Page 46 of Stolen Beauty

“Wow.” I lift my hand to my brow, shielding the sun. Millie sniffs the area, tail wagging.

“You did it.” Knox is full on grinning. Sweat stains his t-shirt and beads along his neck. He’s freshly shaven and the missing facial growth shaves years, giving him the look of a college-aged Knox. Well, a college version who spent a ton of time in the gym. Which, given he attended the Naval Academy, he probably did.

Knox holds his hands up for a high five. I thrust my arms in the air, hands out, stretching. Our palms slap against each other.

“Atta girl.” My grin miraculously widens. “Let’s rest a beat before we head down.”

I narrow my eyes, resting my balled-up hands on my hips. “I don’t need to rest.” And surprisingly, it’s the truth. I feel great. Maybe not transplant-games-great, but I’m doing good. I mean, sure, I’m not GOAT quality, but I don’t need a break.

“Are you kidding? This is the best part of the hike.” He waves, gesturing to the expansive view of land blending into the sea. “The view.”

He finds a flat spot of dirt and sits. Millie trots up and presses her nose into his face. “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

“Who said that?” I ask as I claim a spot of earth next to him. Not so close we touch, but close enough the butterflies in my stomach take flight.

“I say it.”

“No.” I shake my head, grinning. “That’s a quote. I’ve heard it before.”

“It’s from an old movie. Before your time.”

“Puh-leaze. I’m not that much younger than you.”

“What is it? Six years?”

It’s actually five years and four months, but who’s counting? “Something like that.”

He lifts his baseball cap and wipes his brow. His hairline is slightly damp, but he’s wiping it like it itches. And then he tilts his head and looks at me. Still wearing those shades, but he’s got that so sexy grin and my heart stills and it’s like I can’t breathe.

“Who would’ve thought at thirty-five, I’d be sitting here looking out over a California vista with Sam’s youngest sister, wanting nothing more than to kiss her?”

That flighty heart? It’s completely stopped now.

“Ever since yesterday afternoon, it’s all I can think about. Every second on this trail. I’ve wanted to grab you. Kiss you.” He shakes his head, looking off into the horizon.

The sun is behind our backs and my brain shouts, “Well, kiss me!”

But I’m a dating neophyte. My dating history is minimal. Mortifyingly so. For a sizeable chunk of my life, I suspected I might be asexual. But instead of beating myself up, I finally came to realize that when you feel like crap and breathing is a chore, sex isn’t appealing. Leaving the house is dreadful. Carrying on a conversation exhausting. And then, I don’t know, I just fell so far behind everyone else. And even once I was healthy, given my uncertain life expectancy, I’ve focused on giving back and in the time I gave myself, doing things I wanted. Filling out an online dating profile wasn’t on the list. Really, putting myself out there, scaring myself…not on the list.

Knox’s shoulder brushes mine, pulling me out of my trance. Did I think my heart stopped? Wildly inaccurate. It’s about to thump through my ribcage.

“What’re you thinking?”

I’m not sure what to tell him. I wish I had a brilliant answer for him. Something other than my brain short circuits when he touches me. In the distance, the golden sun flickers against the ocean. Tiny bursts of blended light across the vast stretch of deep blue.

“Hey.” He exhales the word. It’s a sensual sound that has me clenching my thighs. “Look at me.” I swallow and force myself to breathe. My bare arm brushes against the fabric of his T-shirt.

“I think you should kiss me.” Did that come out too breathless?

His lips curl, and somehow he’s closer, his presence sucking up all the oxygen.

My eyes close as he brushes his lips across mine.

“Damn. I really like kissing you.” He deepens our kiss and pulls back, tangling his fingers in my hair. “Correction. I love kissing you.”

“I love kissing you too.” He touches my knee, my thigh.

“You make me want to do all kinds of unspeakable things to you.”

---