the stony walls of the cave. ‘We all know how clumsy you are.’

Katrina forced back her eye roll. ‘Come on, Hayley,’ she sang, eager to explore the magical place. She knew exactly where she was heading, having researched the area endlessly after accidentally discovering that Jarrad had planned a surprise trip there. But nothing in the pictures she saw or the words she read did this place justice. It was breathtaking.

‘Aren’t you hot?’ Hayley asked as she followed Katrina down.

Katrina brushed off her friend’s observation with ease. It was habit to cover her body these days. ‘The sun’s strong today.’

‘We’re in a cave.’ Hayley laughed as they wadded through the crystal-clear water to the other side of the rock pool and climbed up onto the edge.

‘Come on.’ Katrina didn’t take a breath before starting up the rocks to the daylight she could see spilling through an opening up above.

‘Shouldn’t we wait for the guys?’ Hayley’s attention was split between their men and Katrina climbing swiftly up the rocks.

‘They’ll catch up,’ she called back.

Reluctantly, Hayley followed an eager Katrina, climbing up behind her.

‘You two be careful,’ Jarrad shouted, not far behind.

It only made Katrina smile and power on faster. When she reached the opening, she squinted. The sunlight spilling in was harsh on her eyes after being shrouded in dusky light for so long. ‘Oh my God, look at that.’ The small tunnel led to an opening that was curtained by a wall of pouring water. It was perfect. Just as perfect as she’d seen in the pictures.

Katrina looked over her shoulder, mentally willing her friend on. ‘There’s a beautiful waterfall.’ She took the few steps back and offered her hand to her friend, helping her up the last few steps. ‘It’s incredible.’ She looked past Hayley to see the guys halfway up the rock face. She couldn’t wait for them; she was too desperate to get to the waterfall. So she hurried along the rocky passageway, the sound of rushing water getting louder until it was deafening. She took in every beautiful inch of the cave as she went, assessing the walls, the tunnels, every nook and cranny. Katrina could see the ground fall away a few yards ahead, and she knew Jarrad would be pissed off with her for getting too close to the edge. But . . .

Taking hold of the wall, she sidled gingerly toward the drop, losing her breath when she could finally see over the side. The fall was frightening, the bottom of the waterfall not even visible.

‘Be careful!’ Hayley shouted, but Katrina could only just hear her over the roar of the water.

She looked back, seeing her friend halfway down the tunnel. ‘You have to see this,’ she yelled.

‘Wait for the guys,’ Hayley ordered, as cautious as ever.

‘Where are they?’ They were taking so long. Good.

‘I’ll check.’ Hayley started taking backward steps, turning and dropping her eyes to the uneven ground beneath her feet. ‘Curtis! Jarrad!’

Katrina faced the water again, utterly spellbound. She peered around the space, bending to see a small opening at knee level. There were endless tunnels, some disappearing into blackness, some with light glowing at the end. Hearing voices behind her, she straightened and took one more step toward the edge, peeking over, feeling the water spraying her face. Her smile was huge. Probably the biggest it had been since she married Jarrad over six years ago.

She reached forward, stretching her arm to touch the water. She flinched at the coldness. But smiled even more.

A rock shifted beneath her foot, and she lost her footing. ‘Shit,’ she breathed, her heart lurching. Katrina made a quick grab for the wall. ‘Oh my God,’ she gasped, gingerly trying to steady her legs. She eventually stabilized herself, looking back down the tunnel for her friend and the men. Nothing. Yet she could hear them. They would be here soon. They would see her.

She took a deep breath, filling her lungs. ‘Jarrad!’ she cried, feeling at the wall. It was smooth, polished, and slippery after hundreds of years of water flowing over it. She smiled. If she were to stumble, there would be nothing to grab onto. It would be easy for someone to lose their balance with all the uneven rocks on the ground, especially if someone was as clumsy as Katrina.

‘Jarrad!’ she cried out again, her body wetter from the spray as she moved closer to the edge, crouching a little to find what she knew was there.