Page 18 of Kiss me Forever

“I don’t know how many thrills my heart can take,” I tell him with a laugh. “Let’s try one thing at a time.”

He throws his head back and laughs which thrills me. Maybe I’m rubbing off on this man as much as he’s rubbing off on me. I like to think so. Maybe, just maybe, we’re good for each other. Can it last? I don’t know, but I’ve decided I’m going to enjoy the ride for as long as I can.

We load up on the helicopter and Magnus takes a bit of extra time buckling me in, his hands touching places I quite like. It’s enough to make my fear drop away into the background as my hormones go crazy. He places the headphones over my ears and then sits beside me, reaching over and taking my hand as the rotors start up.

My stomach drops a little as we lift into the air, but I have Magnus right at my side, his soothing voice calming while his fingers whisper through mine. “Focus on the view. You won’t get to see anything quite like this,” he tells me.

I look out the window as we begin moving faster, flying over the Washington coastline, the ocean sparkling beneath us and the landscape unfolding in the most breathtaking beauty. Magnus points out landmarks I’ve only seen from the ground before. It’s amazing how beautiful it is to see them from the sky at only a couple of thousand feet. I can’t believe I’ve never done something this wonderful before.

He gives me the history of the islands, how the land was settled, developed, and has evolved over time. If you live in or near Seattle you might not realize all of the beauty that surrounds it. I’ve never been a big fan of any city, but once you get out of the rat race, there really is abundant beauty on the outside edges, and I don’t know if any other large city has so much sparse beauty so nearby.

The more we fly, the more relaxed I get, Magnus’s hand never leaving mine, his voice a constant in my ear. This date is only beginning, and so far, it’s the greatest I’ve ever had. I don’t think anything can possibly top this. We don’t land in the same place we took off. I’m sure with his money and contacts, he’s had his vehicle moved anywhere it needs to be. I can’t imagine never having to worry about the cost of things. What a blessing that would be. If he hadn’t grown up so poor I might be slightly resentful of this, but he’s had hard times in life, and he’s made it through and come out stronger and better than anyone could ever imagine.

Once on solid ground again, I throw my arms around him. “Thank you, Magnus. That was indescribable.”

He leans in and gives me a brief kiss, then pulls back, his eyes sparkling. “I want to show you the world,” he whispers, making my heart thump. “I adore how much delight you take in every aspect of life.”

“I decided long ago to enjoy each moment. It doesn’t mean I don’t have grumpy days, but I force myself out of them. When I’m having a hard time, I tell myself I won’t feel that way in twenty-four hours. Nothing is so bad that it will last indefinitely. This helps me so much when I do get down in the dumps.”

“I can’t imagine you ever being in a bad mood,” he tells me.

“Oh, it happens. You want to run fast and far when it does because it isn’t often, but it’s certainly explosive,” I say with a laugh.

“Well, let’s see if we can wear you out today so you don’t have the energy to strike,” he tells me.

“What can you possibly do to top that ride?” I eagerly ask.

“Come along, madam, and you will see.” He holds out his hand which I gladly take. I’m getting used to walking with my hand in his. He leads to me to his vehicle, that of course, has been brought here, and then we drive to an adventure park. We walk through it holding hands, laughing, talking, and snacking in between a thrilling zip-line adventure through the trees, and a challenging rope course that nearly knocks us both off. It’s a good thing for safety harnesses or we’d definitely be on the ground too far below us.

I laugh more in a few hours than I have in my entire life, feeling young and free, and loving that I’m doing all of this with Magnus. He’s ruining me to any other date I might possibly have, even with him. There’s no way of topping this wonderful day.

We stay at the park until the sun lowers in the sky, and then he drives us to a charming seaside restaurant with an incredible view of the water, candles on the tables, and a breeze blowing in filled with the fresh scent of the Pacific Ocean. The sounds, smells, and sights are a perfect ending to the best day ever.

“Have I thanked you for an extraordinary date?” I say in awe as I look over the balcony at the gently rolling waves. “This is absolutely beautiful.”

“It’s not nearly as beautiful as you,” he says, pulling my attention back to him, getting captured by his gaze.

My cheeks heat as I shake my head. I know I’m not ugly, but he really does make me feel like the most beautiful woman in the room. “You make me feel great,” I admit.

“I want to always make you feel this way, and wanted today to be special,” he says.

“You’ve done that and so much more.”

We continue to talk, only breaking to order food. Sometimes on dates there are awkward silences, but not with Magnus. The conversation flows as we speak about our families, our dreams, our fears, what we like, what we don’t like, and what motivates us. I get to hear more about his childhood and his journey that’s led him to where he is today. It’s so impressive. I find myself sharing things with him I’ve never shared with anyone other than Livie. He somehow gets me to let all walls down and show him the real me.

“I want to hear more about your sister. She sounds wonderful,” I tell him as we’re served some dessert and coffee. Magnus’s eyes light up with fondness. It’s very clear how much he loves his sister, which is only one more reason for me to be so impressed with this man.

“One summer when I was twelve, I think, my sister and I decided to build a treehouse in the woods near our home. We didn’t have money to buy anything, and had zero clue on what we were doing, but we had determination. We spent weeks scavenging through the woods for materials and borrowed tools from our dad’s box, and yet, somehow, we managed to put something together that vaguely resembled a treehouse. It was incredible in my humble opinion.”

I laugh. “Do you even know how be humble?” I ask. He shakes his head. It does amuse me when people use the saying, in my humble opinion. Right then and there you know it’s not a humble opinion at all, but fact in their mind.

I laugh again, trying to picture Magnus as a young boy running around with a little sister. I bet he was a charmer even back then, maybe even more so. If this continues, we’ll definitely have to look through childhood pictures. Those eyes of his must’ve broken hearts even as a thirteen year old.

“Did it stay up?” I ask.

“Barely,” he says. “It certainly wasn’t up to code, and was the wobbliest structure you’ve ever seen, but what mattered was how proud of it we were and how much fun we had there. We’d spend hours at it, playing games and making up stories. It was our own little piece of paradise and is still one of my fondest childhood memories.”

“It sounds wonderful. It also seems like you and your sister started out close and still are.”

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