Page 147 of If You Give an Artist a Killer Muse

Suddenly, I hear and feel things.

The sound of leaves rustling in the breeze fills the air, the gentle wind caressing my face. Straining my ears, I catch the soft sounds of water lightly rippling nearby and insects chirping or buzzing. I breathe deeply and am greeted by the refreshing scent of pine mingling with the earthy smell of grass.

“Briar?” I call out, turning my head to listen for her.

A hand touches my cheek. “I’m here.”

“Where are we?”

“I’m going to lead you again, okay?”

“Briar…”

“Trust me.”

I sigh, nodding. Her hand trails from my cheek, and she holds my hand again. She walks forward and pulls me along, forcing me to follow her.

After a few minutes, she says, “Okay, you can stop. I will take off your blindfold, but keep your eyes closed. Don’t open them until I tell you, okay?”

I nod. “Okay.”

She removes the blindfold from me, and just as she asks, I shut my eyes. I hear her breathe in deeply and then exhale just as slowly. “Okay. You can open your eyes now, Rurik.”

I open my eyes, blinking so my vision can adjust to the darkness. I frown at the familiarity of the location but then gasp when it all suddenly hits me.

“Briar,” I breathe out, looking around and recognizing the spot I used to hang out alone.

I gaze out at the lake, the mountains before us cloaked in a haunting beauty under the night sky. The only light around us comes from Briar's flashlight, casting a gentle glow and the shimmering reflection of stars and the moon on the water.

“You said you haven’t been back in years,” Briar says softly, “You also mentioned you’ve never gone stargazing before. So,” She sighs, waving her hand at the location and up at the starry night sky. “I thought, why not kill two birds and one stone? Take you stargazing in your little slice of paradise.”

I stare at her.

Her cheeks flush pink, and she drops her hand. “I…I hope it's okay. I know you said this was your private place, but—”

In just two strides, I crash my lips to hers.

She opens her mouth by gasping, and I shove my tongue inside, groaning when my tongue brushes against hers. I wrap my arms around her, holding her tightly against me as I continue to kiss her.

“Fuck, baby,” I murmur, pressing kisses against the corner of her mouth, her cheek, and her jaw. “I can’t believe you brought me back here.”

“I love it when you call me baby,” Briar grins up at me, and the sight is robbing me of oxygen. “It's on my list, along with crazy and insane.”

I pull back and laugh loudly, the sound booming and echoing around us. Jesus, I can’t remember the last time I laughed that suddenly. I can’t remember the last time I felt so… happy.

When I look back at her, she’s staring at me with wide eyes as if she’s never seen me before. I swallow hard, and her eyes flicker to my throat.

“You’re beautiful.” She says with a small smile.

I don’t know what to say, so I just shake my head, “You really are crazy, Briar.”

“Only for you, angel.” She says, kissing my Adam’s apple.

I swallow hard as she pulls away. I look away from her intense gaze and realize she has a blanket and picnic baskets spread out by the lake's edge.

“What is this?” I ask, my voice sounding rough.

She follows my gaze and grins again. “Oh! There was a reason why I went to the grocery store this morning. I didn’t go just to stalk you, you know. Not this time.”

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